PRIVACY POLICY

Hester Cronje
trading as A Simple Pause
Naturopathy | Medical Herbalism | Life Coaching

Last updated: 3 August 2026

1. Introduction

I care about your privacy, and I take the protection of your personal information, especially your health information, seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how I store and protect it, and what rights you have. It applies to anyone who books a consultation, purchases a course or ebook, joins my email list, or otherwise interacts with me, Hester Cronje, trading as Simple Pause.

I handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand) and its Health Information Privacy Code.

2. My Role as Privacy Officer

As a sole trader, I am my own Privacy Officer. I am personally responsible for how your information is collected, used, stored, and protected, and I am your point of contact for any privacy questions, concerns, or requests. My contact details are at the end of this policy.

 3. What Information I Collect

Depending on how you interact with me, I may collect:

3.1 Contact and account information: your name, email address, phone number, and postal address (where relevant, for example for postal correspondence or invoicing).

3.2 Health information: Collected specifically as part of naturopathic consultations and medical herbalism services, including but not limited to the following:
Your health history, symptoms, and current concerns;
Medications, supplements, and allergies;
Lifestyle, diet, and wellbeing information relevant to your care;
Notes I make during and between consultations;
Any information you choose to share about referrals to or from other health professionals.

3.3 Coaching information: notes and goals discussed as part of life coaching sessions, kept separately from clinical health notes where practical.

3.4 Payment information: transaction details for services purchased. Card and bank details themselves are processed by my payment provider(s) and are not stored by me directly.

3.5 Website and marketing information: if you visit my website or subscribe to my email list, I may collect information such as your email address, engagement with emails, and basic website usage data (see Section 8).

4. Why I Collect Your Information

I collect and use your information to:
Provide naturopathic, medical herbalism, and life coaching services to you;
Maintain accurate clinical records, as required for safe and responsible practice;
Process payments and manage bookings;
Communicate with you about your appointments, courses, or purchases;
Send you marketing emails, but only if you have opted to receive them;
Meet my legal and professional obligations;
Improve my services.

I do not collect more information than I need for these purposes.

5. How Your Health Information Is Stored and Secured
 

5.1 Your health information is stored in a specific, secure, cloud-based practice management system, chosen and configured specifically to securely store health information. This system is separate from my general business tools and email inbox.

5.2 Access to this system is restricted to me, and it is protected by measures including password protection, encryption of data at rest and in transit, and two-factor authentication.

5.3 I do not store client health information in general-purpose tools such as personal notebooks, unsecured spreadsheets, or standard email, except for brief scheduling or administrative correspondence that does not include clinical detail.

5.4 Where I use any third-party software to help run my business (such as booking, invoicing, or email platforms), I choose providers who take appropriate care with data security, and I only share the minimum information necessary for them to provide that service.

6. How Long I Keep Your Information

6.1 I retain clinical health records for as long as is necessary to provide safe ongoing care and to meet my professional and legal obligations. As a general guide, health records are typically kept for a minimum of 10 years, in line with common practice for health-related records in New Zealand, unless a longer period is required by law.

6.2 Marketing/email list information is kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion, whichever comes first.

6.3 Payment records are kept as required for tax and accounting purposes, generally 7 years.

7. Who I Share Your Information With

7.1 I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

7.2 I will only share your health information with a third party (such as your GP or another health professional) with your consent, or where required by law.

7.3 I may use third-party service providers to help run parts of my business (such as my practice management system, payment processor, or email platform). These providers only receive the information necessary to perform their specific function, and I take reasonable steps to ensure they handle it securely.

7.4 I may be required to disclose information without your consent where required by law for example, in response to a lawful request from a court, regulatory body, or where necessary to prevent a serious threat to someone's health or safety.

8. Website, Cookies, and Marketing Emails

8.1 My website may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality and analytics (for example, to understand which pages are visited).

8.2 I only send marketing emails to people who have actively opted in (via a clear tick-box or sign-up action). Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time.

8.3 Opting out of marketing emails does not affect any transactional communications related to a service you've booked or purchased (such as appointment confirmations or receipts).

9. Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information I hold about you;
- Request correction of any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date;
- Ask questions about how your information is being used or stored;
- Make a complaint if you believe your privacy has been breached.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details in Section 12. I will respond within a reasonable timeframe, and in any event within the timeframes required by the Privacy Act 2020.

10. Data Breaches

If a breach of your personal information occurs that is likely to cause serious harm, I will notify both you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as required under the Privacy Act 2020.

11. Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example, if I change how I store information, adopt new tools, or the law changes. The latest version will always be available on my website. If I make a significant change, I will take reasonable steps to let you know.

12. Contact Me / Privacy Complaints

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to your personal information, or wish to make a privacy complaint, please contact me directly:

Hester Cronje - Privacy Officer
A Simple Pause
[email protected]

If you're not satisfied with my response, you also have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (New Zealand):
Website: privacy.org.nz
Phone: 0800 803 909