Privacy Policy

The Well Counselling Collective
Effective Date: [October 2025]

The Well Counselling Collective (“we,” “our,” “us”) values and respects the privacy of all clients, partner schools, and contractors we work with. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your information, and how you can access or correct your information if needed.

1. What is Personal Information?

“Personal information” means any information or opinion (whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not) about an identified individual or someone who is reasonably identifiable.

Examples include:

Name, date of birth, and contact details (address, phone, email).
Emergency contact details.
Health and wellbeing information provided in counselling sessions, intake forms, or referrals.
Employment, school, or demographic details where relevant to service provision.
Billing and payment details.

2. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect your information when you:

Engage with us directly (in person, by phone, email, or online).
Complete intake forms, assessments, or feedback surveys.
Are referred to us by a school, organisation, or other professional (with your consent).
Apply for a role with us as a contractor, employee, or volunteer.
Visit our website (cookies may collect anonymous usage data – see Section 7).

3. How We Use Personal Information

Your information is used to:

Provide counselling, coaching, and wellbeing services.
Manage appointments, invoicing, and administration.
Support professional supervision, ethical practice, and quality improvement.
Generate de-identified, aggregate reports for schools/organisations (individual identities will not be disclosed).
Meet legal and regulatory obligations (e.g. mandatory reporting).

We will only use your information for the purposes it was collected unless:

You give consent to another use, or
The use is authorised or required by law.

4. Confidentiality and Disclosure

What you share with us remains confidential. However, information may be disclosed without your consent if:

There is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
There are concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child.
Disclosure is required by law (e.g. court order, mandatory reporting).

Where disclosure is required, only information strictly necessary will be shared.

5. Storage and Retention of Records

Personal and health records are stored securely in encrypted systems and/or locked facilities.
Access is restricted to authorised personnel and contracted counsellors under confidentiality agreements.
Records will be retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last service, after which they will be securely destroyed in accordance with ethical and legal requirements.

6. Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask for corrections if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

Requests should be made in writing.
We will respond within 7–14 days.

7. Online Activity and Cookies

Our website may use cookies or analytics tools to improve functionality and user experience.

Cookies are small files stored on your device that allow us to recognise repeat visitors.
We do not use cookies to identify individuals.
You can adjust your browser settings to block or remove cookies, though this may affect website functionality.

Our website may also contain links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties and encourage you to review their policies.

8. Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how we have handled your information:

Please contact us directly with full details of your concern. We may ask for proof of identity before responding.
We aim to respond within 14 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) via www.oaic.gov.au.

9. Contact Us

The Well Counselling Collective
Email: [ben@thewellcounselling.com.au]