Under the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, I’m required to give you information about the type of personal information I collect from you and how I intend to use the information.
Collection of Personal Information
I may collect:
● basic information such as your name, address and date of birth, to identify you
and know a bit about who I’m working with;
● contact details such as email and mobile phone number, so I can
contact you in order to arrange appointments or communicate for the
purposes of us working together;
● emergency contact details in case of a medical emergency;
● payment details (if you pay by BACS ), which will be held in my bank account.
Storage of Personal Information
I will store:
● electronic data such as email, mobile phone number, address, emergency contact
and SMS correspondence, on devices that are password protected and accessed only by me. I will retain session logs for 5 years after our last session together, and any emails, SMS correspondence and personal information (email, phone number, address) for 1 month, following our last session together.
● Please note that all client logs will be anonymised and kept separately from any contact information that might identify you.
Processing / Sharing of Personal Information
It is very unlikely that I will share your personal information. I will not sell it or use it for unethical reasons. Examples of instances in which I might need to share your personal information without your explicit consent include:
● if I believe that you or another person (or people) may be at risk of serious harm, I may have to break confidentiality and contact a suitable authority (e.g. your GP or the emergency services); although I will usually attempt to gain your permission before breaking confidentiality in these instances, I retain the right to do so without your consent;
● if I become seriously ill, hospitalised or pass away my Therapeutic Executor (another counsellor I have chosen to cover such situations) may need to contact you to inform you of the situation and to advise you of your options; and
● if I am required to do so by law (e.g. to pass on information relating to acts of terrorism or on-going abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult).
Your Rights
You have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
● to request a copy of the personal information I hold on you (free of charge and
within one calendar month);
● to request that I rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
● to withdraw your consent for me to use/process your personal information
● to request that some or all of your personal information be deleted; I can,
however, decline this request whilst the information is needed for me to
practise lawfully and competently; and
● to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (www. ico.org.uk)
if you are unhappy with any aspect of the way I have handled your personal information.