Every conversation is confidential, private & privileged.

Confidentiality Notice

Your trust is the foundation of effective counselling. This notice explains how we protect your privacy — and the narrow, legally required circumstances in which confidentiality may be limited.

Counselling at HealAUS is sought voluntarily and on your own behalf. What you share within a session is treated as confidential, private, and privileged. We are committed to protecting your information and using it only to provide you with safe, effective care.

What confidentiality means

Information you share with your counsellor — including the fact that you are receiving counselling — will not be disclosed to any third party without your informed, written consent, except in the limited circumstances described below.

  • Your session content, notes, and records are stored securely and accessed only by authorised clinical staff.
  • We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information for marketing or commercial purposes.
  • Communications take place on a secure, encrypted platform.

The limits of confidentiality

Like all ethical counselling practices, and as required by professional standards (including PACFA's Code of Ethics) and by law, there are rare situations in which a counsellor may be required to disclose information to protect safety. These are:

  • Risk of serious harm to yourself. If there is a serious and imminent risk to your life or safety, we may need to act to keep you safe.
  • Risk of serious harm to others. If you disclose a serious and imminent threat to another identifiable person, we may be required to take protective action.
  • Child or vulnerable-person safety. Where there is a reasonable belief that a child or vulnerable person is at risk of abuse or neglect, we are obliged to report this to the appropriate authorities.
  • Legal requirement. Where disclosure is required by a court order, subpoena, or applicable law.

Wherever possible and safe to do so, your counsellor will discuss any need for disclosure with you first, and will limit any disclosure to what is strictly necessary.

Record keeping

We maintain confidential clinical records as required by professional and legal standards. You have the right to request access to your own records, subject to applicable law. Records are retained securely for the period required and then disposed of securely.

Counselling involving minors

Where counselling is provided to a person under 18, it is undertaken with the informed consent of a parent or legal guardian. We balance the young person's need for a private, trusting space with appropriate guardian involvement and safety obligations.

A note for seafarers

Support provided to seafarers is held to the same standard of confidentiality. Your employer, vessel, or manning agency will not be informed that you have sought counselling, except within the limits of confidentiality described above.

Not an emergency service

HealAUS provides scheduled, chat-based counselling. It is not a crisis or emergency service and is not monitored continuously. If you are in crisis or in immediate danger, please use the resources on our Crisis Support page or contact local emergency services.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact us. We're happy to explain anything that's unclear.

This notice is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice. It reflects general professional and ethical standards and may be updated from time to time. Last updated: 2026.