PSYCHOTHERAPY IN WHITSTABLE, EAST KENT

Data Protection

As a Psychotherapist I am registered and accredited by UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy).

As I adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation I need to inform you what data I will collect from you and what I will do with it:

Personal Information:

Name, address, email address, telephone numbers, date of birth.

GP details, emergency contact details.

Any details you offer on your initial registration form regarding past and present health - physical, emotional and psychological.

Use of Information

This will be kept in order for me to provide a professional and effective psychotherapy service. I may need to contact you regarding sessions or to send you invoices or receipts.

I will keep a record of your attendance of sessions and I may keep a short, factual record of some or all of our sessions.

Sharing of your Data

I might share data if required by law, or if ordered to by a court, or if you tell me about risk of serious harm to yourself or someone else.

In line with the requirements of UKCP I have regular clinical supervision where I talk about my work in both general and specific terms, but would only ever use the first name of any client work.

All payments are recorded in my accounts using your initials (or in the case of bank transfers, whatever reference name you have provided), and these might be shared with HMRC if I am audited.

If an external Counselling Service refers you, then factual notes and attendance details will likely be requested of me by them, depending on their requirements.

Storage and Disposal of Data

Some of my records are in paper form and some in electronic form.

Paper records are stored in a secure locked cabinet and are destroyed after 7 years.

My financial, email, and mobile phone systems are all electronic and are password protected.

I will delete mobile phone data relating to you one month after ending our work together.

Data on the email and computer system will be kept for 7 years and then deleted.

Access to, or change of, your Data

You can make a subject access request in respect of your personal information held by me by making a request in writing. Once I receive the written request I will respond within 14 days.

If during sessions information is provided by more than one individual (eg separated parents) I will only release information if consent has been given by both individuals concerned.

You may also request that inaccurate data is amended.

Concerns

If you have any concerns about how I have handled your data, and you wish to make a complaint, please contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/