Who runs thehypnocoach.org

Ernest McLeod, a clinical hypnotherapist trading as The Hypno Coach (ABN 36 051 889 105), runs this website, thehypnocoach.org. Because I offer a health service and keep health information, I comply with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988, no matter how small my practice is.

What personal information I collect

• If you ask for a consultation: your first name, your phone number, your state and when you’d like me to call. You can choose whether to add your email and the kind of help you’re after. Your browser also passes on your time zone.
• If you go on to become a client: your contact and payment details, plus the health information you give me for our sessions. That can include the issue we’re working on, any relevant background, and the notes I make about sessions.
• As you browse the site: routine technical details, such as which pages you visit and what kind of device you use. These come through cookies and Google Analytics. They show me how people use the site, not who you are. Your browser settings let you block these cookies.

How I use your personal information

I use your details to phone you back about your request, to run your sessions and follow them up, and to send you your session audio. I also use them to process payment and to meet my legal and professional obligations. Your information is never sold, and it never goes on a marketing list. I’ll only email you about other things if you’ve said yes to that.

How your health information is protected

Under Australian privacy law, health information counts as “sensitive information”. I collect only what I need in order to work with you, only with your consent, and I hold it in confidence. I disclose it without your consent only where the law requires or permits me to, for example if there’s a serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety.

Services that handle your information for me

Running the practice relies on a handful of services: website hosting, email, Google Analytics, Apptoto for appointment reminders, Stripe for card payments, Google Meet for sessions, and Google if you decide to write a review. Some of them may keep data overseas. I pick providers that look after data properly, and each one gets only what it needs.

How your information is stored and how long I keep it

I keep session notes in encrypted storage. They’re held for seven years from your last session and then destroyed securely. I only make an audio or video recording of a session if you’ve given me your written agreement beforehand. A recording may be reviewed in confidence with an outside health professional, such as for supervision. Apart from that, it’s never shared unless you consent.

No automated decisions

Nothing about you or your care is decided by a computer program. I don’t use automated decision-making at all. The website analytics only give a general picture of how the site gets used.

Your right to see and correct your information

You have the right to see the information I hold about you, and to have it corrected if it’s wrong. Send your request to info@thehypnocoach.org and you’ll get a reply within 30 days. If you’re not happy with how I’ve dealt with your information, please raise it with me first so I can fix it. If that doesn’t resolve it, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, or with your state’s health complaints body. For South Australia, that’s the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner. They also publish the Code of Conduct that applies to my work.

Contact: Ernest McLeod, The Hypno Coach, info@thehypnocoach.org. Last updated 3 October 2026.