General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is concerned with the personal information about you that I collect, store, and share. This page details my privacy policy in accordance with GDPR.
PERSONAL INFORMATION I WILL COLLECT.
• Name.
• Gender (or preferred identity).
• Age.
• Relationships & significant people in your life
• Telephone/SMS number (plus permission to send SMS & leave voice message).
• Email address.
• Counselling History.
• Medical conditions relevant to counselling.
• Prescribed medication.
• Difficulties.
• Session summary.
HOW I WILL STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. STORAGE METHODS.
• Paper: written notes (described below).
• Smartphone: I will store your contact information in a plain-text note app. This allows me to contact you in case of emergencies, but keeps from revealing this information to other applications (i.e. not using a Contacts app).
• Email/SMS/WhatsApp: your email address and correspondence will be stored in my email account from when you contact me. Your telephone number may be stored in my SMS or WhatsApp app should we exchange messages this way. Electronic correspondence will also be held by the corresponding app (Phone’s SMS, WhatsApp).
• Website: none of your personal information is stored on my website, other than to momentarily collect & send it to my Gmail account for the purposes of our initial contact.
DOCUMENTS HELD.
PAPER…
• Therapy Agreement
• GDPR Agreement
ELECTRONIC…
• Therapy Agreement
• GDPR Agreement
• Brief Session Notes
• Assessment Record
• Contact Sheet
• Contact name & telephone
• Email/SMS/WhatsApp.
HOW I MAY PROCESS/SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.
CONSULTATION. As part of my professional obligations, I have regular consultation with another therapist qualified in this process (my supervisor). 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 nor professionally. I will not refer to you by name, but I may refer to some of the content of your sessions verbally when it’s helpful to my professional processes.
EMERGENCIES. 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 electronic copies of your information & correspondence within one month. I will hold onto your 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 delete the written information.
YOUR RIGHTS.
You have the following rights…
• To be informed what information I hold (i.e., this 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).
Click here to download your own copy of my privacy policy.