Privacy Policy

Your Way Hypnotherapy provides hypnotherapy and related services to clients in Australia, including services provided online.

For privacy enquiries, please contact Gemma Russo at change@yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au or through yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au. Gemma Russo is responsible for privacy matters within Your Way Hypnotherapy.

The type of personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us and whether you become a client. We may collect:

We generally collect personal information directly from you. This may occur when you:

• contact us by email, telephone or through our website
• complete a website enquiry or questionnaire
• provide your name, email address or telephone number
• book a complimentary Discovery Call
• attend a consultation or hypnotherapy session
• complete client intake or consent documentation
• communicate with us in connection with our services
• provide information necessary for the administration of your appointments or payments.

We may collect information from another person or organisation where you have authorised this or where collection is otherwise permitted or required by law. We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for our functions and activities or for providing services to you.

Our website may provide questionnaires, forms or other ways for you to contact us or express interest in our services. These may ask general questions about your circumstances, what you have previously tried and what you would like to change.

These questionnaires are intended to help us understand your enquiry and are not a clinical assessment or medical intake form. Please do not provide detailed medical, psychological or other sensitive health information through a general website questionnaire or enquiry form.

If you proceed to become a client, information required to provide our services will be collected through our client intake and clinical processes.

Our website currently allows visitors to select Book a Free Discovery Call. When you select this option, you are redirected to the Zanda booking system to select an available appointment time.

Information provided through the booking process may include your name, contact details and appointment information. Zanda is also used by Your Way Hypnotherapy for practice management, client records, appointment information and clinical notes.

We collect, hold and use personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• respond to enquiries
• arrange and manage appointments
• provide hypnotherapy and related services
• understand your needs and circumstances
• plan and provide appropriate services
• maintain accurate client records and clinical notes
• communicate with you about your appointments and services
• administer invoices and payments
• manage and operate our practice
• maintain the security and integrity of our systems
• comply with legal, regulatory, professional and insurance obligations
• respond to complaints or concerns
• protect the health, safety or wellbeing of an individual where permitted or required by law.

We will generally only use or disclose personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, for a directly related purpose that you would reasonably expect, with your consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.

We recognise that health information is particularly sensitive. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before collecting sensitive information. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that health information is collected by lawful and fair means and is reasonably necessary for the provision of our services.

When health information is collected, we aim to ensure that you understand:

• why the information is being collected
• how it may be used
• who it may be disclosed to
• how it will be stored and protected
• your rights to access and correct the information
• how you can make a privacy complaint.

Your personal information will be treated as confidential. We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to provide our services or operate our practice. Depending on the circumstances, information may be disclosed to:

• practice management and technology service providers
• Zanda, which provides practice management and client record services to Your Way Hypnotherapy
• professional advisers, insurers or other service providers where reasonably necessary
• another healthcare or service provider where you have authorised the disclosure or where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law
• courts, tribunals, government authorities or law enforcement agencies where disclosure is required or authorised by law.

We will not sell your personal information.

We will not disclose your health information to another healthcare provider or third party for a purpose unrelated to providing or managing your services without your consent, unless disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

There are limited circumstances in which health information may be used or disclosed without consent, including where required or authorised by law or where necessary to address a serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety and the relevant legal requirements are met.

Your Way Hypnotherapy uses Zanda as its practice management system. Zanda may be used to manage client information, appointments, client records, clinical notes, communications relating to services, and other information required to manage the therapeutic relationship and operate the practice.

Zanda states that data for Australian accounts is stored in Australia using Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres located within Australia, and that customer data is encrypted both at rest and in transit. Zanda also states that there are limited circumstances in which Australian customer data may be accessed or processed from outside Australia.

Your Way Hypnotherapy remains responsible for the personal information we collect and handle in connection with the services we provide. For further information about how Zanda handles information, you can review Zanda’s privacy and security information.

Our current website is built using Base44 and is connected to our domain and hosting arrangements. When you visit our website, the website technology and service providers may automatically collect certain technical information associated with your visit, such as:

• IP address
• browser and device information
• log and usage information
• information relating to how the website is accessed and used
• cookies or similar technologies.

Base44 states that its services use cookies and may collect connection information including IP address, log and usage data and device information. This information may be used for purposes such as operating, securing and maintaining the website and improving its functionality.

We are not currently using Google Analytics, Meta Pixel or advertising tracking technologies on the Your Way Hypnotherapy website. If our website technology, tracking or analytics practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy where appropriate.

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security or other technical purposes. A cookie is a small file that may be stored on your device when you visit a website.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect how some website functions operate. We do not currently use advertising or social-media tracking pixels on our website.

Some technology providers used to operate our website and business systems may be located outside Australia or may use infrastructure, personnel or service providers located outside Australia. Accordingly, some personal information collected through or in connection with our website or business operations may be processed or accessed outside Australia.

Our current practice management system, Zanda, states that Australian customer data is stored in Australia, although limited overseas access or processing may occur in specified circumstances. Our website provider, Base44, may process information in accordance with its own privacy and data-handling arrangements, including infrastructure located outside Australia.

Where required by applicable privacy law, we will take reasonable steps in relation to overseas disclosure of personal information.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps may include:

• limiting access to personal information to people who require it
• using password and account security measures
• using secure technology and service providers
• maintaining appropriate administrative and technical safeguards
• securely destroying or de-identifying information when it is no longer required, subject to applicable legal and professional record-keeping requirements.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a data breach involving personal information, we will assess and respond to the incident in accordance with our legal obligations, including the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme where applicable.

Your Way Hypnotherapy retains client health records and clinical information for 7 years, subject to applicable Victorian health-record requirements and any longer period that may be required in particular circumstances. Where a client was a child when the relevant health service was provided, different retention requirements may apply.

The OAIC notes that Victorian privacy law requires private health service providers to retain health records for 7 years, with specific provisions applying to records relating to children.

When personal information is no longer required to be retained, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it, subject to any applicable legal obligations.

You may request access to personal information we hold about you. To request access, contact change@yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au.

We may need to verify your identity before providing access. We will respond to access requests within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable privacy laws. In some circumstances, access may be refused where permitted or required by law. Where this occurs, we will provide reasons where required.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information we hold is accurate, complete and up to date.

If you believe that information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, irrelevant or misleading, you may request that we correct it. Please contact change@yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au. We will consider and respond to your request in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Where lawful and practicable, you may be able to deal with us anonymously or using a pseudonym for certain general enquiries.

However, it may not be practical to provide hypnotherapy services without identifying information because we need to maintain appropriate client records, manage appointments, provide services safely and meet legal or professional obligations.

We will only use health information for direct marketing where permitted by law and with the required consent.

If you receive marketing communications from us, you may request that we stop sending them. We will provide an appropriate way to opt out of electronic marketing communications where required.

If you believe that Your Way Hypnotherapy has mishandled your personal information or health information, please contact us first so that we can investigate and respond.

Privacy complaints can be made to Gemma Russo, Your Way Hypnotherapy, at change@yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au. Please provide as much relevant information as possible so that we can properly investigate your concern.

We will acknowledge and respond to your complaint within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Information about making a complaint is available through the OAIC website.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, our website or technology, how we collect or handle personal information, our service providers, or applicable privacy laws and requirements.

The most current version of this Privacy Policy will be published on our website. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how Your Way Hypnotherapy handles your personal information, please contact:

• Your Way Hypnotherapy
• Gemma Russo
• Email: change@yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au
• Website: yourwayhypnotherapy.com.au