Privacy Policy

How I gather your personal information

• Information that you provide by emailing me via my website and via therapy directories such as Counselling Directory, Psychology Today, COSCA Directory and Pink Therapy Directory
• Email at sallycounselling@mail.com.
• The counselling contract.
• Brief session notes.
• Online therapy, I use the platform Zoom which is securely encrypted. Zoom has the facility to record sessions which will only use with your permission. I routinely delete any recorded sessions monthly and once you finish therapy with me all recordings will be deleted.
• Any therapeutic email exchanges will be destroyed after therapy has finished.

Where I store your personal data

• Personal data that I collect from you via any form of contact will be kept securely.
• Contact details you enter through my website are deleted from the server once I have collected them.
• Your contact details and contract are stored on my computer which is password protected.
• Brief handwritten session notes I take are anonymised, using your initials only and are stored in a locked filing cabinet.
• Video or audio recordings of counselling sessions are stored on my password protected laptop in a password protected folder.
• I take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Uses made of the information

• I use your contact details to allow me to provide you with information of the service that you request from me, to allow you to tell me about changes in your availability and to notify you about changes to my availability and any other relevant administrative changes.
• I use the brief session notes to carry out my obligation arising from the agreement entered into between you and me detailed on the Counselling Contract.
• As part of my commitment to providing a professional service, I attend supervision regularly. This is bound by a confidentiality contract (separate to this policy).

How long I keep your information/notes for

• Emails are deleted once a month. I do introductory sessions over the phone and occasionally clients request phone appointments. In these cases I do not store your number in my phone. I do not use the phone for any other therapy related business.
• I will retain your brief session notes for as long as we are working together. After therapy has finished, I will retain these documents for a further five years, which is a requirement of my indemnity insurance, and after that the documents will be destroyed.
• Video and audio recordings are kept for 1 month unless otherwise agreed. All video and audio recordings are deleted once you finish therpy with me.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

I use artificial intelligence (AI) tools occasionally to assist with administrative tasks, website content, proofreading and other general business activities.

I do not enter identifiable client information, counselling session content, case notes or other confidential client information into AI tools. AI is not used to assess, analyse or make decisions about clients or their therapy.

I remain responsible for the information I provide and use AI tools with care, taking account of confidentiality, privacy and data protection requirements. Where appropriate, I check and review AI-generated content before using it.

Your rights

• You are entitled to view, amend, or delete the personal information that I hold. All requests have a month to be carried out.
• Please note that if you are receiving couple or relationship counselling from me and you make a subject access request for your client notes, I will only be able to release information relating solely to you, unless I receive signed consent from both or all parties, agreeing to the release of this information.

In the event of a data breach

• I have a legal obligation to report a data breach to you and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) within 72 hours.

Disclosure of your personal information

• Clinical Will Arrangments

As required by my professional body I have plans in place should I suddenly or unexpectedly be unable to practice. These arrangements are detailed in my clinical will which is held by Professional Clinical Wills. Professional Clinical Wills confidentially holds minimal contact details (your first name, telephone number and email address) for the purposes of contacting you if I am unable to do so. In the event that my practice is closed your clinical notes and personal details may be confidentially transferred to Professional Clinical Wills to be destroyed in accordance with my policy for holding personal data.

• Legal Obligations

I may need to disclose your personal information if I am under a legal duty to in order to comply with any legal obligation. For example, if I am subpoenaed to court, or as a legal requirement such as safeguarding children or vulnerable adults, terrorism or money laundering.

Changes to the GDPR agreement

• I will notify you of changes I may make to this privacy policy in the future.

Consent to the GDPR agreement

• Your use and undertaking of the services of Sally Counselling and Psychotherapy constitutes your approval and acceptance of this agreement, and are consenting to my use, and storage of your personal information, you have disclosed to me, as detailed above. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Data Protection Complaints

If you have a concern about how I handle your personal information, I want to hear from you.

• How to raise a concern

You can contact me by email at sallycounselling@mail.com. Please describe your concern as clearly as you can, and include any relevant dates or
details.

• What happens next

I will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it. I will then look
into your concern and respond to you without undue delay.

• If you remain dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with my response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.