I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and any information that I keep is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 18) and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation. See Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk

To begin working together, I will record your name and preferred contact details (for example, telephone number, email address). I will also ask for an emergency contact, and the name of your GP surgery - this would only be to use in a strict emergency. I use this information only for essential administrative tasks: contacting you and arranging appointments. I do not share it with others without your consent unless I am legally or ethically required to do so, as in the confidentiality statement covered in the contract. 

In the event of my death or incapacity through ill-health, a colleague will have access to your contact details so that you can be informed.

During our work, you might verbally share a range of sensitive personal information, but I do not routinely record it. I might sometimes make brief notes about our sessions but these are kept separately from your contact details and are anonymised, so they do not identify you. 

Storing and deleting your information 

Any personal data I have recorded or that is contained in documents given to me by you or by third parties in the course of our work will be stored securely, either in a locked filing cabinet or in a password protected digital folder, and kept for a maximum of 6 years after the counselling ends, then deleted. 

Your consent and rights

 When we start working together, I will ask if you consent to me using your personal data as described in this statement. It is your right to see the data I hold about you and to request that it be corrected (if you believe there are inaccuracies) or deleted. If you would like this to happen or have any other questions about privacy or confidentiality, then please contact me and I will attempt to resolve your query as soon as possible. 

Website data 

My website host (Squarespace) uses various processes to monitor when and how the site is visited. I do not have access to any of your personal data within these systems, which only show me anonymised numerical information about the site’s usage.