Privacy and Confidentiality
Client Privacy and Confidentiality:
Your personal information will always remain confidential. Nothing said will be revealed unless permission (client consent) has been given and any notes taken are kept secure. However, exceptions may occur: We may use stories for case studies in our social media sites - but without names. And we may ask a client to give verbal or written consent to creating a video review which may be used on social media or our websites. Google reviews are also public.
If you are not happy with our policies please let us know.
We limit the information given online through an encrypted booking system, hard copy intake forms and no cloud accounting or file back-ups.
At Ghita Therapy we comply with the following laws and practice standards relating to privacy and health records:
Telehealth Privacy:
'Telehealth' was a term coined by the Medicare Benefits Scheme website during the Covid pandemic. However, it has now become a 'generic phrase' used for online and phone sessions with any type of healthcare provider. At Ghita Therapy we do not receive medicare rebates.
VIDEO and PHONE PRIVACY: Please note that we cannot guarantee privacy during phone appointments or when using apps such as Facebook Messenger as this is beyond our scope to control. However, we aim to adhere to government policies for telehealth services as much as is reasonably possible. Here is the link to the guidelines set by the Australian government:
http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/F47F4FC1848FAEC2CA25855D008395C9/$File/Factsheet-privacy-checklist-for-telehealth-services-20200804.pdf
Client Consent:
Client must give consent for session information to be shared amongst biomedical services and lawyers services and confidentiality is maintained as much as possible. Only that information which is necessary will be divulged to court magistrates/ lawyers and other psychological professionals.
When booking phone or video sessions, clients automatically give their consent to be on video or phone sessions with whichever digital format they have agreed to.
Exceptions to Consent:
When a person or persons are believed to be at risk of serious harm, confidentiality must be waived under a duty of care (Legal Mandatory Reporting). This means that the appropriate authorities, and/ or family members will be notified by the counsellor, in accordance with Qld law.
A Confidentiality Breach is acceptable under the following circumstances:
1. If a client is at risk of serious self-harm (considering suicide), or of harming others
2. The probable or past harming of another person
3. A client has divulged details of a recent criminal offence, or planning an illegal act
4. Abuse of children or elders is a mandatory reporting offence
5. Counsellor is subpoenaed to disclose minimal notes to solicitors in relation to a client's court case
6. For the psychiatric diagnosis of an illness with client consent, or via involuntary induction into hospital
7. The client has given consent or mentioned it is acceptable to inform their spouse for Couples Counselling
8. Internet Data Bots: When online platforms such as Facebook Messenger video are used, we cannot guarantee that Facebook's databot is not collecting some information such as location, age, gender etc. This goes for Whatsapp, Skype and Telecommunications companies too. The discretion of data harvesting is beyond our control and remains with the electronic service provider and their company privacy/ country regulations. When booking phone or video sessions, clients automatically give their consent to be on video or phone sessions with whichever digital format they have agreed to.
9. Case Studies (sans client name) used for promotion of services on social media.
10. Video and Google reviews are public and have the client's approval.
If a client records sound/ images/ video during a session without approval:
It is a breach of Counselling Guidelines for a counsellor to disclose what is said in counselling, unless it is to their supervisor. However, it is not unusual for clients to talk about their sessions to their nearest and dearest. Importantly, it is the client's own breach (and they may be liable for legal proceedings) if they disclose the information in the form of recordings (photos, audio, video) without the counsellor's consent. Clients have been informed of and consented to Ghita Therapy confidentiality clauses when they signed the intake form.
Client Notes After Termination:
No clients notes will be shared or divulged unless a court order requires it and only specific information relevant to a case will be allowed.
Supervision & Confidentiality
All practising counsellors in Australia are required to attend supervision. This means talking to an experienced counsellor about our work to ensure that we are clear on our motivations, our own processes, and that both the clients and ourselves are kept safe. The supervisor is bound by the same ethics and confidentiality as the counsellor. Clients will be mentioned in such a way that they can’t be identified.
Client Rights
Clients have the right not to divulge anything that may cause them enormous emotional grief and to be treated ethically in accordance with Australian law and the Ethical Counselling Codes of PACFA.
Your personal information will always remain confidential. Nothing said will be revealed unless permission (client consent) has been given and any notes taken are kept secure. However, exceptions may occur: We may use stories for case studies in our social media sites - but without names. And we may ask a client to give verbal or written consent to creating a video review which may be used on social media or our websites. Google reviews are also public.
If you are not happy with our policies please let us know.
We limit the information given online through an encrypted booking system, hard copy intake forms and no cloud accounting or file back-ups.
At Ghita Therapy we comply with the following laws and practice standards relating to privacy and health records:
- PACFA Code of Ethics
- The Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
- Recommendations, guidelines and policies set down by the Australian Information Commissioner
- QLD State legislation/ Federal Legislation
- Queensland Information Privacy Act 2009
- Telehealth Guidelines
Telehealth Privacy:
'Telehealth' was a term coined by the Medicare Benefits Scheme website during the Covid pandemic. However, it has now become a 'generic phrase' used for online and phone sessions with any type of healthcare provider. At Ghita Therapy we do not receive medicare rebates.
VIDEO and PHONE PRIVACY: Please note that we cannot guarantee privacy during phone appointments or when using apps such as Facebook Messenger as this is beyond our scope to control. However, we aim to adhere to government policies for telehealth services as much as is reasonably possible. Here is the link to the guidelines set by the Australian government:
http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/F47F4FC1848FAEC2CA25855D008395C9/$File/Factsheet-privacy-checklist-for-telehealth-services-20200804.pdf
Client Consent:
Client must give consent for session information to be shared amongst biomedical services and lawyers services and confidentiality is maintained as much as possible. Only that information which is necessary will be divulged to court magistrates/ lawyers and other psychological professionals.
When booking phone or video sessions, clients automatically give their consent to be on video or phone sessions with whichever digital format they have agreed to.
Exceptions to Consent:
When a person or persons are believed to be at risk of serious harm, confidentiality must be waived under a duty of care (Legal Mandatory Reporting). This means that the appropriate authorities, and/ or family members will be notified by the counsellor, in accordance with Qld law.
A Confidentiality Breach is acceptable under the following circumstances:
1. If a client is at risk of serious self-harm (considering suicide), or of harming others
2. The probable or past harming of another person
3. A client has divulged details of a recent criminal offence, or planning an illegal act
4. Abuse of children or elders is a mandatory reporting offence
5. Counsellor is subpoenaed to disclose minimal notes to solicitors in relation to a client's court case
6. For the psychiatric diagnosis of an illness with client consent, or via involuntary induction into hospital
7. The client has given consent or mentioned it is acceptable to inform their spouse for Couples Counselling
8. Internet Data Bots: When online platforms such as Facebook Messenger video are used, we cannot guarantee that Facebook's databot is not collecting some information such as location, age, gender etc. This goes for Whatsapp, Skype and Telecommunications companies too. The discretion of data harvesting is beyond our control and remains with the electronic service provider and their company privacy/ country regulations. When booking phone or video sessions, clients automatically give their consent to be on video or phone sessions with whichever digital format they have agreed to.
9. Case Studies (sans client name) used for promotion of services on social media.
10. Video and Google reviews are public and have the client's approval.
If a client records sound/ images/ video during a session without approval:
It is a breach of Counselling Guidelines for a counsellor to disclose what is said in counselling, unless it is to their supervisor. However, it is not unusual for clients to talk about their sessions to their nearest and dearest. Importantly, it is the client's own breach (and they may be liable for legal proceedings) if they disclose the information in the form of recordings (photos, audio, video) without the counsellor's consent. Clients have been informed of and consented to Ghita Therapy confidentiality clauses when they signed the intake form.
Client Notes After Termination:
No clients notes will be shared or divulged unless a court order requires it and only specific information relevant to a case will be allowed.
Supervision & Confidentiality
All practising counsellors in Australia are required to attend supervision. This means talking to an experienced counsellor about our work to ensure that we are clear on our motivations, our own processes, and that both the clients and ourselves are kept safe. The supervisor is bound by the same ethics and confidentiality as the counsellor. Clients will be mentioned in such a way that they can’t be identified.
Client Rights
Clients have the right not to divulge anything that may cause them enormous emotional grief and to be treated ethically in accordance with Australian law and the Ethical Counselling Codes of PACFA.
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