Privacy Policy
The data protection Act 2018 (including GDPR) means that you have the right to know about what happens to information about you. This policy aims to lay this out clearly.
The policy governs the way in which I collect, store and share information collected from clients. The lawful basis of this data collection is under legitimate interest. It applies to the practice, website, social media and services offered by me within my private practice.
Clients seeking therapy will be sent a link to this Private Policy, where possible before therapy commences and a paper copy can be provided on request or where it is not possible to share a link or access the webpage.
Working online:
I use Zoom for online working because it is GDPR compliant and offers end to end encryption for video, audio, screen sharing and chat content if we both use the Zoom app. This ensures that our data is kept safe. (See Zoom Encryption for Meetings) You can find more about their privacy policy here.
Personal information I collect on initial contact and consultations
Name/telephone number/email and whatever other contact details you have shared with me.
Other information:
I keep track of the number of sessions we`ve had and our agreed fee and I may make notes on our sessions to maintain professional standards and for professional development, such as accreditation. Further information about this is available on request.
How I store information:
Mobile Phone: My mobile phone is locked and is only accessible using a passcode. I store your name, contact number, email address, GP contact details, if we have agreed this is necessary. I keep track of our appointments using a paper diary and paper notebook. These are kept in a locked filing cabinet in between sessions.
Correspondence and records: Texts, emails and records of calls on my mobile phone are kept for the duration of our work together and deleted 12 months following the end of our work together or last contact.
Zoom: A record of previous Zoom meeting details (your name/date/time and joining instructions is held on my Zoom account for less than a month)
Other documents: At times I may be asked by clients to confirm they have attended sessions or write a letter in support of them. These are kept for the duration of our work together (stored on my laptop) and deleted 12 months following the end of our work.
How I transport information
For the most part, the information I have about you is stored on my laptop and phone. Sessions notes are recorded in a specific paper notebook, which along with your signed, paper contract is stored in a locked filing cabinet. My practice is mainly home-based so records rarely leave the building.
How I share your information
I attend regular, online supervision to ensure my practice remains safe and ethical. Session details may be shared with my supervisor. I also attend peer supervision. In these instances, you are not directly identified and these colleagues are bound by the same respect for your confidentiality
Other considerations:
If you call me, the call will appear on your bill and your telephone provider will also have a record of calls to and from your telephone, even if you delete the information from your device. Your number will also appear on my telephone bill. If you pay by direct bank transfer, your details will be held by my bank and may be visible to HMRC or other financial bodies should they request evidence of my income. My details will also be visible on your own banking records.
At any point in our work, you are welcome to ask for any information I hold about you and for any information that is incorrect to be rectified.
Social Media:
I have a social media account for my practice on Linkedin. If you make contact via this platform, data held will be subject to their privacy policies. Direct messages will be held for the duration of our work together and deleted 12 months following the end of our work.
Website:
My website is run through Square Space. If you have a Square Space account and use it to comment on my blog, this information will be available to myself and other readers and subject to Square Space privacy policy.
Cookies:
A cookie is a small file that asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.