Your privacy is important to me and I adhere to current data protection legislation. I am the data controller and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. The data I collect about you is necessary to enable me to work with you.

What do I collect?

If we agree to work together I will collect the following information:

• Your name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, GP details and emergency contact details.
• I keep brief process notes that are pseudonymised. These notes cannot be linked to your personal identifying information.

How do I store this information?

• Your phone number is kept on my work smartphone under your first name only.
• Your email address is kept in my email account that is password protected.
• Your contract is scanned, password protected and stored on my computer which is password protected.
• My process notes from our sessions are pseudonymised, password protected and stored on my computer which is password protected.
• I will delete all your details and notes after two years.

Confidentiality and sharing information

Our sessions and what you discuss are confidential except in the following circumstances:

1. I will discuss my work with a clinical supervisor. This is standard practice and helps me to improve my practice and work with most effectively with you. My supervisor is a psychotherapist and bound by the same code of ethics as me.
2. If during our work I am concerned there is a safeguarding risk or that you are at risk of harming yourself or others, I would break confidentiality to prevent harm. This could mean contacting the emergency services, GP or your emergency contact details. These are extreme circumstances, and I would always seek to discuss it with you prior to taking any action.
3. If you disclosed acts of terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering this could mean contacting emergency services as above I would seek to discuss it with you prior to taking action.
4. If I am required to in a court of law.
5. I also have a clinical will in place in the event of my death. The executor of my will has access to name and contact details of my current clients and would contact you about what has happened and your counselling options going forward.