CONFIDENTIALITY

The discussions that take place between us are highly confidential, however, there are some occasions where I may not be able hold confidentiality, for example: 

  • If I am compelled by a Court of Law to reveal information. 

  • If there is disclosure of issues relating to fraud, trafficking or terrorism. 

  • If a child (under 18) or vulnerable adult is at risk of harm. 

  • If I believe that you or another person could be in danger of significant harm. 

Note Taking

I will keep brief notes about issues discussed in our sessions.  Your name will not be mentioned on these notes, and they will be kept securely as protected files, on a password protected computer that only I have access too. Any notes will be deleted within 12 months from the end of our work. 

Clinical Supervision

As a requirement of my professional registration with the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy and my adherence to their ethical framework, I have regular supervision from an experienced counsellor/psychotherapist where I may discuss the work I do with you, but your anonymity will be protected.  

WORKING ONLINE

I do everything possible to ensure your privacy; when working online, I keep all login details secure, and I advise that you do the same. When working online, I use a waiting room function, and will only allow you into the room if I recognise your name. Whilst online platforms have the option to record meetings; I promise not to use this function without your written consent and ask that you do the same.  

Counselling and psychotherapy can be a place to explore your feelings and patterns of behaviour with a trained professional. I will take care not to open anything up that you can’t manage outside of the sessions, however, having counselling or psychotherapy from your home can make this more difficult and you need to be sure that you can be safe during and after the sessions.  

  •  Do you have a quiet space in your home where you can talk freely and not be interrupted or overheard?  

  •  If you live with other people, are they aware you are having counselling/ psychotherapy?  

  • How might this affect you and your relationships? 

  •  If we use a video link, think about how much of your personal surroundings you feel comfortable sharing. 

  •  Can you plan an activity after the sessions to give yourself time to process what has been discussed if needed? 

  • Have you got access to other support should you need it between sessions? 

 Sometimes technology, including phones, run into problems; we might lose signal or connection.  I will speak to you about this in our first session to agree how we will manage this - normally, I will try to call you back if we are working over the phone. If we are working online and there are interruptions, we will normally agree to both log out of the system, wait a minute, and log back in.  If this doesn’t work, I will contact you by phone to continue the session or rearrange. 

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE

I currently collect and process the following information: 

  • Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name, contact details, date of birth, gender identity) 

  • Emergency contact details 

  • Personal information that you would like to make me aware of as it may impact the context and/or effectiveness of the service being provided (for example, prescribed medication, health information) 

All of the personal information I process is provided to me directly by you via a client assessment information sheet that is completed and returned by you, through email. I process this information to ensure: 

  • I can contact you to arrange and confirm our sessions as well as payment for those sessions.  

  • In case of emergency, I can contact someone of your choosing and/or your GP, to provide appropriate support. 

  • I can provide a service that is appropriate for your needs and within the limits of my professional competencies. 

If you decide you would like to engage with counselling or psychotherapy with me, I will share more detail with you in relation to how I securely store and when appropriate, delete your data in keeping with UK GDPR requirements.