Privacy Policy
Last updated: 14 October 2026
This policy explains how Grant Freeman, trading as New Tomorrow Counselling (ABN 87 091 006 400), Ormeau QLD 4208 ("we", "us"), collects, holds, uses and discloses your personal information. As a health service provider, we are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. We also follow the confidentiality and record-keeping requirements of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and Practice.
What personal information we collect
Personal information is information that identifies you, or could reasonably identify you, such as your name, address, phone number, email address and date of birth.
Sensitive information includes health information (including mental health and anything shared in counselling), religious beliefs, and similar personal details. We collect sensitive information only with your consent or where the law allows.
We may collect:
contact and identity details, such as your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address and an emergency contact
booking and payment records (we do not keep your full card details)
information you provide in the intake form, in sessions and in messages, including health, relationship, family and faith-related information
session notes and other records made by the counsellor
referral information from your GP or another practitioner, with your consent
Because of our duty of care, you generally cannot remain anonymous within the counselling relationship. You may ask us to use a preferred name.
How we collect it
We collect information directly from you:
through our online booking system (Acuity Scheduling)
through our website intake and contact forms
by email, SMS and phone
in sessions
With your consent, we may also collect information from others, for example from a referrer, or from a parent or guardian for clients under 18. Our website host may also collect basic technical data, such as cookies and analytics (see "Website, cookies and analytics" below).
Why we collect it and how we use it
We use your information to:
provide and manage counselling and supervision services
schedule appointments and send reminders
process payments
keep the clinical records required by professional standards
meet our legal obligations
respond to your enquiries
If you do not provide the information we need, we may not be able to provide a service to you safely. We do not use your information for marketing without your consent, and we never sell your information.
Disclosure
We do not disclose your personal information to others without your consent, except where:
there is a serious threat to the life, health or safety of you or another person
we need to report that a child or young person is at risk of harm, where reporting is required or permitted by law
we are required to by law, court order or subpoena
it is part of clinical supervision, which is confidential and uses de-identified information wherever possible
We also use the service providers described below to run the practice. They handle your information on our behalf only so they can provide their services to us.
How we store and protect your information
We store information electronically in password-protected, access-controlled cloud services. Only Grant has access to client records. Where practicable, identifying details are kept separate from session notes, and any paper records are kept securely.
Client records are retained for seven years after the end of the counselling relationship, and then securely destroyed.
If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will act promptly and notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
Storage and processing outside Australia
Some of the services we use are based overseas and store or process information outside Australia. This means your information, which may include sensitive health information, may be held in or accessed from other countries. In particular:
Online booking (Acuity Scheduling, part of Squarespace): your name, contact details, appointment details and booking-form answers are stored in the United States.
Website and website forms (Squarespace): information you enter into our intake and contact forms, and website usage data, are stored in the United States.
Cloud file storage (Microsoft): client records and session notes are kept in Microsoft cloud storage, which may store or process data in the United States and other countries where Microsoft operates.
Email and payments: our email and payment providers may store data overseas.
AI-assisted note-taking and administrative tools: these are cloud services that may process information overseas, including in the United States.
Session Folio (developed by Grant using Grok’s AI service): AI-assisted session notes; currently paused and not in use; may store or process data outside Australia.
We choose providers that use strong security measures, and we take reasonable steps to make sure they protect your information. However, overseas providers are subject to the laws of their own countries. Those laws may differ from Australian privacy law and may allow access by foreign authorities, and you may not be able to seek redress under the Australian Privacy Act against an overseas provider.
Our intake form asks for your consent to this overseas storage. If you have concerns, please talk with us before your first session about your options, such as limiting what you enter into online forms.
Use of artificial intelligence (AI)
We use AI-assisted note-taking and administrative tools to help run the practice efficiently. Session Folio is a note-taking tool Grant has developed using Grok’s AI service (xAI). Use of Session Folio is currently paused and it is not being offered to clients. If it is offered in future, it will be used only for clients who have opted in to session recording, Grant will review and edit every note it drafts before it becomes part of your record, and this policy will be updated first. Session Folio may store or process information outside Australia.
What AI is used for: administrative tasks such as managing email and the calendar, scheduling, drafting messages and documents and, only if you give separate consent, helping to draft session notes from a session recording.
What AI is not used for: AI does not provide counselling, make clinical or diagnostic decisions, or make decisions that significantly affect your rights. Grant reviews and approves anything an AI tool produces and remains fully responsible for your care and your records.
Keeping information to a minimum: We enter only the information needed for the task, and where available we choose settings that stop your information being used to train AI models.
Session recording: This happens only if you opt in on the intake form. You can say no, or withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting your care. Recordings are deleted once the session notes are finalised and are never used for any other purpose.
Accuracy: AI can make mistakes. AI-assisted drafts are checked before they become part of your record, and you can ask us to correct anything we hold about you.
Access and correction
You can ask to access or correct the personal information we hold about you by emailing Info@newtomorrowcounselling.com.au. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually 30 days. We may refuse access only in the limited circumstances the Privacy Act allows, for example where access would pose a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety. If we refuse, we will explain why.
Complaints
If you believe we have mishandled your personal information, please contact us first at Info@newtomorrowcounselling.com.au. We will investigate and respond, usually within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.
Website, cookies and analytics
Our website is hosted by Squarespace, which may use cookies and collect technical information, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you visit, to operate the site and for analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Information you type into our website forms is stored by Squarespace in the United States. Please do not include detailed personal or health information in the general contact form.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example when we change the services we use. The current version will always be on this page, together with the date it was last updated. We will tell existing clients about any material change, such as a new overseas service or a new use of AI.
Contact
Grant Freeman, New Tomorrow Counselling
Email: Info@newtomorrowcounselling.com.au
Ormeau QLD 4208