I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Registration Number ZB144674.

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I will not use your personal data to contact you for any other purpose than therapy, unless you have asked me to do otherwise. I will never share clients’ data to other parties for marketing purposes, or similar.

When you come for therapy, I may ask you and note personal information like:

Name

Address

Telephone number(s) (plus permission to text or not)

Email address

Gender (or preferred identity)

Age

Occupation

Names of key family members

Brief therapy history

Relevant medical conditions

Prescribed medication(s)

A note of your current difficulties and therapy objectives

What and where I will store your information.

Smart Devices

I will store your mobile number, your emails, telephone contact history and texts on my smartphone and tablet if we exchange messages in this way. Any notes I may take on my tablet are saved using an identity code, not your name, thus making it meaningless to outsiders. My smartphone and tablet are both password protected.

Website

None of your personal information is stored on my website, other than momentarily if you use the ‘Get in touch’ button.

Online Booking

Your personal information is stored on the 10to8 website who comply with GDPR regulations. Only I can access the information stored on the booking system.

Paper

I will keep a paper copy of our signed & dated Counselling Agreement in a locked cabinet inside a secure room.

What I may share

All your personal information and everything you say is treated in the strictest confidence. I will never share your data or personal information with anyone else or with any other body apart from the following therapy-standard exceptions:

Clinical Supervision

Like all registered counsellor in the UK, I am required to have monthly clinical supervision to support best practice, during which time some client material is discussed, on an anonymous and confidential basis.

By Order of Law

If I am ordered by a court of law to share any of the information I hold about you, I will share only the minimum detail required and only after discussion with you wherever possible.

Suicidal Intent

If I believe there is a significant risk of you causing serious harm to yourself or another person, or of taking your own life, I may share your contact information and brief mental health details with your doctor or relevant emergency service. I will attempt to discuss this with you first whenever possible.

Terrorism and Money Laundering

If I have become aware of your intent to commit an act of terrorism, or money laundering, the law may require that I inform an authority without seeking your permission or your knowledge.

Erasing your information

I will securely hold your written information for up to six years. After this time has passed, I shred all written information.