Privacy Policy

I take the collection and storage of my clients’ information very seriously and therefore, I comply with both the Data Protection Act 1998, and also the European General Data Protection Regulations 2018. I am also registered with ICO who are the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. My registration number is: ZA490275

What data do you collect and how is this data used?

Upon starting therapy, basic personal information will be collected for contact and identification reasons. During your therapy meetings, an assessment of your psychological health will be completed, and notes may be taken during sessions if necessary. These will include personal and sensitive details about your life. The assessment and notes are used solely for the delivery of a therapy service to you.

In addition, if you or your child are referred by a health insurance provider, then I will also collect and process personal data provided by that organisation. This includes basic contact information, referral information, and health insurance policy number and authorisation for psychological treatment.

Electronic Data

Any electronic notes written about the work will be stored in a password protected file on our computers or on encrypted memory stick.

If you have emailed us, and / or have consented to us emailing you, your email will be stored in an account that is password protected. If you use the contact message form on our website, this information will be sent to a password protected email address that is only accessible by us. I will delete any email correspondence for any individuals who are not on my caseload.

I will not share any information about you with third parties without your consent with the exception of that detailed in the section regarding confidently above.

Your rights

You have rights relating to the information I hold to verify the accuracy or to ask for them to be supplemented, deleted, updated or corrected. You have the right to request a copy of the information that I hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, you would need to put this in writing and the information will be provided to you within 30 days if this is appropriate.

You may ask us to correct or remove information you think is inaccurate. You have a right to request the transfer of your data to another individual or company.

Data Retention

Your information is kept for the time necessary to provide the therapy service requested. At the end of therapy, any hard copy documents will be scanned and saved on a password protected computer only I have access to. The hard copies will then be securely destroyed (shredded). I will hold your details and session notes electronically for a period of 7 years following the end of treatment to comply with legal obligations set by our insurers. In the case of children and young adults, records will be kept for 7 years after they reach the age of majority (18). After this date, all data will be securely deleted.

Sharing of data

There may be times where your information needs to be shared with third parties. I will explicitly ask your consent before doing so, and the data will be sent to third parties securely. If you/your child are/is referred by a health insurance provider, or otherwise claiming through a health insurance policy to fund therapy, I will share appointment schedules with that organisation for the purposes of billing. I may also share information with that organisation to provide treatment updates.

If you would like me to share information about your/your child’s treatment with outside organisations that are directly involved in your/your child’s care/case, for instance, your GP or psychiatrist, or your child’s school, I will require your written consent. I will tell you with whom I would discuss your/your child’s care, and what details I would share with them.

If I feel that you / your child are putting themselves or others at risk then I may have to break confidentiality and inform the relevant parties. This maybe statutory bodies e.g. Social Services or parents if the child is less than 18 years of age. If possible I will discuss this with you / your child before sharing the information.

Security of your data

Information will be kept securely and confidentially in line with the data retention policy as stated above.

Lawful basis for processing your information

The lawful basis for me holding and using your information is in relation to the delivery of a contract to you as a healthcare professional. As a registered member of The Health and Care Professions Council, I operate under a strict code of confidentiality and am legally obliged to lawfully process your data in line with this privacy policy.

Complaints or queries

I try to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information. For this reason, I take any complaints I receive about this very seriously. I encourage people to bring it to our attention if they think that our collection or use of information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate. I would also welcome any suggestions for improving our procedures. If you do have a complaint, contact us and I will investigate the matter on your behalf. If you are not satisfied with the response from me, or believe I am not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you have the right to raise your complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)