Privacy Policy

Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching is committed to complying with legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988.

Purpose of information collected:

Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological and coaching services at Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching. For instance: name, address, contact phone numbers, history, information about psychological symptoms and results of psychological tests. Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

How personal information is collected:

Personal information is collected in a number of ways during psychological consultation, including when you provide information directly to the psychologist using hardcopy or online forms, correspondence via email, when you interact directly with Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching via phone or in person, and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching, via referrals, correspondence and medical reports. Client files are stored either in a secure filing cabinet or in a secure electronic format accessible only to Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching.

Disclosure of personal information:

Any personal information gathered during your treatment will remain strictly confidential except when:

1. Your prior written or oral approval has been provided to us to:
   1. a.     Provide a written report to another professional or agency, e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or
   2. b.     Discuss the material with another person, e.g., a parent, school, employer or health provider; or
   3. c.     Disclose the information in another way
2. Failure to disclose the information would, in the reasonable belief of the psychologist, place you or another person at risk of harm
3. You would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency (e.g., your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected. This includes ongoing correspondence back to the referrer (e.g., GP, paediatrician or psychiatrist)
4. Responding to subpoenas issued by a court
5. Disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.

Personal information may be disclosed in person, or via phone, email, facsimile or post.

Requests for access to client information:

At any stage, clients may request to see the information about them kept on file. The psychologist may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988. All requests by clients for access to information held about them should be requested by contacting us. These requests will be responded to within 7 days and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.

Concerns:

If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, please inform Nicole Sokol, director of Nicole Sokol Clinical Psychology and Coaching. Upon request, you can obtain a copy of the National Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your information should be handled.

Ultimately, if you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, or access to, your personal information, you may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992, or by post to: GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001.

If you require further information, please contact us at nicole@nicolesokol.com.au.