Michael Player Psychology
Last updated: [13.07.26]
Michael Player Psychology (ABN 22 176 389 255) (“we”, “us”, “the practice”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information, including health information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and our professional obligations as a registered psychology practice, including the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA) Code of Conduct and the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics.
Dr Michael Player is a registered clinical psychologist (AHPRA registration PSY0001817665). The practice provides psychological services via telehealth only.
1. What information do we collect?
Website visitors
Contact and appointment enquiries
When you submit our contact form, email us, or call us, we collect the information you provide — typically your name, phone number, email address, and the content of your message. Please do not include detailed clinical information in the contact form; this can be discussed securely once we respond.
Clients of the practice
If you become a client, we collect information necessary to provide psychological services safely and lawfully, which may include:
- Identity and contact details
- Date of birth
- Medicare and referral details (including Mental Health Care Plans and GP correspondence)
- Relevant health, personal, and family history
- Clinical notes and assessments
- Billing information
This is health information and is treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act.
Book purchasers
If you purchase a book through this website, payment is processed by Stripe. We receive your name, contact details, and shipping address in order to fulfil your order. We do not receive or store your full card details.
2. How we collect it
We collect information directly from you (through the website contact form, email, phone, telehealth sessions, and intake forms), and, with your consent or as permitted by law, from third parties such as your referring GP, other treating practitioners, or Medicare.
3. Why we collect it (purposes)
We collect, hold, and use personal information to:
- Respond to your enquiries and manage appointments.
- Provide psychological assessment and treatment.
- Communicate with your referring GP or other health providers involved in your care, with your consent or as required under Medicare Better Access arrangements.
- Process Medicare, private health fund, and payment transactions.
- Fulfil book orders.
- Meet our legal, professional, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.
- Manage the administration and security of the practice.
We do not use your personal information for direct marketing.
We do not sell personal information.
4. Disclosure of information
We only disclose personal information:
- With your consent (for example, reports to your GP under a Mental Health Care Plan).
- To service providers who support the operation of the practice (see Section 5).
- Where required or authorised by law — including mandatory reporting obligations, responding to a court order or subpoena, or Medicare compliance requirements.
- Where necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual, in accordance with the Privacy Act and our professional obligations.
The limits of confidentiality, including the circumstances above, are explained to all clients at the commencement of therapy.
5. Service providers and overseas disclosure
The practice uses reputable third-party providers to operate securely, including:
- Zanda (practice management system)
- Google Workspace
- Stripe
- Website hosting and DNS providers
These providers may store data on servers located outside Australia (including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Singapore).
Where information is stored or processed overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure providers are bound by privacy and security standards comparable to the APPs.
6. Telehealth
All sessions are conducted via secure telehealth platforms.
No sessions are recorded without your explicit prior consent.
You are responsible for choosing a private location for your sessions.
We will conduct sessions in a private, confidential setting.
7. Storage and security
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure — including:
- Encrypted systems
- Access-controlled practice-management and email systems
- Multi-factor authentication
- Secure payment processing
Clinical records are retained in accordance with legal and professional requirements:
- Generally, for at least 7 years from the date of last contact.
- For clients under 18, until the client turns 25.
8. Access and correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, and request correction of information that is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete.
Requests can be made in writing to the contact details below.
We will respond within a reasonable period.
In limited circumstances, access may be refused where permitted by law (for example, where access would pose a serious threat to the life or health of any individual); if so, we will explain the basis for the refusal.
9. Data breaches
We comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act.
In the event of an eligible data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required.
10. Cookies and website analytics
This website may use cookies and similar technologies for basic functionality and anonymous analytics.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings.
The website will remain usable.
11. Complaints
If you have a concern about how your personal information has been handled, please contact us first using the details below.
We take complaints seriously and will respond promptly.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at:
- www.oaic.gov.au
- 1300 363 992
Concerns about professional conduct may also be raised with AHPRA (www.ahpra.gov.au).
12. Contact
Michael Player Psychology
Suite 1502, Westfield Office Tower 2, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 (correspondence address — telehealth-only practice)
Phone: (02) 9100 0986
Email: info@michaelplayerpsychology.com.au
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time.
The current version will always be available on this website.