PRIVACY POLICY

The Beautiful Mind Hypnotherapy | Minimise Misophonia Method

Draft for website publication – November 2026
Last updated: 7 November 2026

1. Introduction

The Beautiful Mind Hypnotherapy and the Minimise Misophonia Method are operated by Andrea Loughran, Clinical Hypnotherapist (referred to in this Privacy Policy as “we”, “us” or “our”). This policy applies to both websites, https://www.thebeautifulmindhypnotherapy.com.au/ and https://www.minimisemisophonia.com/, and to the services provided through them.

We are committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of personal information entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose and protect personal information, including sensitive health information, when you visit either website, make an enquiry, book or receive a service, participate in a programme, or otherwise interact with our practice.

Our services include clinical hypnotherapy and strategic psychotherapy, provided face-to-face and online, as well as the Minimise Misophonia Method. Services may relate to matters such as stress, anxiety, habits, relationships, sleep, pain management, misophonia and other personal or wellbeing concerns. The information we collect will depend on the service you enquire about or receive.

We handle personal information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Victorian Health Privacy Principles (HPPs). Where relevant, we also consider privacy requirements that apply to clients located outside Australia.

2. What personal information do we collect?

The type of information we collect depends on your interaction with us and the services you request.

A. Website visitors

When you visit our websites, we or our website and analytics providers may collect:

·       Internet Protocol (IP) address and general device or browser information.

·       Pages visited, links selected, time spent on pages and website navigation information.

·       Information collected through cookies and similar technologies, where enabled.

·       Website performance and analytics information.

This information helps us understand how visitors use our websites and improve their functionality, content and performance.

B. General enquiries and prospective clients

When you contact us by website form, email, telephone, messaging service or another channel, we may collect:

·       Your name and contact details, including email address and telephone number.

·       The nature of your enquiry and the service you are interested in.

·       Information you choose to provide about your circumstances, goals, health or wellbeing.

·       Your preferred appointment arrangements and relevant communication history.

C. Clients and programme participants

When you book or receive hypnotherapy, strategic psychotherapy, the Minimise Misophonia Method or another service, we may collect personal and sensitive information, including:

·       Name, date of birth where relevant, contact details and emergency or nominated contact details where provided.

·       Relevant personal, family, medical and health history, including information about physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing.

·       Information about the concerns, symptoms, habits, experiences, goals or circumstances for which you seek support.

·       Information about medication, other treatment or health professionals, where relevant and provided.

·       Intake questionnaires, consent forms, treatment or session plans, consultation notes and relevant correspondence.

·       Appointment, attendance, payment, invoicing and administrative information.

·       Audio recordings, therapeutic recordings, resources, feedback and information about your progress, where applicable.

We only seek information that is reasonably necessary for the services we provide and the management of our professional relationship with you. You may choose not to provide certain information; however, this may affect our ability to assess your needs, determine suitability or provide the service.

D. Children and young people

Where an enquiry or service relates to a child or young person, we may collect relevant information from the young person and, where appropriate, their parent, guardian or authorised representative. This may include contact details, relevant background information and information required to arrange the service and establish appropriate consent or authority. We handle a young person’s information with regard to applicable privacy, consent and confidentiality requirements.

3. How do we collect personal information?

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

·       Visit either website or complete an online enquiry or contact form.

·       Telephone, email or otherwise communicate with us.

·       Request information, arrange an initial enquiry call or make an appointment.

·       Complete an intake questionnaire, consent form or other client documentation.

·       Participate in consultations, online sessions or a programme.

·       Provide feedback or a testimonial.

·       Make a payment or communicate with us about an invoice.

Some website information may be collected automatically through cookies, analytics and similar technologies. In some circumstances, and where permitted by law, we may receive relevant information from a parent, guardian, nominated contact or another health professional. Where required, we will take reasonable steps to make you aware of the collection.

4. How do we use personal information?

We collect and use personal information for purposes reasonably connected with our practice and services, including:

·       Responding to enquiries and providing information about our services.

·       Assessing your needs and suitability for a service or programme.

·       Arranging, providing and administering consultations, online sessions and programmes.

·       Preparing and maintaining appropriate client and health records.

·       Developing or providing therapeutic strategies, client resources and audio recordings where applicable.

·       Communicating with you about appointments, participation, progress and follow-up.

·       Managing payments, invoices, receipts and business administration.

·       Requesting and managing feedback or testimonials where permission has been provided.

·       Maintaining, improving and securing our websites and services.

·       Meeting legal, regulatory, professional and insurance obligations, where applicable.

We will not use sensitive health information for unrelated marketing purposes without obtaining the consent required by law. We do not use confidential clinical information to target clients with advertising.

5. How do we store and protect personal information?

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Depending on the information and system involved, safeguards may include password-protected accounts, restricted access, secure electronic recordkeeping, appropriate security settings, secure transfer and storage of electronic documents and recordings, and secure disposal when information is no longer required and its retention is no longer legally necessary.

Client administration, appointments and clinical records are maintained using Cliniko. The Cliniko account used by the practice is accessed through an Australian .au4.cliniko.com address. This address does not, by itself, establish where all data is stored or processed.

Audio recordings made for a client’s service or therapeutic resources may be recorded temporarily on a practice device and transferred to Dropbox Business for storage and/or delivery, where applicable. Once the transfer has been completed and checked, the recording is removed from the recording device. We take reasonable steps to restrict access to these files.

Our websites are hosted through Squarespace. Information submitted through website forms may be processed or stored using Squarespace systems and infrastructure. We also use an email service provided by Internet Victoria for practice communications. Payment transactions may be processed through our payment arrangements, including Commonwealth Bank and DD Payments, as applicable.

Access to personal information is limited to those who require it for legitimate practice or service-related purposes. No online system or method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

6. Third-party service providers

We use third-party providers to support our websites and the delivery and administration of our services. Depending on the service and transaction, these may include:

Provider: Squarespace Purpose: Website hosting, website forms and website functionality/analytics.

Provider: Cliniko Purpose: Client administration, appointments and clinical records.

Provider: Internet Victoria Purpose: Practice email and business communications.

Provider: Dropbox Business Purpose: Storage and delivery of relevant client recordings and resources, where applicable.

Provider: Commonwealth Bank / DD Payments Purpose: Processing payments and related transaction administration, as applicable.

Provider: Google services Purpose: Website analytics or advertising measurement, where configured and enabled.

These providers may process or store information on our behalf in accordance with their own terms, privacy policies and security arrangements. We take reasonable steps to select and use service providers with appropriate privacy and security arrangements.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

7. Overseas disclosure and international clients

We provide online services to clients who may be located outside Australia. We may communicate with those clients and collect personal information from them for the purpose of responding to enquiries and providing services.

Some of our website, email, recordkeeping, cloud storage, payment or other service providers may use servers, infrastructure or support personnel located outside Australia. As a result, personal information may be stored or processed overseas. The countries in which particular providers store or process information have not all been confirmed at the date of this policy.

Where the APPs or Victorian HPPs apply to an overseas disclosure or transfer, we take the steps required by applicable law, including reasonable steps to ensure that information is handled with appropriate privacy protections. We will update this policy if we confirm material information about the countries in which our providers process or store personal information.

8. Disclosure of personal information

We do not routinely disclose personal information to unrelated third parties. We may disclose information where reasonably necessary for the provision of our services or the operation of the practice, including:

·       To service providers who assist with website hosting, client administration, recordkeeping, communications, cloud storage or payment processing.

·       To another health professional where you have provided appropriate consent and the disclosure is relevant to your care, or where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

·       To a parent, guardian or authorised representative where appropriate and permitted by law, including in relation to services for a child or young person.

·       Where disclosure is required or authorised by law, a court order or other lawful process.

·       Where disclosure is permitted or required to address a serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety, or in another circumstance permitted by applicable privacy legislation.

We will not disclose personal or sensitive health information for advertising or promotional purposes without the consent required by law.

9. Audio recordings, client resources and intellectual property

As part of some services, clients may receive personalised audio recordings or other therapeutic resources. Where a consultation or other audio recording is made, we will explain its purpose and obtain consent where required. Recordings are handled as confidential information and used only for the purposes explained to the client and permitted by law.

Audio recordings and other resources may be stored electronically and delivered through digital services, including Dropbox Business. We take reasonable steps to protect these materials from unauthorised access or disclosure.

The intellectual property rights in our original therapeutic materials, scripts and programme resources remain with their respective owner. Any intellectual property conditions are addressed separately through relevant programme terms and client consent documentation.

10. Cookies and website analytics

Our websites may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, understand visitor behaviour and website performance, identify popular pages and improve navigation and user experience. Squarespace analytics and Google analytics or advertising services may be used where configured on the relevant website.

Cookies are small data files stored on your device when you visit a website. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. We do not intend to use website analytics to identify individual visitors by name or to collect clinical information about website visitors.

11. Direct marketing and communications

We may contact you in response to an enquiry, to administer an appointment or service, or in relation to services you have requested. We will only send promotional or marketing communications where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You may request to stop receiving marketing communications at any time by contacting us. We will not use confidential clinical information to target you with marketing communications.

12. Access to and correction of personal information

You may request access to personal information and health information we hold about you, and you may request that inaccurate, incomplete or outdated information be corrected. To make an access or correction request, please contact us using the details in Section 17.

We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable legislation. In some circumstances, the law may permit or require us to refuse access or decline to make a requested correction. If we cannot make a requested correction, we will explain the reasons and, where appropriate, take steps to attach a statement of your requested correction to the relevant record.

A request to delete information does not necessarily mean that we can destroy a health record. Victorian health record retention requirements may require us to retain it for a specified period.

13. Retention of personal and health information

We retain personal information for as long as it is required for the purposes for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal, regulatory and professional obligations. Health information held by a Victorian health service provider is subject to retention requirements under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the applicable Health Privacy Principles.

In general, a Victorian health service provider must retain health information for at least seven years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided to an adult. Where the information was collected while the individual was a child, it must generally be retained until the individual reaches 25 years of age, subject to applicable legal exceptions and requirements.

When information is no longer required and its retention is no longer legally necessary, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

14. Privacy complaints and data breaches

If you believe your personal information or health information has been handled inappropriately, you may submit a privacy complaint using the contact details in Section 17. We will acknowledge and review the complaint, investigate the circumstances, take appropriate corrective action where necessary and provide you with a response. We aim to respond within 30 days where practicable.

External complaints

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may contact the relevant regulator:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au
Telephone: 1300 363 992
The OAIC handles complaints concerning the federal Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles.

Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria)
Website: https://hcc.vic.gov.au
The Health Complaints Commissioner handles complaints about health information privacy under the Victorian Health Records Act 2001.

Data breaches

If we become aware of a suspected or actual data breach, we will investigate and take appropriate steps to contain and address the incident. Where an eligible data breach occurs, we will comply with applicable notification requirements under the Commonwealth Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, including notifying affected individuals and the OAIC where required by law.

15. Your choices and questions

You may choose not to provide information when making a general enquiry. You may also ask us how particular information will be used before providing it. However, where information is necessary to assess suitability, obtain informed consent, provide a service or meet legal obligations, choosing not to provide it may mean that we cannot proceed with the service.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, websites, technology, third-party service providers or applicable privacy legislation. The latest version will be published on our website or websites together with the date of the most recent update. We encourage visitors and clients to review this policy periodically.

17. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, requests to access or correct personal information, or privacy complaints, please contact:

Andrea Loughran
Clinical Hypnotherapist
The Beautiful Mind Hypnotherapy / Minimise Misophonia Method
Website: https://www.thebeautifulmindhypnotherapy.com.au/
Specialist programme: https://www.minimisemisophonia.com
Email: enquire@tbmhyp.com.au
Telephone: +61 493 257 320

Practice locations advertised on our website include The Health & Wellbeing Studio, 1160 Toorak Road, Camberwell, Victoria, and Lull, 13 Marketplace, Cape Paterson, Victoria. Services are also provided online.

We welcome enquiries about how personal information is collected, stored, used and protected.