Privacy Policy
Empowering Health
Last updated: 11 November 2026
Our commitment to your privacy
At Empowering Health, respecting your privacy is part of providing a safe and supportive service.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, including sensitive health information, and how you can access your information, request corrections or raise a privacy concern.
It applies to services provided by Empowering Health, including in-person and online consultations, remote wellness services, website enquiries, bookings and purchases.
Business operator: Anne Barratt trading as Empowering Health
Privacy contact: Anne Barratt
Email: info@empoweringhealth.clinic
Phone: 0491 154 594
Website: https://empoweringhealth.clinic
We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and applicable NSW health privacy requirements, including the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).
1. Information we collect
We collect information reasonably necessary to provide our services and operate our practice.
Depending on your interaction with us, this may include:
- Your name, contact details and date of birth.
- Emergency contact or authorised representative details.
- Appointment, consent, correspondence records.
- Information about your health, symptoms, medications, relevant history, emotional wellbeing, personal circumstances and goals.
- Consultation notes, observations, reports and agreed actions.
- Information you provide when making an enquiry, completing a form, purchasing a product or subscribing to updates.
- Technical information associated with website use, as described below.
For services such as Human Design or AO Scan, additional information may be relevant.
Health information is sensitive information. We generally collect it with your consent, unless collection is otherwise permitted or required by law.
2. How we collect information
We usually collect information directly from you through bookings, intake and consent forms, consultations, telephone calls, emails, messages and online services.
Where appropriate and with your consent, we may also collect relevant information from your parent, guardian, authorised representative or another health practitioner. Other collection may occur where permitted or required by law.
Please avoid sending detailed health information through public comments or social media messages. Contact us to discuss an appropriate way to provide sensitive information.
3. Your choices
You may make general enquiries anonymously or using a pseudonym where practicable.
For consultations and some other services, we may need identifying and relevant health information to provide the service safely, maintain appropriate records and meet our legal obligations. If you choose not to provide necessary information, we will explain any resulting limitations.
You may discuss or withdraw consent for optional uses of your information. Withdrawal does not undo lawful handling that has already occurred or remove obligations to retain records.
4. Why we use your information
We use personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries and arrange appointments.
- Understand your circumstances and provide the services you request.
- Maintain consultation records and communicate with you about your care or service.
- Send booking confirmations, reminders, invoices and service-related information.
- Process purchases and deliver products or resources.
- Manage feedback, complaints and access or correction requests.
- Meet legal, insurance and professional obligations.
We use or disclose information for another purpose only with your consent or where otherwise permitted or required by law.
5. When we disclose information
We may disclose relevant information:
- To service providers supporting bookings, communications, record storage, payments, website operation and other necessary business functions.
- To another practitioner or a person you authorise, with your consent where required.
- To professional advisers or insurers where reasonably necessary and legally permitted.
- To authorities where disclosure is required or authorised by law.
- In circumstances permitted by law to address a serious threat to health or safety.
We limit disclosures to information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
6. Booking systems and other service providers
Empowering Health uses the following systems and service providers to manage bookings, communicate with clients, deliver services and process payments:
- Bookeo: Online appointment bookings and storage of customer contact and booking details. Customer contact details are automatically transferred to GoModern.
- Gmail and GoModern: Email communications, with GoModern also used for customer email marketing.
- Work phone and Optus: Client names and mobile numbers are saved in Anne Barratt’s work phone. Telephone calls and SMS messages are made directly through the Optus mobile service.
- WhatsApp, Google Meet, Zoom and FaceTime: Online video consultations and associated communications.
- Bluehost: Website hosting.
- PayPal and Square: Payment processing.
- AO Scan/Solex: Client profiles are maintained within Anne Barratt’s AO Scan app account to provide personalised audio files and wellness reports. Reports are emailed to the client and Anne. Reports retained to compare results over time are saved in the client’s individual electronic folder on the practice computer.
- Practice computer and cloud backup: Client consultation records are stored as Word documents in individual client folders on Anne’s sign-in-protected computer, with access restricted to Anne. These files are backed up to a cloud storage service.
Depending on their role, these providers handle contact details, booking information, communications, payment information or information needed to deliver the requested service.
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information handled on our behalf, including considering the privacy and security arrangements of the providers we use. Overseas handling is addressed in Section 8 of this policy.
These providers have their own privacy policies explaining how they handle information. Their policies do not replace Empowering Health’s responsibilities for personal information we collect or disclose.
7. Artificial intelligence and practitioner judgement
Empowering Health uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support practitioner self-education, explore resource options and assist with drafting tailored hypnosis scripts and affirmations.
AI is not used to make decisions about clients, determine assessments or select services or approaches. Anne Barratt reviews and adapts AI-assisted material using her professional judgement and consideration of each client’s individual circumstances.
When using AI tools, Anne does not enter client names, contact details or other direct identifiers. Information provided is kept general and limited to what is needed for the task, with care taken to avoid details or combinations of circumstances that could identify a client.
This section will be reviewed if the practice’s use of AI changes.
8. Overseas handling of information
Some service providers may store, process or access personal information outside Australia.
Where we disclose personal information to overseas recipients, we take the steps required by applicable Australian privacy law, including reasonable steps to ensure appropriate handling unless a lawful exception applies.
9. Storage and security
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Client consultation records are stored electronically as Word documents in a folder on a computer protected by sign-in security. Access to the computer and these records is restricted to Anne Barratt. The files are also backed up to a cloud storage service.
Customer contact details are held in Bookeo for appointment bookings and are automatically transferred to GoModern for email marketing communications. These platforms handle information in accordance with their respective privacy policies.
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Access is limited to people who need the information for an authorised purpose.
No electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a privacy incident occurs, we will assess and respond to it and notify affected individuals and regulators where required by law.
10. How long we retain information
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for its lawful purposes and to meet applicable recordkeeping requirements.
For health records subject to NSW private health service provider requirements:
- Records collected when a client was an adult are retained for at least seven years after the last health service provided.
- Records collected when a client was under 18 are retained at least until the client turns 25.
Longer retention may be necessary because of another applicable legal obligation or an ongoing legal matter.
When information is no longer needed and retention is not required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it. We maintain disposal records where required.
11. Accessing and correcting your information
You may request access to personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.
Please contact Anne using the details above. We may need to verify your identity or authority before responding.
We respond within the applicable legal timeframe. There is no charge to make a request. If a lawful access charge applies, we will explain it in advance.
If we cannot provide access or make a requested correction, we will explain our reasons in writing, where required, and how you can complain. Where applicable, you may ask us to associate a statement of your requested correction with the record.
12. Children and authorised representatives
When providing services to children, we consider their capacity to understand and make privacy decisions and the authority of a parent or guardian.
A parent, guardian or other representative does not automatically have unrestricted access to a client’s information. We assess requests according to consent, authority and applicable law.
13. Newsletters and marketing
Where you consent to receive marketing, we may send information about services, events, books, programs and resources.
You can unsubscribe using the link provided or contact us directly. Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent necessary appointment, transaction or service communications.
We do not use any health information for marketing.
14. Website cookies and tracking
Our website and embedded third-party services may collect technical information such as IP addresses, browser and device details, pages visited and interaction information.
We currently only have standard Google analytics attached to the website that gathers information generic information providing me data on what country people are searching from, how many people visit the site, and what pages within the site are visited most.
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect website functionality.
15. Privacy concerns and complaints
Please contact Anne Barratt at info@empoweringhealth.clinic or on 0491 154 594 if you have a privacy concern or complaint.
Please describe what happened and the outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate the circumstances and aim to provide a substantive response within 30 days. If more time is needed, we will explain why and provide an update.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, or we have not responded within 30 days, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints
For concerns about health information handled under NSW law, you may also contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW:
External complaint time limits may apply. Contact the relevant regulator promptly for guidance.
16. Changes and copies of this policy
We review this policy when our services, systems or legal obligations change.
The current version is available free of charge on our website. You can also contact us to request a copy in another appropriate format.
The date at the top identifies when this policy was last updated.
