Privacy Policy

Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing Privacy Policy

At Sonar Psychology & wellbeing we value your privacy. This policy outlines the way personal information is collected and used by Sonar Psychology.

How and why your information is collected

To provide you with our services, we need to collect some personal information. This might include your name, age, contact details, Medicare number, and billing details. Other details relating to your health and life experiences may also be relevant to the services we provide. This information is needed to effectively communicate with you, understand your social and mental health needs, ensure appropriate psychological care, and facilitate payments (including rebates).

We access your information in a range of ways, such as:

  • Forms – You will be asked to fill out an intake form and other forms or questionnaires as needed.

  •  Third parties – Some of your information might be sent to us by third parties, such as Medicare, your GP, previous mental health providers, DVA, or insurance providers. 

  • Directly from you – during appointments, phone calls, emails, and other communication. • Cookies – Our website may use cookies. Cookies are small files stored on your computer that optimize your website experience and help us understand how the website is being used so we can improve it. You can modify your browser settings to block cookies, but this may limit your browsing experience.

How your information is protected

Your information is securely stored in an electronic format that is password-protected and meets the high-security standards required of allied health records. We de-identify information where possible and delete information that is no longer required.

We strive to keep your information as accurate and up to date as possible. If you believe any of your information is incorrect or outdated, please let us know, and we will correct it. Please also help us by notifying us of any changes.

Times that your information is shared with other parties

There are times when we might need to share some of your information. This might include:

  • Rebates and payment providers – We may need to provide rebate providers (e.g., Medicare or DVA) with details about your appointment attendance so they can process your claims. Some providers may also ask for progress updates.

  •  Referrers – Referrers, such as GPs, may need updates with information about your appointment attendance, the type of problem being addressed, the type of service provided, results of assessments, and outcomes of psychological support. 

  • Safety – When someone is at risk of serious harm, we will share information to keep everyone safe. This information sharing will be limited to what is necessary for safety. You will be informed as soon as possible if information has been shared in this way or before sharing it if possible.

  •  Legal requests for information – We are required to share information requested through a legally binding body, such as a subpoena by a Court.

  •  Supervision – It is best practice for psychologists to engage in peer supervision and consult with other psychologists with specific areas of expertise. During supervision, we discuss the nature of challenges faced by clients and how we are working with them. This ensures you receive the best care we can provide. Only relevant information is discussed in supervision, and clients are de-identified (details like your name, address, or phone number are not shared). Supervisors are bound to keep your information confidential.

Consent

By engaging with the services provided at Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing, your consent to this privacy policy is implied.

Your information – Your rights

You can request a copy of the information we have about you at any time. We also encourage you to let us know if any of our information is incorrect or out of date.

Changes to this policy

We may change all or part of this policy as required. Any changes will be updated on our website. Where practical, we will try to contact you about any major changes to this policy. Continued engagement with the service will be considered tacit agreement with the updated policy.

Contact us

If you have any complaints or questions about how your information is handled at Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing, or to request a copy of your recorded information, please get in touch with us through the contact details below:

Email

Mail: Director, Sonar Psychology & Wellbeing , 275 Ryrie Street, Geelong 3220, VIC

This policy is current as of 21/01/2025