Privacy Policy

Lumina Counselling (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information, and how we comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Because counselling involves sensitive personal information, we take your privacy seriously.

Last updated: July 2026.

The information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact details — your name, email address and phone number, for example when you complete our contact form or book a session.
• Information you choose to share — the reason you are reaching out and any details you include in your message.
• Health and sensitive information — information about your wellbeing, circumstances and history that you share during counselling, which we record to provide safe and effective care.
• Appointment and account information — booking details and session records held through our practice-management platform.
• Technical information — standard website server logs (such as your IP address and browser type) used to keep the site secure and running.

Sensitive information and consent

Health information is “sensitive information” under the Privacy Act and is given a higher level of protection. We only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary to provide counselling to you, and with your consent. You do not have to share anything you are not comfortable sharing, though it may affect the support we can offer.

How we use your information

• To respond to your enquiries and arrange your free consultation or sessions.
• To provide, manage and follow up on counselling services.
• To keep accurate and secure clinical records.
• To meet our legal, professional and ethical obligations.

Confidentiality and its limits

What you share in counselling is confidential. There are a small number of situations where we may be required, or ethically obliged, to disclose information without your consent — for example where there is a serious and imminent risk to your safety or the safety of others, where disclosure is required by law (such as a court order or a mandatory reporting obligation), or where you have given us your consent. Wherever possible, we will discuss this with you first.

Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• Our secure booking and practice-management platform (Halaxy), which we use to manage appointments and records.
• Our email and productivity provider (Google Workspace), through which enquiries reach us.
• Third parties where required or authorised by law, or with your consent.

Storage, security and overseas providers

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access or disclosure. Records are held electronically through reputable providers that apply appropriate security safeguards, and online sessions are delivered over a secure video connection. Some of our providers (for example Google) may store data on servers located outside Australia; where this occurs we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is handled consistently with the APPs.

Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete. To make a request, please contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before providing access.

Our website

Our website may use essential cookies to function correctly. Information you submit through the contact form is emailed to us so we can respond, and is not used for advertising or sold to third parties.

Making a complaint

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. You may also lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on this page, with the date it was last updated shown above.

Contact us

For any privacy question or request, email us at [email protected].