Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Terms of use and Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. It is the policy of Finding Wisdom Counselling (ABN: 97 164 325 646) to respect your privacy and comply with any applicable law and regulation regarding any personal information we may collect about you, including across this website, findingwisdom.com.au.


This policy is effective as of 14/1/2024.


Information We Collect

Information we collect includes both information you knowingly and actively provide when using or participating in any of our services, and any information automatically sent by your devices in the course of accessing my website.


Log Data

When you visit this website, our servers may automatically log the standard data provided by your web browser. It may include your device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, your browser type and version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on each page, other details about your visit, and technical details that occur in conjunction with any errors you may encounter.

Please be aware that while this information may not be personally identifying by itself, it may be possible to combine it with other data to personally identify individual persons.


Personal Information

I may ask for personal information which may include one or more of the following:

  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone/mobile number
  • Home/mailing address

Legitimate Reasons for Processing Your Personal Information

 We only collect and use your personal information when we have a legitimate reason for doing so. In which instance, we only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to provide services to you.

 

Collection and Use of Information

 We may collect personal information from you when you do any of the following on my website:

  • Use a mobile device or web browser to access my content
  • Contact us via email, social media, or on any similar technologies

When you mention us on social media

We may collect, hold, use, and disclose information for the following purposes, and personal information will not be further processed in a manner that is incompatible with these purposes:

  • to contact and communicate with you
  • to enable you to access and use our website, associated applications, and associated social media platforms
  • for internal record keeping and administrative purposes

Please be aware that we may combine information we collect about you with general information or research data we receive from other trusted sources.


Security of Your Personal Information

 When we collect and process personal information, and while we retain this information, we will protect it within commercially acceptable means to prevent loss and theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification.

Although we will do our best to protect the personal information you provide to us, we advise that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and no one can guarantee absolute data security. We will comply with laws applicable to us in respect of any data breach.

You are responsible for selecting any password and its overall security strength, ensuring the security of your own information within the bounds of our services.


How Long we Keep Your Personal Information

 We keep your personal information only for as long as we need to. This time period may depend on what we are using your information for, in accordance with this privacy policy. If your personal information is no longer required, we will delete it or make it anonymous by removing all details that identify you.

However, if necessary, we may retain your personal information for our compliance with a legal, accounting, or reporting obligation or statistical purposes.


Children’s Privacy

We do not aim any of our products or services directly at children under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information about children under 18.


International Transfers of Personal Information

The personal information we collect is stored and/or processed where we or our partners, affiliates, and third-party providers maintain facilities. Please be aware that the locations to which we store, process, or transfer your personal information may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you initially provided the information. If we transfer your personal information to third parties in other countries: (i) we will perform those transfers in accordance with the requirements of applicable law; and (ii) we will protect the transferred personal information in accordance with this privacy policy.


Your Rights and Controlling Your Personal Information

You always retain the right to withhold personal information from us, with the understanding that your experience of our website may be affected. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights over your personal information. If you do provide us with personal information you understand that we will collect, hold, use and disclose it in accordance with this privacy policy. You retain the right to request details of any personal information we hold about you.

If we receive personal information about you from a third party, we will protect it as set out in this privacy policy. If you are a third party providing personal information about somebody else, you represent and warrant that you have such person’s consent to provide the personal information to us.

If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time. We will provide you with the ability to unsubscribe from our email-database or opt out of communications. Please be aware we may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity.

If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading, please contact us using the details provided in this privacy policy. We will take reasonable steps to correct any information found to be inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or out of date.

If you believe that we have breached a relevant data protection law and wish to make a complaint, please contact us using the details below and provide us with full details of the alleged breach. We will promptly investigate your complaint and respond to you, in writing, setting out the outcome of our investigation and the steps we will take to deal with your complaint. You also have the right to contact a regulatory body or data protection authority in relation to your complaint.


Use of Cookies

We use “cookies” to collect information about you and your activity across our site. A cookie is a small piece of data that our website stores on your computer, and accesses each time you visit, so we can understand how you use our site. This helps us serve you content based on preferences you have specified.


Limits of Our Policy

Our website may link to external sites that are not operated by us. Please be aware that we have no control over the content and policies of those sites and cannot accept responsibility or liability for their respective privacy practices. 

 

General Disclaimer

All information available on this website is for general information only and is not a substitute for accessing appropriate professional services, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Finding Wisdom Counselling (ABN 97 164 325 646) accepts no responsibility for the result of actions taken on the basis of information on this website, nor the accuracy, currency, or completeness of any material contained on this website. Finding Wisdom Counselling declaims liability for any loss or damage either direct or indirect that comes from the use of or connection with this website.

Always seek advice from your doctor or a qualified professional for any questions you have in relation to a medical condition or mental disorder. This website is not a substitute for appropriate medical and clinical. If you have a medical emergency, please contact your treating doctor or emergency services on 000.

By reading this and/or by browsing the Finding Wisdom Counselling website, you have agreed to this disclaimer. If you do not agree to this disclaimer, you should cease your use of this website immediately.


Privacy Policy for the Management of Client Information

This document describes the privacy policy of Finding Wisdom Counselling for the management of clients’ personal information. The counselling service provided is bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).


Client information

Client files are retained on Halaxy which is a secure practice management software, this is accessible only to authorised employees. For more information regarding Halaxy, please read the Halaxy Terms of Service and the Halaxy Privacy Policy. The information on each file includes personal information such as name, address, contact phone numbers, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the counselling service.


How clients’ personal information is collected

A client’s personal information is collected in a number of ways during a counselling consultation with Finding Wisdom Counselling, including when the client provides information directly to Finding Wisdom Counselling using hardcopy forms, correspondence via email, and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Finding Wisdom Counselling, via referrals, correspondence and medical reports.


Consequence of not providing personal information

If the client does not wish for their personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this Privacy Policy, Finding Wisdom Counselling may not be in a position to provide the counselling service to the client. In some circumstances, clients may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Finding Wisdom Counselling to deal with the client or if Finding Wisdom Counselling is required or authorised by law to deal with identified individuals.


Purpose of holding personal information

A client’s personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing counselling services. The personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables the counsellor to provide a relevant and informed counselling service. Information will be retained for a period of 7 years, or until the client reaches 25 years of age (whichever is longer) as per legislative requirements.


Disclosure of personal information

Clients’ personal information will remain confidential except when:

  1. it is subpoenaed by a court; or 
  2. failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of Finding Wisdom Counselling, place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or 
  3. your prior approval has been obtained to
    • provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or 
    • discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer
  4. a regulatory body requests this information; or
  5. the disclosure is otherwise required by law (e.g. as part of a WorkCover claim).

Clients’ personal information will not be used, sold, rented or disclosed for any other purpose.


Requests for access and correction to client information

At any stage clients may request to see and correct the personal information about them kept on file. The counsellor may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. All requests by clients for access to or correction of personal information held about them should be lodged with Finding Wisdom Counselling in writing via email [email protected].

These requests will be responded to in writing within 30 days, and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes. If an appointment is required this will be charged at the standard consultation and no rebate will be available.


Concerns

If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information, they may inform Finding Wisdom Counselling. Upon request they can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe their rights and how their personal information should be handled. Once you have contacted us in relation to your concerns, if you are not satisfied with our response, or if you do not feel your complaint has been resolved, you are able to seek advice from the Office of the Qld Health Ombudsman at 400 George St, Brisbane 4000 or telephone that Office on 13 36 46 Online data collection and use.


Changes to This Policy

At our discretion, we may change our privacy policy to reflect updates to our business processes, current acceptable practices, or legislative or regulatory changes. If we decide to change this privacy policy, we will post the changes here at the same link by which you are accessing this privacy policy.

If required by law, we will get your permission or give you the opportunity to opt in to or opt out of, as applicable, any new uses of your personal information.


Contact Us

For any questions or concerns regarding your privacy, you may contact us using the following details:

Valeria Capasso-Kruck

[email protected]

Social Media Policy

Facebook & Friend Requests

I do have a personal Facebook page, which I like to keep separate with photos of my family and personal friends. As a rule, I do not accept current or former clients as friends on my personal Facebook page. The issue of privacy and the possibility of compromising your confidentiality is something I take seriously. 

The link attached to my website is for my professional practice. You will find my blog, updates and info on my upcoming events. I welcome you to Like my Facebook page where you can read and share articles/postings.  

If you would like to post feedback regarding sessions, or groups please be mindful that you may be sharing personal information. Others nay will see your post so it may be wise to use a pseudonym when sharing. 

Comment Policy

Whilst comments to individual posts are encouraged. these are reviewed before they are posted.

Respectful comments that contribute to the topic at hand will generally be accepted.

The Author reserves the right to delete any comment, for any reason, at any time.  You have the right to express your opinions on your blog, not the Author’s.

Comments that receive a certain number of flags from the readership are automatically deleted.

Contacting me

If you want to contact me to ask me a question about an article, an appointment, or an upcoming event, please do not make contact by Facebook posts or other online means of engaging, as it can compromise your confidentiality. Please email me directly at [email protected]

If I am with a client or unavailable, please leave a message and I will get back to you within 72 hours. You can email me directly: [email protected]

 

Contacting you

In the event of a crisis or unexpected event, there may be the need for me to make contact with a client via a search engine, such as Google or Facebook. This is extremely rare and it is not a regular practice. However, if there is reason to suspect that you are in danger or have not turned up for an appointment and I cannot contact you by the normal means (email or telephone) it is my duty of care to ensure that you are safe. 

Should this eventuate, your confidentiality will be respected, it will be well documented and naturally I will discuss it with you at our next session. 

Outside practice hours

There may be times when I run into a client at the shopping centre, coffee shop or local venue. To maintain your privacy, I make it a practice not to approach or acknowledge clients if I do see them. If you see me and want to say hello, I will reciprocate. You are welcome to share with family and friends that I am your therapist, but this needs to come from you, not me. So please do not be offended if you see me and I do not acknowledge you. 

I am available during business hours from Monday to Friday. If you need to talk to someone after hours please contact Lifeline (13 11 14), 1800RESPECT or call your local community Mental Health support. In case of emergency, do not hesitate to call 000.

Code of Conduct

I am committed to working within the guidelines of the PACFA code of ethics: https://pacfa.org.au/portal/Portal/Prac-Res/Code-of-Ethics.aspx

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 0420 465 510.