Privacy Policy 

I am committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality and security of the personal information you share with me. This privacy notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your information when you contact me or use my counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, supervision, training or related services.

I process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018 and applicable data-protection legislation.

Information I May Collect

When you contact me or work with me, I may collect information including your name, contact details, appointment information, correspondence, emergency contact details and information necessary for providing and administering my services.

As part of therapeutic work, you may also choose to share sensitive information concerning your physical or psychological health, personal history, relationships, identity, beliefs or other aspects of your life. Some of this is classed as special-category personal data and receives additional protection under data-protection legislation.

Why I Use Your Information

I only collect and use information that is reasonably necessary for purposes such as responding to enquiries, arranging and providing appointments, delivering counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or supervision, maintaining appropriate professional records, processing payments, communicating with you and meeting my professional, ethical, safeguarding and legal responsibilities.

Lawful Basis for Processing

I will identify and document the appropriate lawful basis for each purpose for which your information is processed. Where special-category information is processed, I will also identify an appropriate condition under Article 9 UK GDPR and, where applicable, the Data Protection Act 2018.

The appropriate basis can differ according to the particular purpose for which information is being processed. The ICO advises organisations to determine and document their lawful basis before processing personal information.

Confidentiality

Information shared during therapy or supervision is treated as confidential and will not normally be shared with another person without your knowledge or agreement.

There are, however, limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken, including where there is a serious concern about risk of harm, safeguarding responsibilities, a legal requirement to disclose information, or another ethical or professional obligation. Wherever reasonably possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss this with you first.

Clinical Supervision

As part of maintaining safe and ethical professional practice, aspects of therapeutic work may be discussed within clinical supervision. Clients are not unnecessarily identified, and supervisors are themselves expected to maintain confidentiality.

How Your Information Is Protected

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, loss, alteration or misuse.

I aim to collect only information that is relevant and necessary for the services I provide and to retain it only for as long as there is a legitimate professional, ethical, insurance or legal reason for doing so. The ICO particularly emphasises data minimisation, appropriate security and retention arrangements when special-category information is involved.

Sharing Your Information

I do not sell your personal information.

Information will only be shared where there is an appropriate reason and lawful basis for doing so. This could include professional or legal advisers, service providers used to operate my practice, regulatory or professional bodies, or statutory authorities where disclosure is legally or ethically required.

Where third-party services are used to process personal information on my behalf, I take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate data-protection arrangements are in place.

Your Rights

Depending upon the circumstances and the lawful basis being relied upon, UK data-protection law gives you a number of rights concerning your personal information. These can include the right to request access to your information, request correction of inaccurate information, request erasure in certain circumstances, restrict or object to certain processing, and obtain information about how your data is being used.

Where processing is based upon consent, you may also have the right to withdraw that consent.

Website and Cookies

My website may use essential cookies and, where applicable, analytics or other technologies. Where consent is legally required for non-essential cookies, these will not be used until the appropriate consent has been obtained.

Any external websites linked from this website operate under their own privacy policies, and I am not responsible for their privacy practices.

Contact

If you have questions about how your personal information is used, wish to exercise your data-protection rights or have a concern about your information, please contact me using the contact details provided on this website.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data-protection regulator.