Last updated: 19 August 2026

Amani Practice respects the privacy, dignity and safety of every person who contacts or works with us. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and applicable professional confidentiality duties.

1. Who is responsible for your information

Amani Practice, operated by Janika Cumpsty (Registered Counsellor, ASCHP registration CO3044), is the responsible party for personal information processed through this website and in connection with its counselling, criminology and victimology consultancy, restorative and related services.

Privacy and Information Officer enquiries may be sent to info@amanipractice.com

2. Information we may collect

• identity and contact details, such as your name, age or date of birth, email address, telephone number and location;
• enquiry, appointment, referral, consent, attendance, billing and payment information;
• information you choose to share during counselling or consultancy, including personal history, relationships, trauma, health, wellbeing, sexuality, alleged or confirmed criminal behaviour, victimisation, legal or safety concerns;
• information about a child, parent, guardian, competent person, family member, professional, organisation or other person involved in a matter;
• professional notes, assessments, correspondence, reports and records created in delivering services;
• communications sent by email, telephone, messaging or website forms; and
• technical website information such as IP address, browser type, device information, cookie identifiers and pages visited.

Counselling and case information may be “special personal information” under POPIA. We collect only information that is reasonably necessary and relevant to the agreed service. Please do not send detailed trauma, health, criminal-case or other highly sensitive information through the website contact form unless it is necessary for your enquiry.

3. How we collect information

We collect information directly from you, from a parent, guardian or other competent person where appropriate, from an authorised representative or referring professional, and during the delivery of services. With appropriate authority, or where otherwise permitted by law, we may also receive information from family members, employers, schools, healthcare providers, legal representatives, courts, public bodies or other relevant sources. Website and service providers may collect limited technical information automatically.

4. Why and on what basis we use information

• to respond to enquiries, assess suitability, schedule appointments and provide agreed services;
• to maintain accurate, safe and professionally appropriate records;
• to communicate with you, obtain informed consent and coordinate authorised referrals or support;
• to administer contracts, invoices, payments and the practice;
• to protect the safety, rights and legitimate interests of clients and others;
• to comply with legal, regulatory, ethical, insurance and professional obligations; and
• to operate, secure and improve the website and prevent misuse.

Depending on the circumstances, processing is based on your consent; steps requested before entering into, or performance of, a service agreement; a legal or professional obligation; the establishment, exercise or defence of a right; protection of a legitimate interest; or another ground permitted by POPIA. Where consent is the basis, you may withdraw it, but withdrawal does not affect earlier lawful processing and may limit our ability to provide a service.

5. Confidentiality and when information may be disclosed

Counselling and case information is treated as confidential. It is not sold. We disclose only what is reasonably necessary and only where there is a lawful and professionally appropriate basis. This may include disclosure:

• with your informed consent or at your direction;
• to carefully selected operators that support the practice, such as secure hosting, email, scheduling, accounting, payment, IT or records services, under confidentiality and data-protection duties;
• for professional supervision or consultation, using de-identified information where reasonably possible;
• to an authorised parent, guardian, competent person, representative, funder or referring professional, within the agreed and lawful scope;
• where required by a court order, subpoena, statute, regulator or other binding legal process;
• where disclosure is lawfully necessary to prevent or respond to a serious and imminent threat, suspected abuse or neglect, or another safeguarding concern; or
• to establish, exercise or defend legal rights, or to report and manage a personal-information security compromise.

Confidentiality has legal and ethical limits. These limits, including any service-specific arrangements for supervision, referrals, reports or multidisciplinary work, should also be explained in the relevant informed-consent or service agreement.

6. Children and vulnerable persons

We process a child’s personal information only with the prior consent of a competent person or on another basis permitted by POPIA. We consider the child’s age, maturity, best interests, safety and developing autonomy. The extent to which information may be shared with a parent or guardian will be explained before services begin, subject to safeguarding and legal duties.

7. Website forms, cookies and third-party content

When you submit a website form, we process the details you enter and relevant technical information to respond and protect the site from spam or misuse. The site may use essential cookies and, subject to your choices where required, analytics or other optional cookies. You can manage non-essential cookies through the cookie banner and your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect site functions.

Embedded content and links, including social-media or video services, may allow third parties to collect information under their own privacy notices. Amani Practice is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.

8. International and online services

Because services may be provided online and some technology providers may operate outside South Africa, personal information may be stored or processed in another country. Where POPIA requires it, we use providers or safeguards that offer an adequate level of protection, binding contractual protection, your consent, or another lawful basis for the transfer. Online communication can never be guaranteed completely secure; particularly sensitive information should be shared through the method agreed with the practice.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including access controls, confidentiality requirements, secure devices and services, backups, updates and careful record handling. No method of transmission or storage is risk-free. If a security compromise affects your personal information, we will take reasonable steps to contain and investigate it and will notify the Information Regulator and affected people as required by POPIA.

10. Retention and disposal

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose collected, to provide services, meet professional record-keeping standards, resolve disputes, and comply with legal, tax, insurance or regulatory requirements. Retention periods differ by record type, client age and matter. When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, destroyed or de-identified, unless retention is permitted or required by law.

11. Your rights

Subject to POPIA and other applicable law, you may:

• ask whether we hold your personal information and request access to it;
• ask us to correct, update, delete or destroy information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained;
• object to processing on reasonable grounds where POPIA allows;
• withdraw consent where processing depends on consent;
• object to direct marketing and unsubscribe at any time; and
• complain to us or to the Information Regulator.

Rights are not absolute. Access or deletion may be limited where another person’s confidentiality, professional record-keeping duties, legal privilege, safeguarding needs or a legal obligation applies. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

12. Marketing and automated decisions

We will send electronic direct marketing only where permitted by POPIA and will provide a simple way to opt out. We do not use counselling or case information for advertising, and we do not make decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you solely by automated means.

13. Complaints and contact

Please first contact Amani Practice at info@amanipractice.com so that we can try to resolve a privacy concern.

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa): inforegulator.org.za, complaints.IR@justice.gov.za, or telephone 010 023 5200. Current complaint forms and submission channels are available from the Regulator.

14. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice when the practice, technology or law changes. The current version and effective date will be published on this page. Material changes may also be communicated directly where appropriate.

Important: This website notice explains Amani Practice’s general privacy approach. It does not replace a counselling informed-consent form, service agreement, PAIA manual, records-retention schedule, operator agreements or internal POPIA policies where those are required.