Privacy Policy
I am a registered member of The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. As a counsellor I read, agree and adhere to their ethical framework and conduct procedure on an annual basis.
Your Rights Under GDPR
Under UK data protection law, you have rights concerning the personal information I hold about you.
These include the right to:
-
Know how your personal information is collected, used and stored.
-
Request a copy of the personal information I hold about you. I will normally respond within one calendar month.
-
Ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.
-
Request the deletion of your personal information, where the law allows.
-
Request restrictions on how your information is used or object to certain types of processing.
Some rights are subject to legal exceptions, including where records must be retained for legitimate or legal reasons.
If you have any questions about your personal information or wish to exercise your rights, please contact me directly.
What Personal Information I Collect and Why
Your privacy is important to me. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I need it, how I use and store it, and how I protect your confidentiality.
As an independent counsellor, I am responsible for the personal information I hold about my clients and for handling it in accordance with UK data protection law.
Before counselling begins, we will discuss our working agreement, including confidentiality, record-keeping and the circumstances in which information may need to be shared.
I may collect the following information:
-
Your name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address.
-
Contact details for someone you would like me to contact in an emergency.
-
Your GP's details, where relevant.
-
Information about your physical or mental health, medication or circumstances that may be relevant to your counselling.
-
Brief notes relating to our counselling sessions.
I collect this information to communicate with you, provide safe and appropriate counselling, maintain professional records and meet my legal and ethical responsibilities.
I only collect information that is relevant to these purposes and take appropriate steps to keep it secure and confidential.
How I Store and Protect Your Information
Your privacy and confidentiality are extremely important to me.
I use Halaxy, an electronic practice management system designed for healthcare professionals, to manage my counselling appointments, invoices and clinical notes.
All clinical notes are recorded and stored electronically within Halaxy. I do not keep paper clinical records.
Access to my practice records is protected by account security measures, and I take appropriate steps to safeguard your personal and sensitive information against unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.
Your information is used only for purposes connected with providing counselling, managing appointments, maintaining clinical records, administering payments and meeting my professional and legal responsibilities.
I handle your information in accordance with UK data protection law and my professional obligations regarding confidentiality.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
Your privacy and trust are very important to me, and what you share during counselling will normally remain confidential.
There are, however, exceptional circumstances in which I may need to share information. These include situations where I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person, safeguarding concerns, or where disclosure is required by law.
Where it is safe and appropriate, I will discuss my concerns with you before taking any action. I may also seek guidance through professional supervision. In an emergency, or where the law requires it, I may need to act without discussing this with you first.
Any information shared will be limited to what is necessary and handled with care and respect.
Professional Supervision and Confidentiality
As a professional counsellor, I attend regular supervision with a qualified supervisor, in accordance with my professional and ethical responsibilities.
Supervision helps me reflect on my work, maintain professional standards and ensure that I provide you with the best possible support.
When discussing my work in supervision, I protect your privacy by avoiding information that could identify you wherever possible. My supervisor is also bound by professional confidentiality.
Your personal information will not otherwise be shared without an appropriate reason, such as your consent, a safeguarding concern or a legal obligation, as explained in the confidentiality section.