Privacy Policy
As a registered medical practitioner with a dedicated counselling and psychotherapy practice in Cape Town, South Africa, I am committed to protecting your personal information. I work in accordance with South Africa's laws and regulations, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Health Professions Act. This policy outlines how I collect, use, and protect your personal information, and explains your rights and options.
What Personal Information Do We Collect?
When you visit my website, I may collect the following types of personal information:
Contact information: name, email address, phone number, and the purpose of your enquiry (if you submit an enquiry through my website)
Website usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited
Cookie data: I use cookies to improve your website experience and track website usage
How Do We Use Your Personal Information?
I use your personal information for the following purposes:
To respond to your enquiries and provide you with information about my services
To improve your website experience and track website usage
To maintain and update my website
How Do We Protect Your Personal Information?
I take measures according to industry standard to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:
Using secure servers and encryption to protect your data
Implementing access controls and authentication measures to ensure only authorised personnel can access your information
Sharing Your Personal Information
I do not share your personal information with third parties, except as required by law or to protect my rights and interests. As a medical practitioner and psychotherapist, I am bound by the principles of confidentiality and will only disclose your personal information to other healthcare professionals or organisations with your consent, or as required by law.
Cookies
I use cookies to improve your website experience and track website usage. You can choose to accept or decline cookies by modifying your browser settings.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
Access your personal information
Request correction or deletion of your personal information
Object to the processing of your personal information
Data Retention and Deletion
I will retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When your personal information is no longer needed, I will delete or anonymise it in a secure manner.
Enquiry data: I will retain enquiry data for a period of 6 months after the enquiry has been responded to, unless you have requested that I keep your information on file for future reference.
Website usage data: I will retain website usage data for a period of 12 months to help me understand how users interact with my website and to improve the user experience.
You have the right to request that I delete your personal information at any time. If you would like to request deletion of your personal information, please contact me at robyn@robynpoole.co.za. I will respond to your request within 30 days and will delete your personal information unless there is a legitimate reason to retain it, such as to comply with a legal obligation.
Changes to This Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. I will notify you of any changes by posting the updated policy on my website. Your continued use of my website after the effective date of the updated policy will be deemed acceptance of the changes.
Data Breaches
In the event of a data breach, I will notify affected individuals within 30 days and take immediate action to mitigate the impact. This includes containing the breach, erasing or destroying affected data, and reviewing and improving security measures to prevent future breaches.
Contact My Practice
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact me at:
Dr Robyn Poole Counselling and Psychotherapy: robyn@robynpoole.co.za
Acknowledgement
By using my website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by this Privacy Policy.