Rudi Doku | Somatic Therapy Melbourne

Privacy policy

Your privacy matters to me. When you contact me or attend a therapy session, you may share information that's personal, sensitive or difficult to talk about.

I take the responsibility of handling that information seriously. This policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it's used and stored, when it might be shared, and the rights you have concerning your records.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Privacy at a glance

I collect personal and health information to respond to enquiries, arrange appointments and provide somatic therapy.

What you share with me is treated as confidential, subject to the limits explained in this policy. I keep relevant records of our work and take steps to protect your information.

You can ask to access or correct your records and contact me if you have concerns about how your information is handled.

The sections below explain my approach to privacy in more detail.

1. Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through www.rudidoku.com.au and in connection with the somatic therapy services I provide.

I'm Rudi Doku, a Melbourne-based Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS Level 1).

I see clients in Thornbury and Elsternwick and online across Australia.

I am responsible for managing the personal and health information collected as part of my practice. My contact details are in section 16.

My handling of this information is governed by applicable privacy legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

2. What information I collect

Depending on your interactions with me, I may collect:

Your name and contact details, including email address and telephone number.
Information you provide when making an enquiry or booking a consultation.
Relevant personal history, health information and the reasons you're seeking support.
Information included in intake forms and client services agreements.
Information about appointments, payments and invoices.
Notes relating to our sessions and the work we're doing together.
Communications between us, including relevant emails and messages.
Information you choose to provide when subscribing to my newsletter.
Basic website usage information collected through cookies and analytics tools.

Some of this information is considered sensitive information under Australian privacy law.

I aim to collect only information reasonably necessary for providing my services, administering the practice and meeting applicable legal and professional obligations.

3. How I collect information

I generally collect information directly from you.

This may happen when you:

Complete an enquiry, consultation or booking form.
Attend an initial consultation or therapy session.
Complete an intake form or client agreement.
Contact me by email or another agreed communication method.
Subscribe to my newsletter.

In some circumstances, I may receive relevant information from another health professional or a person you've authorised to communicate with me.

Where required, I will obtain your consent before collecting information from third parties.

You may contact me with a general enquiry without providing detailed health information. However, certain information is necessary to arrange appointments and provide appropriate services.

4. Why I collect and use your information

I collect and use personal information for purposes connected with my practice, including:

Responding to enquiries and arranging consultations.
Assessing whether my services are appropriate for your circumstances and needs.
Providing somatic therapy and related support.
Maintaining relevant session and client records.
Communicating with you about appointments and our work.
Processing payments and maintaining business records.
Meeting applicable legal and professional obligations.
Responding to questions, complaints and requests relating to your information.

I don't use information shared in therapy sessions for advertising or marketing.

If you subscribe to my newsletter, your contact information is used to send you the communications you've requested. You can unsubscribe using the link provided in those emails.

I don't add clients to my newsletter simply because they've attended a consultation or therapy session.

5. Confidentiality and when information may be shared

Confidentiality is central to my work.

Information you share with me during consultations and therapy sessions is treated as private.

I don't ordinarily disclose your health information to other people or organisations without your consent.

There are circumstances where information may be disclosed without consent when permitted or required by law. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Situations involving a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety, where the relevant legal requirements for disclosure are met.
Child protection or safeguarding matters where disclosure is authorised or required by law.
Compliance with a valid court order or another lawful requirement.
Other disclosures specifically authorised or required under applicable legislation.

These exceptions don't mean information is automatically disclosed whenever a concern arises. Any disclosure must have an appropriate legal basis.

I'll explain confidentiality and its limits in more detail through the client services agreement before we begin working together.

6. Professional supervision and consultation

I undertake professional supervision as part of maintaining and developing my practice.

Supervision allows me to reflect on my work, consider questions that arise in sessions and seek professional guidance when appropriate.

When discussing client work in supervision, I take steps to protect your confidentiality. This includes limiting identifying information and sharing only what's necessary for the supervisory purpose.

If I need to share identifiable information and your consent is required, I'll discuss this with you and seek your consent beforehand.

My client services agreement explains how confidentiality applies to professional supervision.

7. How I store and protect information

I keep records relevant to the services I provide. These can include information from your intake form, our communications, appointment details and notes from our sessions.

Electronic records

I store electronic client information using Google Drive. Intake and consent forms are collected through Jotform, and appointment bookings are managed through Acuity Scheduling.

Access to these records is restricted through two-factor sign-in on the accounts that hold them and encryption of the devices I use to reach them.

As a sole practitioner, I'm responsible for managing access to client information. Any access by third-party service providers is limited by the arrangements governing those services.

Protecting your information

I take reasonable steps to protect personal and health information from loss, misuse, interference, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

I also review the privacy and security arrangements of services that handle personal information on my behalf.

No electronic system is entirely free from risk. If I become aware of a suspected data breach, I'll assess the circumstances and take appropriate action, including notifying affected people and relevant authorities where required by law.

8. Appointment booking, online sessions and service providers

I use a small number of third-party services to manage my practice and provide appointments.

These include:

Website: Squarespace hosts www.rudidoku.com.au and supports the website's operation.
Appointment bookings: Acuity Scheduling is used to manage appointment bookings and related communications.
Online sessions: Zoom or Proton Meet is used for online appointments.
Client forms and records: Jotform is used for intake and consent forms, and Google Drive for records and session notes.
Payments: Square is used to process payments.
Email and communications: Gmail is used for email.
Newsletter: MailerLite manages newsletter subscriptions and delivery.

These services may receive or process personal information needed to perform their functions. The information involved depends on the service and may include your name, contact details, appointment information and, where relevant, health information.

I take reasonable steps to consider the privacy and security arrangements of the services I use.

I don't authorise service providers to use information obtained through my therapy practice for unrelated marketing purposes.

Online sessions

Online appointments take place through Zoom or Proton Meet. I'll explain the arrangements before we begin, including any relevant privacy considerations.

I don't record therapy sessions.

Communicating by email

Email is convenient, but it may not be appropriate for communicating highly sensitive information.

If you need to share sensitive documents or personal health information, please contact me so we can agree on a suitable way to do this.

9. Overseas storage and disclosure

Some technology services used in my practice may process or store information using infrastructure located outside Australia.

Where personal information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, I take reasonable steps required under applicable privacy law to protect that information.

If you have questions about where your information is held or who may receive it, you're welcome to contact me at rudi@rudidoku.com.au.

10. How long I keep records

I retain client health records in accordance with applicable Victorian law.

Generally, this means keeping health records for at least seven years after the last health service provided to an adult client.

Where the last health service was provided while a client was under 18, records generally must be kept until that client reaches 25.

Other legal obligations may require some records to be kept for longer.

When records are no longer required, I take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify them where legally permitted. I also maintain any records of deletion required by law.

11. Accessing or correcting your information

You may ask to access the personal or health information I hold about you.

You may also request correction of information that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading.

To make a request, contact me at: rudi@rudidoku.com.au

I may ask you to provide information to verify your identity before releasing records.

I'll respond in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Under Victorian health privacy law, access requests generally must be addressed within 45 days, and correction requests within 30 days.

There are limited circumstances in which access or correction may be refused or restricted by law. If this happens, I'll explain the decision and the options available to you.

Where permitted, an applicable fee may be charged for providing access to records. Requests to correct health information aren't subject to a correction fee.

12. Website visitors, cookies and analytics

My website, www.rudidoku.com.au, is hosted on Squarespace.

Squarespace uses cookies and related technologies to support website functionality and, depending on the settings enabled, collect information about how visitors use the site.

This information may include your browser type, device information, pages visited, approximate location and interactions with website content.

I use Squarespace Analytics and Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors find and use the website.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings and any cookie preferences offered on the website. Some website features may not function as intended if certain cookies are disabled.

For more information about Squarespace's handling of information, you can read its privacy policy at https://www.squarespace.com/privacy.

14. Making a privacy complaint

If you have a concern about how I've collected, used, stored or disclosed your information, please contact me first.

Email: rudi@rudidoku.com.au

Please describe your concern and the outcome you're seeking.

I'll acknowledge your complaint and investigate it, taking appropriate steps to respond within a reasonable time, generally within 30 days.

If you're not satisfied with the response, you may be able to raise your concern with:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
https://www.oaic.gov.au

Health Complaints Commissioner Victoria
https://www.hcc.vic.gov.au

The appropriate organisation will depend on the nature of your concern and the laws that apply.

15. Changes to this policy

I may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in legislation, the services I provide or how personal information is handled.

The current version will be available on this website, with the date of the latest update shown at the top of the page.

If a change materially affects how existing client information is handled, I will take any additional notification or consent steps required by law.

16. Contact

If you have questions about this policy, your privacy or how your personal information is handled, please contact me.

Rudi Doku
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Email: rudi@rudidoku.com.au
Website: https://www.rudidoku.com.au