Lotus Life Counselling Privacy Policy

Lotus Life Counselling, ABN: 62 832 935 167 complies with the Privacy Act 1988 and the applicable Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act when handling personal information. Lotus Life Counselling takes the protection of your personal information seriously. Personal information includes any information or opinion, whether true or not, about a person who is identified or whose identity can reasonably be established.

Data Collection Practices
Lotus Life Counselling collects personal information for the purposes of providing you with a counselling service. As part of this service, it is possible that the practice may need to collect information about things like how to contact you to arrange an appointment. Lotus Life Counselling may collect information via the practice Consent Forms or other company forms that you complete, via our online booking system if you use that, and via administration, or through our website www.lotuslife.com.au.

The kind of personal and health information that Lotus Life Counselling may collect will depend on who you are (e.g. a client or third-party service provider) and the nature of your connection with Lotus Life Counselling. This information may include things like:

• Your full name

• Address

• Email address

• Date of birth

• Medicare details

• Billing information

• General appointment information and other personal information

It is important that you are aware that failure to provide Lotus Life Counselling with all the information requested means that Lotus Life Counselling may not be able to deliver the services that you have requested.

Lotus Life Counselling collects personal information in the following ways:

 

• From you when you inquire, book an appointment, email the practice, phone the practice, engage with the practice on social media, complete documentation, in a counselling session where you request a letter or report, you complete an assessment or make an online booking;

• From third-party service providers – if you are referred through an EAP / doctor / or other third party, they usually provide us with your contact information and other information relevant to the referral;

• When we receive enquiries through Lotus Life Counselling and when the website is otherwise accessed or used.

Consent
You consent to Lotus Life Counselling collecting, using, and disclosing your personal and health information to comply with this privacy policy. By booking an appointment, making an inquiry, registering your details via our website/phone/email/SMS/social media contact/fax or other and or by completing a consent form, you provide Lotus Life Counselling with consent to collect, use, and disclose your personal and health information for the purposes covered in this privacy policy.

Information and Use
In the course of providing you with services, Lotus Life Counselling may use the information that you have provided, including personal and health information, to provide you with counselling services, send you an electronic newsletter, respond to feedback and complaints, utilise the Lotus Life Counselling website, correspond with you, and if required, enforce our client consent form/payment arrangement form.

Quality and Security of Data Collected
Lotus Life Counselling takes reasonable steps to protect the personal information collected and secure it from misuse, loss, interference and unauthorised access and modification. Lotus Life Counselling endeavours to ensure all such information collected is up-to-date and complete at the time it is collected, used, or disclosed.

To ensure your information is accurate, please notify Lotus Life Counselling. You can do this by emailing Lotus Life Counselling.

Health Information Collected
Lotus Life Counselling complies with the Health Privacy Principles and the ethical guidelines of the Australian Counselling Association in the collection, use, and disclosure of all health information and to ensure that it is kept confidential.

Lotus Life Counselling may collect your health information when you attend the practice and/or at any other time from time to time in the course of providing counselling services.

Your information may be collected for, but is not limited to, the following reasons:

 

• As it is required for the provision of counselling services, including recording your personal information and health information as relevant to your current situation for the purposes of providing therapeutic intervention, writing reports and summaries;

• Only as essential for the provision of counselling services, or as otherwise in accordance with your consent, or as may be required by law;

• Only from you (or from someone authorised by you with your written consent)

• In accordance with the code of ethics set out by the Australian Counselling Association.

• With accuracy, on the basis that you may at any time request a copy of the health information that Lotus Life Counselling has collected by emailing us at jessica@lotuslife.com.au (subject always to applicable law) and where our records are found to be inaccurate, we will rectify any inaccuracies on the basis of the further information you provide.

Access, Updates, and Complaints
Lotus Life Counselling will provide you with access to your personal and health information that has been collected, subject to any legal exceptions, at your written request. Please also let us know if you have any concerns, questions, or complaints so that Lotus Life Counselling can address them promptly for you, by sending an email to jessica@lotuslife.com.au. Where our records are found to be inaccurate, Lotus Life Counselling will promptly correct any inaccuracies on the grounds of updated information that you provide.

Disclosure
Lotus Life Counselling discloses personal information to additional third parties with your consent by this privacy policy or if permitted, authorised, or required to do so by any relevant Federal, State, or Territory law.

Changes to this Privacy Policy
From time to time, Lotus Life Counselling may make amendments to this privacy policy. Any changes will be effective immediately upon the uploading of the revised privacy policy to www.lotuslife.com.au. By continuing to use the Lotus Life Counselling website and/or the counselling service following any changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, as amended from time to time, in whole or part, you must terminate your use of the website and inform us immediately prior to any further receipt of our counselling services.

Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please contact Lotus Life Counselling at jessica@lotuslife.com.au.

Updated: August 2024