Privacy Policy

The following describes what personal data I gather, how & why I keep it and what I will do with it. It also covers your rights around this data. The lawful basis for gathering this is to provide psychotherapeutic services in line with my contractual obligation to you.

What information do I gather and why do I keep it?

Your name and date of birth – these are used as an identifier
Address, email and phone number(s) – these are kept so that I can make contact with you
Any other information you feel I need to know in order that we can work safely together
Session notes that may contain sensitive personal information (e.g. religious beliefs, marital status, financial information) – as a memory aide

Consent

This policy is discussed at the beginning of our work together and I will ask for your consent to use the information as per this notice and the privacy agreement. There may be times when I will need to share information (see below).

When may your data be shared?
There are occasions when I may share your information with other professionals. These are:

Your first name (usually initial) may be shared with my clinical supervisor.

If I receive a subpoena from a court of law.
If you disclose information that raises safeguarding concerns including immediate, serious risk of harm to yourself or others; or abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, I have a duty of care to disclose that information to the appropriate authorities.
If you disclose anything to do with terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering I am legally required to inform the police and it is a criminal offence for me to inform you that I have done so.
In the event of my death or incapacitation there is a plan for all clients to be contacted. If this happens your records will be released to a colleague who will then make contact with you.
If the terms of our working together require it (e.g. to meet an insurer’s or Employee Assistance Programme’s requirements) – the types of information will be made clear.

How long are these data stored and how is it disposed of?

Contact information will be confidentially destroyed when our work together is complete. Session notes will be kept for 7 years and then confidentially destroyed. Emails, texts & phone records between sessions will be deleted as soon as they are no longer relevant.

Concerns & Corrections

If you would like to have your personal data deleted, please let me know & I will take reasonable steps to delete it (this will be dependent on legal reasons which may require me to maintain certain records).

If you have reason to believe that personal data I have gathered is in some way incorrect or now out of date or if you have concerns about how I am handling the data, please contact me & I will work towards resolving those concerns.
Please do contact me if you have questions on this notice.
Internet Information

Cookies:

allow the web provider to count visits & traffic sources so they can measure & improve the performance of the site. They help to clarify which pages are the most & least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Information collected is aggregated and therefore anonymous. You can block these if required.

Securing personal data on Emails:

you may wish to choose an encrypted email provider.