privacy

Privacy policy

How Stable Ground Psychology collects, uses and protects your personal information.

Last updated: September 2026

Stable Ground Psychology is the private practice of Clayton McDonald, clinical psychologist (ABN 81377299274). This policy explains how the practice collects, uses, stores and shares your personal information, in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

What information is collected

To provide safe, effective care, the practice collects information such as:

• your name, date of birth, contact details and emergency contact

• your Medicare, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover or private health insurance details, where relevant

• referral information from your GP or another health professional

• health information, including your history, the concerns you bring to sessions, assessment results and clinical notes

• payment details, which are stored securely by the practice's billing system (the practice itself doesn't keep your card number).

For young people, we may also collect some information from a parent or guardian.

How your information is collected

We usually collect information directly from you: in sessions, through intake forms, by phone or email, or through the website's enquiry form. With your consent, we may also collect it from your GP, other health professionals, or funding bodies such as DVA, the NDIS, or WorkCover insurers.

How your information is used

Your information is used to:

• provide psychological assessment and treatment

• communicate with you about appointments, including SMS reminders

• process payments and claims with Medicare, DVA, the NDIS, WorkCover insurers or private health funds

• communicate with your GP or referrer, with your consent

• meet legal and professional obligations.

Who your information may be shared with

Your information is kept confidential. It is only shared:

• with your consent: for example, with your GP, referrer or other people involved in your care

• with funding bodies: such as Medicare, DVA, the NDIA or your plan manager, WorkCover insurers or private health funds, as needed to process claims

• in professional supervision: in de-identified form, so you cannot be identified

• where required or permitted by law: for example, where there is a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety, where there are concerns about a child's safety, or where a court order or subpoena requires it.

Your psychologist will explain these limits of confidentiality at your first session.

Services the practice uses

The practice uses trusted third-party services to run safely and efficiently:

• Halaxy: practice management, clinical records, secure telehealth video, SMS appointment reminders, invoicing and payments.

• Heidi Health: an optional AI-assisted clinical documentation tool, used only with your separate written consent (see below). Heidi stores information in Australia.

• Microsoft 365 (Outlook): practice email.

• Squarespace: hosts this website and receives enquiries sent through the contact form.

• Google Maps: shows the clinic location on the contact page.

AI-assisted note-taking

With your separate written consent, your psychologist may use Heidi Health during sessions to help transcribe and summarise the conversation into draft clinical notes. Audio isn't kept after transcription, and transcripts are deleted once your note is saved to your file. Your psychologist reviews and edits every note and remains responsible for your records.

Using this tool is always your choice. You can say no, or change your mind at any time, and it won't affect your care.

Overseas storage

Some services the practice uses may store or process information outside Australia. In particular, enquiries sent through the website's contact form are stored by Squarespace, which is based in the United States, and the embedded Google Map may share limited visitor data with Google. For this reason, please don't include personal health information in the enquiry form. Your psychologist will discuss those details with you directly.

Storage and security

Your records are stored electronically in secure, password-protected systems with restricted access. In line with professional standards, records are kept for at least 7 years after your last contact with the practice, or for young people, until they turn 25, whichever is later. They are then securely destroyed.

Accessing and correcting your information

You can ask to access the information the practice holds about you, or to correct anything that's inaccurate. Please contact the practice in writing. Requests will be responded to within 30 days. In rare cases, access may be limited where the law allows, for example if it could pose a serious risk to someone's safety. If requests are denied, you'll be told why.

Anonymity

You can make general enquiries without giving your name. However, it usually isn't possible to provide treatment or process Medicare or insurance claims anonymously.

Website

This website uses cookies and basic analytics provided by Squarespace to understand how the site is used. This information doesn't identify you personally. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

Data breaches

If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, the practice will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Concerns and complaints

If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact the practice first, and it will be addressed as quickly as possible. If you're not satisfied with the response, you can contact:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): 1300 363 992, oaic.gov.au

• Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland): 133 646, oho.qld.gov.au