Privacy Policy

This page details my privacy and GDPR policy.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)  is concerned with the personal information about you that I collect, store, and share.

Personal Information I will collect.

• Name
• Address
• Telephone/mobile number (plus permission to leave a voice mail)
• Email address
• Age & date of birth
• The full name and DOB of your children under the age of 18
• Gender (or preferred identity)
• Progeny (decent) & cultural identity
• Relationship status
• Occupation
• GP surgery name & address
• Medical conditions & general health information 
• Prescribed medication
• Difficulties (for the purpose of counselling)
• Session summary in the form of notes

Storing your Personal Information

I aim to operate a paperless practice where ever possible. All personal information and session notes will be stored securely on devices using passwords and finger print security. Personal information is stored separately to the sessional notes. If paper copies of information relevant to delivering counselling to you are stored, these will be secured in a lockable filling cabinet.

Supervision

I  have monthly supervision with another therapist qualified in this process. The consultation process is for my practice (rather than seeking instruction on working with you). In order to protect your privacy, my Supervisor will not know you personally or professionally. I will refer to you by your first name, and the number code I use. I may refer to your information verbally when it's helpful to my professional processes.

Confidentiality

I will not share your personal information with any other organisations outside of this counselling, unless I have reason to believe that you or someone else is at serious risk of harm, or that I am legally required to. I will discuss any potential disclosures with you, unless I believe that to do so could increase the level of risk to you or someone else.

If your health is in jeopardy (provided I have your consent) I may share your contact information with an emergency healthcare service (e.g. Mental Health Crisis Team).

If I have become aware of your intent to cause harm to another person/organisation (e.g. terrorism), the law may require that I inform an authority without seeking your permission. In such a situation, the law may require that I share your personal information without your knowledge (known as: whistle-blowing).

Erasing your Information.

When we have finished working together, I will erase your information & correspondence from my email account within one month.

I will securely store your contact information, assessment information  and session notes for up to seven years past the end of our working together. This is so that I have a reference of our work in situations such as you returning to counselling in the future. After this time has passed, I will erase all information.

If the young person (or child) receiving counselling is 16 or under, the record will be kept for 5 years after the young person turns 18 years of age. If the young person receiving counselling is 16 or over the record will be kept for 7 years after their counselling has ended.

Your Rights

You have the following rights...

• To be informed what information I hold (i.e. GDPR document).
• To see the information I hold about you (free of charge for the initial request).
• To rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• To withdraw consent to me using your personal information.
• To request your personal information be erased (though I can decline whilst the information is needed for me to practice lawfully & competently).

NB: A printed copy of this statement will be given to you when we first meet for counselling. If we agree to continue working together, we will both sign the printed copy of this statement to indicate our agreement.