Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal and health information we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.

1. How We Handle Your Information

At Soma + Soul Practice we handle your personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).

2. Information We Collect

To provide safe and ethical care, we collect the following:

• Personal Details: Name, contact information, date of birth, and emergency contact details.
  
  
• Clinical Data: Session notes, clinical assessments, intake forms, and relevant medical or therapeutic histories.
  
  
• Administrative & Billing Data: Transaction histories, invoices, and payment details. As a private-fee practice, we do not collect or store Medicare details, nor do we operate under or hold data related to Mental Health Care Plans (MHCP).
  
  

3. Purpose of Collection

We collect, hold, and use this information primarily for:

• Providing comprehensive clinical assessments and ongoing therapeutic interventions.
  
  
• Maintaining accurate, secure, and legally compliant clinical records.
  
  
• Managing the administrative operations of our practice, including scheduling and billing.
  
  
• Collaborating with other health professionals involved in your care, strictly and exclusively with your explicit, written consent.
  
  

4. Confidentiality & Its Limits

We keep what you tell us confidential, within the limits set by the AHPRA and PACFA codes of conduct. Information will not be disclosed without your consent unless:

• There is a legal obligation to do so (e.g., a subpoena or court order).
  
  
• There is a reasonable belief that a failure to disclose information would place you or another person at serious risk of imminent harm.
  
  
• There is a statutory obligation to report (e.g., mandatory reporting requirements regarding child protection).
  
  
• It is part of professional clinical supervision (detailed below).
  
  

5. Professional Registration & Supervision

Our practitioners take part in regular professional supervision, as their registration bodies require.

• Daniel Novikov is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and practices under the direction of a Board-approved supervisor.
  
  
• Tammy Stander is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
  
  

Practitioners may discuss de-identified clinical themes or case details within these secure, professional supervision structures. No identifying personal details are ever shared.

6. Data Security & Retention

Your records are stored securely in an encrypted digital format using specialised, privacy-compliant practice management software. In accordance with NSW health regulations, your records are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of your last service. For clients who commence therapy as minors, records are legally retained until the client reaches 25 years of age. After this period, records are permanently and securely destroyed.

7. Access to Your Information

You have a right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. Requests to access or correct your information must be submitted in writing. We will review and respond to your request within statutory timeframes, noting that certain legal exceptions to access may apply under the HRIP Act (such as when access would pose a serious threat to life or health).

8. Concerns & Complaints

If you have any questions or concerns regarding how your privacy or health data has been handled, we encourage you to discuss them with us directly so we can resolve them together. If you feel your concerns have not been adequately addressed, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), AHPRA, or PACFA.

9. Website Analytics & Cookies

Our website uses analytics tools to understand how visitors engage with our content and to improve the experience of the site. These tools operate on an anonymised basis and do not capture your identity or the content of your enquiries:

• Microsoft Clarity: We use Microsoft Clarity to record how visitors interact with our website (such as clicks, scrolls, and navigation). All text entered into forms or other input areas is masked and obfuscated during recording. Neither our team nor Microsoft can read the content of any enquiry submitted through our contact form. Clarity uses small data files (cookies) to distinguish visitors.
  
  
• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure aggregated, de-identified usage statistics such as page views and visitor locations.
  
  
• Cloudflare Web Analytics: We use Cloudflare’s built-in analytics to measure site performance and traffic without the use of cookies.
  
  

Contact form submissions: When you submit our contact form, your message is transmitted securely to our email delivery provider (Resend) solely for the purpose of delivering your enquiry to our practice. The contents of your message are never collected by, or shared with, our analytics providers.

Some of our service providers (including email delivery and analytics infrastructure) host servers located overseas, primarily in the United States. We require these providers to maintain industry-standard security and data protection, and they do not use your information for any purpose other than the services described in this policy.

You may opt out of website analytics by adjusting your browser’s privacy settings or using available opt-out mechanisms. Analytics cookies are not used for advertising, and we do not sell or share your personal information for marketing purposes.