Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7 May 2026
Effective from: 7 May 2026

Ernest McLeod, trading as The Hypno Coach (“we”, “us”, “our”), respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us through the website ernestmcleod.com (the “Site”) and the Strategy-Based Cessation Training for Hypnotherapists program (the “Program”).

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have. It is written to comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and includes additional terms that apply if you are located in the European Union, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, or California.

By using the Site or enrolling in the Program, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or enrol in the Program.

1. Who we are

The entity responsible for handling your personal information is:

• Ernest McLeod, trading as The Hypno Coach
• Postal address: 240A Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
• Email: info@thehypnocoach.org
• Phone: 0427 218 092

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us using the details above.

2. What personal information we collect

We collect personal information that you provide to us directly and information that is collected automatically when you use the Site.

2.1 Information you provide directly

• Your name, email address, postal address, and phone number when you enrol in the Program or contact us.
• Billing information necessary to process payment, including credit or debit card details. Payment card details are entered directly into our payment processor (SureCart) and are not stored on our servers.
• Information you provide during participation in the Program, including questions asked during live calls, posts in the private community, and communications by email.
• Any other information you choose to provide to us.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Technical information about your device, browser type, operating system, IP address, and approximate location.
• Usage data including pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and referring website.
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7).
• Recordings of live training calls held via Google Meet, in which you may appear if your camera or microphone is enabled.

3. How we collect your personal information

We collect personal information through the following means:

• Forms on the Site, including the enrolment and contact forms.
• Communications between you and us, including email, phone calls, and messages within the private community.
• Automatic collection through cookies, the Meta Pixel, and analytics tools when you visit the Site.
• Third-party platforms used to deliver the Program, including Upcoach (course portal), Google Meet (live calls), and Vimeo (video hosting).

4. Why we collect and use your personal information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide the Program to you, including granting access to the course portal, sending live call links, and issuing CPD certificates.
• To process your payment and issue tax invoices.
• To communicate with you about the Program, respond to your questions, and provide customer support.
• To send you marketing communications about our products and services, where you have consented to receive them or where we are otherwise permitted by law. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• To improve the Site and the Program, including by analysing how users interact with our content.
• To meet our legal, accounting, regulatory, and tax obligations.
• To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, security incidents, or misuse of the Site or Program.

5. Who we share your personal information with

We share your personal information with the following categories of third parties, only to the extent necessary for them to perform their function:

• SureCart (payment processing) — collects and processes payment information; based in the United States.
• Stripe and PayPal (payment processing engines used by SureCart) — directly process card and account information; both based in the United States.
• Upcoach (course portal and private community hosting) — stores your account, course progress, and community posts.
• Google (Google Meet for live calls; Google Analytics via Site Kit; Google Workspace for email) — stores meeting recordings, analytics data, and communications; based in the United States.
• Vimeo (video hosting for testimonial and program videos) — based in the United States.
• Apptoto (scheduling for the post-program strategy call) — collects your name, email, and intake responses when you book; based in the United States.
• Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta Pixel for advertising and conversion tracking) — based in the United States.
• Our email marketing platforms Sender.net, Sendfox.com and any additional platform added in the future — stores your email address and engagement history for sending course communications and marketing emails.
• Professional advisers (accountants, lawyers, auditors) where required, under confidentiality obligations.
• Government, regulatory, or law-enforcement bodies where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

We do not sell your personal information to any third party.

6. Overseas transfer of personal information

Several of the third parties listed in Section 5 are located outside Australia, principally in the United States. By using the Site or enrolling in the Program, you consent to your personal information being transferred to and processed in those countries. We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients handle your personal information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

7. Cookies and tracking technologies

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember your preferences, analyse usage, and deliver targeted advertising. The categories of cookies in use include:

• Essential cookies, necessary for the Site to function (for example, to maintain your session during enrolment).
• Analytics cookies, used by Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Site.
• Advertising cookies, including the Meta Pixel, used to measure the effectiveness of our Meta advertising and to show relevant ads.

You can disable or delete cookies through your browser settings. Doing so may affect your ability to use parts of the Site.

8. Marketing communications

We may send you marketing communications about the Program and related products by email. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us directly. Once you unsubscribe, you will continue to receive transactional and account-related communications (for example, payment receipts, course updates, and refund confirmations) for as long as you remain enrolled in the Program.

9. How long we keep your personal information

We keep your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Specifically:

• Account and enrolment records: kept for the duration of your access to the Program plus 7 years for taxation purposes.
• Recordings of live calls: kept for as long as the Program portal remains active or until you request deletion.
• Marketing data: kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Anonymised analytics data: may be kept indefinitely.
• Records of refunded enrolments: kept for the same 7 years for taxation and dispute purposes; access to Program materials is removed upon refund.

10. Security of your personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include using reputable third-party platforms that maintain appropriate security standards, restricting access to personal information to those who need it, and using secure connections (HTTPS) on the Site. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If we become aware of an “eligible data breach” affecting your personal information as defined under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) without undue delay, as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

11. Access to and correction of your personal information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading. To make a request, please contact us using the details in Section 1. We will respond within a reasonable time, normally within 30 days. There is no fee for making a request, although we may charge a reasonable fee in limited circumstances if a request is complex or repeated.

12. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or otherwise mishandled your personal information, please contact us first using the details in Section 1. We will investigate your complaint and respond within a reasonable time.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

13. Additional rights for EU and UK residents

If you are located in the European Union or the United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR apply to our processing of your personal information. In addition to the rights set out elsewhere in this policy, you have the right to:

• Request erasure of your personal information.
• Restrict or object to our processing.
• Receive a portable copy of your personal information.
• Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

We do not engage in automated decision-making that has legal or similarly significant effects on you.

Our lawful bases for processing your personal information are: performance of a contract (to deliver the Program), consent (for marketing), and legitimate interests (for analytics, fraud prevention, and improving our services).

14. Additional rights for New Zealand residents

If you are located in New Zealand, the Privacy Act 2020 applies to our handling of your personal information. The rights and obligations under the New Zealand Privacy Act are similar to those under the Australian Privacy Act and are reflected in this policy.

15. Additional rights for California residents

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives you specific rights regarding your personal information, including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 1.

16. Children

The Site and the Program are intended for adult professionals (hypnotherapists). We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The version in force is the version published on the Site, with the “Last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be communicated to enrolled participants by email.

18. Contact

Questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy should be directed to:

• Email: info@thehypnocoach.org
• Postal: Privacy Officer, The Hypno Coach, 240A Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia