I take your privacy seriously and will keep your personal information safe and secure. I will only use your information for the purpose for which you have provided it.
I comply with UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller. My registration number is ZB765061.
What information I collect and why
If you contact me about starting therapy, I may collect your name, contact details and some brief information about your circumstances and what you are looking for support with. I use this information to respond to your enquiry and arrange appointments.
If you decide not to proceed with therapy, I will delete your enquiry information within one month.
Once we begin working together, I will collect information needed to provide therapy and manage our appointments. This may include:
- Your name, address, email address and telephone number
- Your GP’s name and surgery
- Relevant health and medical information
- Information about your therapy needs
- Information you share during assessment and therapy sessions
Confidentiality
What you share with me is confidential. I will not normally share your personal information with anyone else unless:
- I am legally required to do so, for example by a court
- There is a serious and imminent risk of harm to you or someone else
- There are safeguarding concerns, including concerns relating to a child
- I am required to disclose information under relevant legislation, such as the Terrorism Act or Proceeds of Crime Act
Where possible, I will always discuss this with you first, unless there is a legal or safeguarding reason why I cannot.
As part of my professional practice, I may discuss aspects of my work with my clinical supervisor. Any discussion is handled confidentially and in line with professional and ethical requirements.
Therapy Notes
I keep brief, factual notes about our sessions to help me reflect on our work together and monitor your progress. These notes are kept securely and your identifying information is protected.
How Long I Keep Your Information
I keep therapy records for seven years from the date of your last session, in line with UK tax requirements and my professional and insurance obligations.
After this period, your records will be securely destroyed.
How Your Information Is Stored
I take reasonable steps to keep your information secure.
- Digital information is stored on my password-protected computer.
- Session notes are kept using a unique client code rather than your name wherever possible.
- Paper assessment and emergency contact information is kept securely in a locked cabinet.
- Your contact details are stored securely on my phone using a coded format.
- I do not retain text messages or your contact information on my phone after therapy ends, although relevant information from messages or emails may be added to your therapy notes.
My computer is protected by a password, firewall and antivirus software, and I regularly install security updates.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Ask what personal information I hold about you
- Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
- Ask me to delete your information, where legally possible
- Ask me to restrict how your information is used
- Object to certain types of processing
If you ask to see the information I hold about you, I will respond within one month of receiving your written request. Please note that counselling notes may contain information about other people, and I cannot disclose information that would breach another person’s privacy.
You can find more information about your data protection rights on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
Once information has been provided to you, you are responsible for keeping it secure.
Data Breaches
I take every reasonable step to protect your information. If I become aware that your personal information has been accessed or obtained by someone who should not have access to it, I will take appropriate action and, where required, notify you and the ICO.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about how I use or store your information, please contact me at:
Making a Complaint
If you have a complaint about how I handle your personal information, please contact me first at:
If you are not satisfied with my response, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which oversees data protection in the UK.
You can find information about making a complaint on the ICO website.