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Privacy

1. Information I Collect

To provide safe therapy, I gather certain information from you, typically through an initial enquiry and the clinical assessment and intake process:

  • Contact details: your name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address.

  • Emergency contact: the name, relationship to you, and phone number of someone I can reach if I have serious concerns for your safety.

  • GP details: your doctor's name, surgery, address and phone number.

  • Clinical information: brief notes on your mental health history and some content from our sessions, and reflections relevant to our therapeutic work together. This is treated as special category data under UK GDPR.

  • Payment details: the information needed to process session fees (e.g. bank transfer references), but not full card or account numbers.

2. Why I process your information

I rely on contractual necessity (to provide the therapy service you've asked for) and legitimate interest (to run my practice responsibly) as the legal grounds for handling your data. In practice, this means using your information to:

  • Arrange and run our sessions.

  • Keep basic administrative records, including scheduling and fee payments.

  • Get in touch with your emergency contact or GP, but only if I have genuine concern about your safety or wellbeing, and most often with your prior knowledge and consent.

3. Confidentiality and limitations

Everything shared in our sessions is confidential, in line with the BACP Ethical Framework. There are, however, a small number of situations where I may need to share information with a third-party, outlined below. I'll aim to discuss this with you first – wherever it's safe and possible to do so. However there may be urgent and serious instances when that is not possible.

  • Clinical supervision: I discuss my casework regularly with my supervisor, this is required for safe, ethical practice. The supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.

  • Safeguarding: if I believe you, or someone else, including a child/children or a vulnerable adult(s) is at serious risk of harm.

  • Legal obligations: where I'm required by law to disclose information, for example relating to court proceedings, serious crime, terrorism, or money laundering.

  • Emergencies: if I'm seriously concerned about your immediate safety, I may contact emergency services or your GP.

  • My incapacity or death: in the event that I become unexpectedly unable to practise, my nominated clinical executor (a qualified therapist bound by the same professional and confidentiality standards) will be authorised to access your contact details and relevant clinical records. Their role is limited to informing you of the situation, supporting a safe handover or ending of our work together, and securely managing or closing your records. They will not act as your ongoing therapist without your separate consent.

4. How Your Information Is Stored

Your records are kept securely, using GDPR-compliant systems and practices. I typically retain clinical notes for 7 years after our work together ends, in line with professional guidance and insurance requirements. After that period, records are securely deleted.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of the information I hold about you.

  • Request corrections to inaccurate data.

  • Withdraw consent for any data processing that isn't required for me to provide therapy safely.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you feel your data hasn't been handled appropriately.

6. Get in Touch

If you have questions about this policy, or would like to exercise any of the rights above, please contact me using the contact page on this website.