The General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR) requires that I provide you with a Privacy Policy, outlining what information I collect, how it is stored, under what circumstances it is shared and how and when it is disposed of.

I ask that you read this Privacy Policy carefully as it contains important information on:

• Who I am and the services I offer
• How and why I collect, store, use and share personal data
• Your rights in relation to your personal information
• How to contact me and the supervisory authorities in the event you have a complaint

I offer counselling/psychodynamic psychotherapy/counselling supervision at the request of clients and counselling supervisees. To perform this activity, it is necessary to:

• Maintain records to comply with regulatory and ethical obligations
• Maintain records in compliance with the requirements of my insurers
• Comply with the legal obligations that require me to maintain or in some circumstances disclose data
• Prevent and detect fraud
• Address any complaint or claim, including the need to provide instructionsto my insurers and legal representatives

I adhere to the principles that no more than the minimum amount of data will be kept to process it lawfully and that personal data will only be obtained for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.

What Information I collect from you

• Your contact details, including your name, telephone number, email and address.
• Session summary notes written after the session for individuals and during the session for couples

What do I use this information for?

I will use this information to contact you, having asked which method is your preferred method of contact; to keep a brief record of session material; to offer transparency and clarity of the nature of our work together.

How long do I keep this information?

I will keep this information for the duration of time we are working together. Following this I will delete all contact details. Brief session notes will be retained for Insurance purposes for seven years.

How is information stored?

The information is stored on Paper

Client contact details are stored safely locked cabinet. Session notes are given a Client Code. Other, easily identifiable material (names/locations) are not recorded. This material is stored apart from the Client Contact Sheet.

Telephone

Client telephone numbers are stored on my password protected mobile phone under the Client Code. The purpose of this is so that I can respond to a call, message or email from you or contact you, to confirm, change or cancel appointments.

Email

Contact requests received through my Gmail account: Gmail encrypts messages using TLS (Transport Layer Security) meaning emails cannot be read by third parties whilst in transit. I will reply from my Gmail account. However, I would recommend considering the level of personal information shared in an email.

Email addresses and emails will be stored to respond to clients who prefer to contact me this way. I use a Gmail account, and this is password protected.

Contact requests received through my website: enquires@margeryparsons-d-c-t-p.co.uk

Circumstances under which I may share personal information:

Supervision

My registering body, (UKCP) requires that I undertake monthly supervision of my clinical work, with another therapist who is bound by the same obligations of ethical standards of these organizations. Under these circumstances, I will only use my client’s first name, when consulting my supervisor.

Therapeutic Will

I have arranged for another therapist to have access to client contact details, should I suddenly become incapacitated or in the event of my death.

Safeguarding

It may be necessary for me to break confidentiality for safeguarding reasons such as the risk of serious harm to self or other, acts of terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering.

Legal Obligation

If I am requested by Court Order to share client notes for legal reasons

Financial Records

I am required to keep financial records for tax returns for seven years. Financial records are kept on my laptop computer which is safeguarded by a security password. Client codes (not names) are used for all financial records.

Consent

If you ask me to share information with medical professionals or your legal representative.

Retention and Disposal of Information (Data Retention Schedule)

I am required by my Insurance Provider, to keep session notes for seven years, following termination of counselling. At the end of this period, any notes held will be disposed of as confidential waste through shredding.

Contact details will be deleted when the therapy work comes to an end.

Clients’ Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have a number of important rights in relation to your personal data:

• To know how and why information is held
• To request access to such information
• To withdraw Consent to such information being used or held. This could mean it is no longer possible to access counselling
• To request correction of inaccurate personal data and the right to have incomplete personal data completed
• To request the data held about you be deleted in certain circumstances. However, session notes may be retained for insurance purposes
• To request that we restrict how we process your personal data in certain circumstances

You can let me know at any time if you are not satisfied with any aspect of the way I process your personal data.

Please contact Margery at enquiries@margeryparsons-d-c-t-p.co.uk for any questions you may have.