Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 31 July 2026

Stella Psychologists (hereafter referred to as "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with the highest standards of confidentiality and security. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or engage our services.

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) (Act 4 of 2013) and the ethical guidelines of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Contact details: name, surname, email address, phone number, physical address.
• Health information: medical history, psychological assessment results, session notes (only with your explicit consent and for treatment purposes).
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, cookies (see our Cookie Policy).
• Communication: records of your inquiries, emails, and other correspondence with us.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for:

• Providing psychological services, assessments, and reports.
• Booking appointments and managing your care.
• Communicating with you about your sessions, reminders, and administrative matters.
• Improving our website and services.
• Complying with legal and regulatory obligations (e.g., mandatory reporting, court orders).

We will never sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Consent: You have given us clear consent to process your data for specific purposes (e.g., therapy, assessment).
• Contract: Processing is necessary to provide you with our services.
• Legal obligation: We may need to process data to comply with HPCSA or legal requirements.
• Legitimate interests: To improve our practice and communicate with you appropriately.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Clinical records are retained in accordance with HPCSA guidelines (typically 6 years after last contact, or longer for minors).

5. Security

We implement robust technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. All electronic data is encrypted, and access is strictly limited to authorised personnel.

6. Your Rights

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access your personal information held by us.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion or restriction of processing (subject to legal and professional obligations).
• Object to certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal).

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@stellapsychologists.co.za.

7. Third-Party Disclosures

We may share your information with:

• Referred healthcare professionals (with your consent).
• Legal or regulatory authorities when required by law.
• Service providers (e.g., email hosting, appointment booking) who are bound by confidentiality agreements.

We do not share your data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

8. Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without parental or guardian consent. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will delete it promptly.

9. International Transfers

Your data may be stored on servers located outside South Africa if we use international service providers (e.g., email services). We ensure that any such transfer complies with POPIA and that adequate safeguards are in place.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page with the effective date.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Information Officer:

Ms Vuyolwethu Mtshengu
Email: info@stellapsychologists.co.za
Phone: 084 873 8685