I do not share information about you with others. My site and practice privacy policy is below, starting with website privacy. I check clients have understood my practice policy and ask them to consent to its implementation before we start working together.

I work in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (2018) and am registered with the ICO.

Website Privacy:

• I collect information on forms submitted on this site so I can arrange appointments; when you submit information to this website via a form, I collect the data requested in order to respond to you and it is shared with Squarespace, which provides website services to me

• this website uses cookies and similar technologies - small files or pieces of text that download to a device - to allow Squarespace, my hosting platform, to securely serve this website to you

• please read this note about cookies

Practice Privacy Policy

• I collect and record information and data, with consent, because it is necessary for the performance of a counselling agreement or in exploring whether to enter into one

• I keep information such as contact details and availability so I can arrange appointment

• I keep personal details and brief factual notes of counselling sessions for the purpose of running my business, the exercise or defence of legal claims, for contacting and communicating with clients and to assist with information recall

• my laptop and phone are password protected

• I keep client names, counselling session times (flagged with initial, session number and payment status) and contact information in a password-protected Google account and a locked box file; Google’s privacy policy is here.

• I keep anonymised session notes in a password-protected DropBox file - their privacy policy is here

• video sessions (where applicable) are held over Zoom and I ensure these are not overheard - Zoom’s privacy policy is here 

• email and telephone / SMS communication from me will be for practical arrangements only - please do not share sensitive information via these media

• I use a Proton mail email account for communication with clients, which has high levels of encryption - Proton’s privacy policy is here

• I have a separate mobile phone number for my counselling work

• in the event of my incapacitation or death, I have appointed a clinical executor to contact all clients: that person is another counsellor who has details about how to access client contact information, if needed

• I need client consent to notify a nominated emergency contact, their GP and / or emergency services and will reach out to these if necessary to keep a client or others safe

• if a client falls ill during an online session, I will as a matter of course contact emergency services / their GP and emergency contact if there is one

• it is possible client names will appear on my bank statements when payments are made to me, and therefore be seen by an auditor

• I will not search for clients online or accept friendship requests from clients on any of my personal social media accounts

• client information will be destroyed at the start of the first full year, six years after we finish working together

• with reasonable notice, clients are welcome to access, view and use information that I hold about them, ask for changes or ask for things to be deleted

• I will do as asked, except where there is a legal obligation to keep information that may be required in the exercise or defence of legal claims

• counselling is a confidential activity - clients can find information about exceptions to confidentiality in The Agreement we sign when we start working together

• if I meet clients outside of sessions, I follow their lead in whether to greet one another in brief, in order to protect privacy

• I need clients’ explicit consent to use data and information as described