Privacy policy
Last updated: 10 November 2026
About this policy
Rise Counselling is a counselling practice run by Sabrina Joseph, a social worker and member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), based in Melbourne. Sabrina provides counselling and therapy, including EMDR, Resource Therapy and parts work, to adults across Australia by telehealth. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Rise Counselling.
Counselling depends on trust, and protecting your privacy is part of that. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we keep it safe, and what your rights are.
We handle personal and health information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). We may update this policy from time to time, and the latest version will always be on this page.
What information we collect
We only collect the information we need to provide you with safe, effective counselling and to run the practice. This may include:
- Contact details: your name, email, phone number, address and date of birth.
- Emergency contact: the name and phone number of someone we can contact if we're seriously worried about your safety.
- Health information: your reasons for seeking counselling, relevant history, wellbeing questionnaires, and the notes we keep after each session.
- Referral details: if you've been referred by a GP or another health professional, their details and referral letter.
- Payment details: records of invoices and payments. Card details are handled by our payment provider and are not stored by us.
- Enquiries: anything you send us by email or tell us by phone.
Health information is sensitive information under Australian law, so we only collect it with your consent and only when it's needed for your care.
How we collect it
We collect most information directly from you: when you book online, fill in intake forms, email or call us, or speak with us in session. We'll only collect information from someone else (such as a referring GP) with your consent, or where the law allows it.
Telehealth sessions are held over a secure video platform. Sessions are not video-recorded.
AI note taking (NovoNote). With your consent, we use NovoNote, an AI note-taking tool made by Australian company NovoPsych, to help write session notes. It transcribes the audio of your session and drafts a summary, which Sabrina then reviews and edits. The audio is deleted once it has been transcribed, transcripts are not kept in your clinical file, and data is stored on secure servers in Australia. Your information is never used to train AI.
Using NovoNote is your choice. If you'd rather it wasn't used, just tell Sabrina, at the start or at any time, and she'll take notes the usual way. It won't affect your care in any way.
How we use and share your information
We use your information to provide counselling, manage appointments, send reminders, issue invoices, and keep the records our profession requires. We will never sell your information or use it for marketing without your consent.
What you share in counselling is kept confidential. We will only share your information:
- with your consent, for example writing to your GP or another practitioner;
- in clinical supervision, which is a professional requirement, and only in a way that does not identify you;
- to prevent serious harm, if we believe there is a serious risk to your life, health or safety, or someone else's;
- when the law requires it, such as a court order or subpoena, or to protect a child at risk of harm.
Wherever it's safe and possible, we'll talk with you first before sharing anything.
How we keep it safe
Your client records are stored electronically in Cliniko, a secure practice management system, with data held in Australia. Access is protected by strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and only Sabrina can view your clinical notes.
We also use trusted third-party services to run the practice, including:
| Service | What it's used for |
|---|---|
| Cliniko | Bookings, client records, invoices |
| NovoNote (NovoPsych) | AI-assisted session notes, with your consent |
| Our video platform | Telehealth sessions |
| Vercel | Hosting this website |
| Our payment provider | Card payments |
| Google Workspace |
Some of these providers (such as our website host) may store data overseas. We choose providers with strong security and privacy practices, and we keep health information out of email wherever possible.
No system is completely secure, but we take all reasonable steps to protect your information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we'll tell you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as the law requires.
Our website
Our website doesn't use cookies, analytics or tracking tools. Like every website, the company that hosts it (Vercel) automatically keeps basic technical logs, such as IP addresses, browser type and the pages requested, for security and to keep the site running.
Our website may link to other sites, such as helplines, professional bodies and our Cliniko booking page. We're not responsible for how those sites handle your information.
You're welcome to browse our site or ask a general question without giving your name. We do need your real details to provide counselling.
Seeing and correcting your information
You can ask to see the information we hold about you, or ask us to correct anything that's wrong or out of date. Just email us. We'll respond within 30 days. In rare cases the law allows us to limit access, for example if it could put someone's safety at risk; if so, we'll explain why.
How long we keep records
We keep client records for at least seven years after your last session, as required by Victorian health records law. After that, they're securely deleted.
Questions or concerns
If you have a question about this policy or a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact Sabrina first. We take every concern seriously and will aim to resolve it within 30 days.
Rise Counselling. Email: sabrina@rise-counselling.com. Phone: 0423 103 466.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact:
- the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au, 1300 363 992)
- the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner (hcc.vic.gov.au)
- the Australian Association of Social Workers (aasw.asn.au)