Privacy Policy
I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, in accordance with UK GDPR and BACP ethical guidelines. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller.
Information I Collect
I collect only the information necessary to provide my counselling and psychotherapy services. This may include your contact details, information provided on intake forms, and brief clinical notes relating to our sessions.
Third-Party Services
To provide and manage my services, I use secure, professional, industry-standard service providers. These may include Konfidens, Zoom Pro for online sessions, Gmail, Proton Mail, HMRC services, and Santander. Where appropriate, I take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is handled securely and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
Data Retention
Clinical notes and relevant records are retained for seven years following your final session, in accordance with my professional insurance requirements. After this period, they are securely destroyed or deleted.
Please be aware that the right to erasure (sometimes referred to as the “right to be forgotten”) is not an absolute right. Where I have a lawful and legitimate reason or professional requirement to retain your records, I may be unable to delete them before the end of the applicable seven year retention period, even if you request that I do so.
Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal information. These include the right to request access to the information I hold about you and to ask for inaccurate information to be corrected. You may also request the deletion of your information; however, this is subject to the retention requirements explained above.
If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information is collected, stored or used, you are welcome to contact me at ferntreecounselling@gmail.com
How I Use Your Information
I only use your personal information where it is necessary for the provision and management of my counselling and psychotherapy services. This may include:
Providing therapy
I use relevant personal information to provide counselling and psychotherapy services to you and to fulfil our therapeutic agreement. Where information relating to your health or wellbeing is processed, I do so in accordance with the additional protections that apply to sensitive personal information under UK data protection law.
Managing your sessions
I use your information to arrange and manage appointments, communicate with you, process payments and maintain appropriate clinical and administrative records.
Professional supervision
As part of safe and ethical practice, I attend regular professional supervision in accordance with BACP professional standards. Client information is anonymised wherever possible and only information relevant to the supervision process is discussed.
Legal and professional responsibilities
I may use or retain information where necessary to meet my legal, safeguarding, insurance, tax or professional obligations and to practise in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework.
Serious Risk or Emergencies
If I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person, it may be necessary to use or share relevant information to help protect those involved. Wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, I will discuss this with you first.
Service and Website Improvement
I may use anonymised information about the use of my website to understand how it is being used and to help improve my services. This information does not form part of your clinical record.
Data Protection Concerns and Complaints
If you have any concerns or complaints about how I collect, use, store or protect your personal information, you have the right to raise these with me directly.
Please submit your complaint in writing to ferntreecounselling@gmail.com.
I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and will investigate your concerns carefully. I will provide you with a full response without undue delay and will keep you informed if further enquiries are required or if the investigation is likely to take longer than expected.
If you remain dissatisfied with my response, you have the right to raise your concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority for data protection.
ICO website: www.ico.org.uk
Clients who are based outside the UK may also have the right to contact the relevant data protection authority in their country.
Counselling Agreement
Sessions and Fees
Counselling sessions last for approximately 50 minutes. The fee for each session will be agreed with you before therapy begins. Payment is due on the day of each session unless we have agreed otherwise.
Our Therapeutic Agreement
Counselling provides a confidential and supportive space in which we can explore the issues you choose to bring to therapy. I will work with you professionally and ethically in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework.
The therapeutic process cannot guarantee a particular outcome, and you remain free to make your own choices and decisions throughout our work together.
Contact Between Sessions
Contact outside sessions should normally be limited to practical matters such as arranging or changing appointments. I may not be able to respond immediately to emails or messages and my counselling service does not provide emergency or crisis support.
Online Sessions
Online sessions are provided using Zoom Pro. Please ensure, wherever possible, that you are in a private and suitable space for your session.
Occasionally, internet or technical problems may interrupt an online session. If this happens, we will attempt to reconnect. If we are unable to do so, we will agree how best to proceed.
Ending Therapy
You may choose to end counselling at any time. Where possible, I encourage clients to discuss ending therapy during a session so that we have an opportunity to review our work together and bring the therapeutic relationship to an appropriate ending.
I may also need to end or pause our work where there is a professional, ethical or practical reason for doing so. Wherever possible, I will discuss this with you beforehand and consider appropriate alternative support or referral where necessary.
Professional Standards
I practise in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework and undertake regular professional supervision as part of my professional practice.
Agreement
By commencing counselling with me, you confirm that you have read and understood these terms, including my confidentiality, cancellation, privacy and emergency support arrangements, and that you have had the opportunity to ask any questions about them.
Confidentiality and Sharing
Your sessions are confidential and I will not share your personal information without your explicit consent, except in certain circumstances where disclosure may be necessary or required.
These circumstances may include:
• Where I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person. Wherever possible and appropriate, I will discuss this with you before sharing any information.
• Where I am legally required to disclose information, for example by a UK court.
• As part of professional clinical supervision. Wherever possible, information discussed in supervision is anonymised and only the information necessary for professional and ethical practice is shared.
• Where it is necessary to use secure professional service providers to support my practice, such as for video sessions, appointment booking, email, payment processing and accounting. Appropriate data protection arrangements are used with these providers where required.
Cancellations
I require at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, as well as missed appointments, will be charged at the full session fee.
If you are more than 15 minutes late and have not contacted me, the session will be considered a missed appointment and the full session fee will remain payable.
Crisis and Emergency Support
My counselling service is not an emergency or crisis service, and I am not able to provide immediate or 24 hour support. My email and website enquiries are not monitored continuously, so please do not wait for a response from me if you need urgent help.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need urgent support, please contact NHS 111, call the Samaritans on 116 123, or attend your nearest A&E department.
If there is an immediate risk to life or safety, please call 999.