Policies and Professional Standards

All information you share with me during therapy sessions is confidential. This includes both what is said and any written or electronic records I keep.
Your personal information will not be shared with anyone else unless you give explicit consent for me to do so, for example if you request communication with your GP or another healthcare provider.

There are specific, limited circumstances in which I may be required to share information without your consent. These are guided by law and professional ethics and are designed to protect you or others from serious harm. They include:

1. Risk of serious harm:
   If I believe you or someone else is at significant risk of harm, I may need to contact appropriate services (such as your GP or emergency services) to ensure safety.

2. Legal obligations:
   I am legally required to disclose information if ordered by a court, or in cases related to terrorism, money laundering, or child protection concerns.

3. Safeguarding concerns:
   If I become aware of abuse or neglect involving a child or vulnerable adult, I am required to share relevant information with safeguarding authorities.

Whenever possible, I will always discuss my concerns with you first before sharing any information, and I will explain clearly what information needs to be shared, with whom, and why.

As part of ethical practice, I receive regular professional supervision. This ensures I provide the best possible care.
During supervision, I may discuss aspects of our work together, but your identity is protected — supervisors do not receive identifying details about you. Supervisors are also bound by strict confidentiality agreements.

Brief notes are kept after each session to support continuity of care and meet professional standards.
These records are:

• Stored securely and confidentially (encrypted and password-protected if digital, or locked if paper-based).

• Retained for seven years after the end of therapy, as required by professional and insurance guidelines.

• Accessible only to me, unless disclosure is legally required as outlined above.

You have the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of your personal data in accordance with UK GDPR.

If you contact me by email, text, or voicemail, please note that while all care is taken to maintain confidentiality, electronic communication cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. I recommend keeping messages brief and limited to administrative matters such as appointment scheduling.

For online sessions (e.g., via Zoom), I take steps to ensure your privacy and data security:

• Sessions are conducted in a private, soundproof space on an encrypted, password-protected platform.

• Sessions are not recorded.

• You are encouraged to ensure you also have a private, uninterrupted space to talk freely.

You have the right to:

• Request access to your records.

• Ask for corrections to inaccurate information.

• Withdraw consent to information sharing at any time, unless required by law.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality or data protection, please discuss them with me at any time.