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 Egg 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 I will not use.  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.
• 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) and to protect your identity I do not use your real name.

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.

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.

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

• In the event of my incapacity or death your personal contact information will be disclosed to the clinical executor of my professional will so that they can notify you. In the event of my death my executor will also destroy all contact information and notes on my computer.
• If I am under a duty to disclose or share your personal data 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.