Privacy Policy for Counsellors and Counselling (Helen Springer)

I am a BACP registered Counsellor specialising in relationship and individual counselling, working in my own private practice.

Counselling is a confidential process and we do not reveal your personal data or the content of your sessions to a third party without your express permission. The only exceptions to this would be if you disclosed a threat to your life or the life of someone else.

The privacy and security of your personal data is important in this policy I explain how the personal information retained about you is stored and used, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

Without your personal data, counselling will not be possible so I need your consent to hold this information. Giving me your contact details when asking for counselling means you have agreed to my holding personal information about you.

Information held about you

1. Your initial contact by email and any subsequent exchange of email is the only information held on the computer.
2. Information taken and recorded on paper: name, address and telephone number. Age and occupation. Marital status and age and gender of children under 18 years old.
3. Notes and diagrams made during or after each session are kept on paper and never transferred to the computer. Subsequently after your counselling is concluded the paperwork is destroyed.
4. Payment by cheque or on-line will appear on my bank statement.

In order to maintain professional standards, it is a requirement of the BACP that I have monthly supervision, during which I may discuss your anonymised information with my supervisor.

If I am incapacitated and therefore unable to continue counselling, your contact details will passed onto my supervisor so that you can be contacted and advised of the situation.

How is it collected?

Via your website enquiry, and any subsequent emails, telephone/text messages, your initial consultation and your ongoing sessions. I cannot guarantee the safety of any information sent to me via email or text, so please be aware of this when sending any personal information.

Financial details will appear on my bank statement should you make payment by cheque/online banking.

Security and Storage

The hand written notes of the information you share during each session are stored and will not be transferred onto computer.

The only information stored on computer will be emails exchanged between us. Your details will not be sent to third parties or used for any other purposes.

You have the right to ask to see any information held about you and have a copy of it. You also have the right to ask for information that you believe to be incorrect to be rectified.

If you are concerned about the way that your information is being held, please discuss this with me. You are also within your rights to make a formal complaint to the information commission’s office (ICO)