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Your information deserves care.

Counselling involves sharing personal and sometimes sensitive information. You should be able to understand how that information is handled.

This page explains how &pause collects, uses and protects personal information, what confidentiality means in counselling, how client records are managed, and what you can do if you have a question or concern.
It also serves as &pause’s privacy policy.

Privacy.

&pause handles personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Information collected may include your name and contact details, date of birth, appointment and payment information, emergency or guardian details, relevant personal and health information, and counselling records or session notes.

Most information is collected directly from you through enquiries, bookings, forms and counselling sessions. Where appropriate, information may also be received from a parent or guardian, referrer or another health professional, in consultation with you or your guardian as required.

Your information is used to respond to enquiries, arrange and provide counselling, manage appointments and payments, send appointment reminders, maintain appropriate records and meet professional, ethical or legal responsibilities.

Confidentiality.

Professional Supervision.

What you share in counselling is treated as confidential.

There are limited circumstances where information may need to be shared without your consent, including where disclosure is required or authorised by law, or where there is a serious concern about the life, health or safety of you or another person.

Where sharing information with another professional may support your care and there is no legal requirement to disclose it, Liz will discuss this with you and seek your consent.

Confidentiality and its limits will also be discussed as part of the counselling and consent process.

Professional supervision is an important part of safe and ethical counselling practice.

Liz may discuss client situations as part of professional supervision. Information used in supervision is de-identified to protect your identity.

Client records.

Appropriate records are kept as part of providing counselling.

Records may be kept on paper or as electronic files stored locally on a password-protected computer. Reasonable steps are taken to protect personal information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access or disclosure.

Client records are retained for a minimum of seven years after the last client contact.

Where the client was under 18, records are retained until the client is at least 25 years of age.

Online services and third parties.

&pause uses a small number of external services to operate the practice.

Wix and Google support the website, online bookings and email. Booking information may also be used to send an email reminder approximately 24 hours before your appointment.

Zoom is used for online counselling. Sessions are not recorded unless you have specifically consented to recording, and Zoom AI Companion is not used during counselling sessions.

If you choose to pay online, PayPal processes the payment.

Cash and bank transfer are also accepted.

Wave is used for practice accounting, where your name and email address may be recorded for invoicing and administration.

If you are eligible for a private health rebate, &pause provides you with a receipt and you submit the claim directly to your health fund.

&pause does not submit private health claims on your behalf.

Some external providers operate internationally, so certain information may be stored or processed outside Australia.

Accessing or correcting your information.

You can ask to access personal information and counselling records that &pause holds about you.

You can also request correction of personal information you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

Clinical notes are professional records and will not necessarily be changed where Liz considers the information recorded to be accurate. If a requested correction is not made, you can ask for a statement setting out your position to be attached to the record.

To request access or correction, please contact Liz.

Consent and working together.

Before counselling begins, you will be provided with information about the counselling process and an opportunity to ask questions about privacy, confidentiality, client records, professional supervision, fees, cancellations and consent.

You are welcome to ask questions or raise concerns about any of these things at any point during counselling.

For current fees, private health rebates and cancellation arrangements, please see Fees & FAQs.

Concerns or complaints.

If you have a concern about your counselling experience or how your information has been handled, please contact Liz first. &pause will consider the concern and work with you to understand and address it.

If the matter cannot be resolved directly, the most appropriate external organisation will depend on the nature of the concern.

For professional or ethical concerns, Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA) is &pause’s preferred first external point of contact.

You may also contact:

Website information.

Information provided on this website is general in nature. It is intended to support understanding and reflection and is not a substitute for individual counselling, medical advice or emergency support.

&pause is not an emergency or crisis service.

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If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000 or visit our Urgent Support page for other support options.

Practice details.

Questions?

Counsellor: Elizabeth Cobcroft

PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor: 29267

CCAA Clinical Member: 700766

Professional memberships: PACFA, CCAA and EMDRAA

If you would like to ask about privacy, confidentiality, consent or how your information is managed,

please contact &pause.

 

Last updated: September 2026

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