Privacy policy.
Data Protection & Privacy
As a UKCP-registered therapist, I take your privacy seriously. To provide safe and effective psychotherapy, I collect and store personal and sensitive information. I only use this information for our work together, keep it secure, and retain it only for as long as necessary under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Please be mindful that communication by email, text, or phone cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Introduction
In line with GDPR, I am both the Data Controller and Data Processor for the personal information you share with me. Please read this policy to understand how your information is collected, used, and protected.
By engaging in psychotherapy with me, you consent to the processing of your information according to this policy.
What information do I collect?
Initial Enquiry
When you first get in touch (by email, phone, or website contact form), I may ask for your name, phone number, email address, availability, and a brief outline of what you’d like help with. If you decide not to proceed, I will securely delete your details and any notes within one month of our last contact.
Starting Therapy
If we agree to work together, I will ask for additional information such as your full name, date of birth, address, contact details, emergency contact, GP details, and information about other relevant healthcare professionals. I will also ask about your current situation, history, and anything else that helps me understand how best to support you.
During Therapy
During our sessions, I may keep brief anonymised notes to help guide our work. I may also use standard therapeutic questionnaires where helpful.
Online Sessions
If we work online, I use secure, encrypted video platforms. I will hold your email address for this purpose and delete it from these platforms when our work ends.
Website Analytics
My website may use basic analytics to understand general traffic trends, but this does not collect identifiable personal information.
How do I use your information?
I use your information to:
Arrange and provide psychotherapy sessions.
Contact you about appointments and relevant updates.
Maintain secure records for my professional practice.
Meet my legal, ethical, and contractual obligations.
When might I share your information?
I treat your information as confidential and do not share it except in the following situations:
With your consent: For example, if you ask me to liaise with another healthcare professional.
Clinical supervision: As part of my professional practice, I regularly discuss my work with a qualified clinical supervisor. This is a standard requirement to ensure safe and effective therapy. Any material shared is anonymised wherever possible and my supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.
Risk of harm: If I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, I may need to share information with appropriate services.
Legal duty: If I am required by law or my professional body’s codes of practice.
Professional Executor: In the event of my incapacity, a trusted professional colleague may access your contact details to inform you and discuss next steps.
How do I keep your information secure?
I store paper notes securely in a locked filing cabinet. Digital information is kept on password-protected devices or secure cloud services.
Please remember that no system is entirely secure - while I take all reasonable precautions, I cannot guarantee the security of data sent by email.
Your personal details are kept separate from session notes. In line with my insurance requirements, I keep client records for 7 years after therapy ends. After this, they are securely destroyed.
If I cease practising, my records will be securely destroyed within three years.
Your rights: Access and correction
You have the right to:
Request a copy of the information I hold about you.
Ask me to correct or update any inaccurate information.
Withdraw your consent at any time (though if you do this while receiving therapy, we may have to end sessions).
To do so, please contact me using the details below.
Stephanie.goldsmith1234@outlook.com.
Changes to this policy
I may update this policy occasionally. Any significant changes will be posted clearly on my website.
How to contact me
If you have any questions about this policy or the information I hold about you, please contact me: