PRIVACY POLICY

Overview and Cookies

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Last updated 27th January 2025

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This privacy policy outlines how I collect, use, and protect your personal information.

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I may process the following categories of personal data about you:

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• Communication data such as details in the contact form on my website or through email. I process this data for the purposes of communicating with you, for record keeping and for the establishment of any legal claims.

• Personal information such as your name and contact information.

• Sensitive personal information such as the details in your contact form.

• User data such as how you use this website.

• Automatically collected information such as your IP address and cookies to enable me to improve the performance and functionality of the website.

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I use your information for correspondence such as responding to enquiries, scheduling an initial consultation, and, if you have consented, marketing purposes only. If you choose to work with me following our initial free consultation, your information will be stored using the secure, encrypted and password protected practice management platform, Kiku (wearekiku.com).

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I do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties. Your information may be disclosed only in the following circumstances:

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a. Legal Compliance:

• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes.

b. Consent:

• With your explicit consent for specific purposes.

c. Cookies:

• I use cookies to enhance your experience on this website. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but it may affect the functionality of the site.​

 

By using our website, you consent to the terms of this privacy policy.

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Privacy Policy

 

I understand how important your privacy is. I take care to maintain your confidentiality in accordance with current data protection laws (GDPR, 2018) and the ethical guidelines of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. These guidelines have been set up to protect your confidential material and ensure that the therapist always conducts themselves with professionalism and integrity.

 

In order to provide you with the best service possible, I will hold your personal contact details and records of your therapy sessions. You can of course refuse to provide this information, but if you were to do that I would be unable to provide therapy. Please find below important information about how this information will be held and used.

 

Your personal information

 

I use a secure, encrypted and password protected practice management platform Kiku to collect and store your personal data. At the point of booking your initial consultation or first session with me, you will be asked for your personal contact information, for example your name, address, email address and telephone number and you may also choose to share details of the issues you are looking for help with. Your contact information is stored securely in Kiku and can only be accessed by me.

 

In order to be able to fulfil my duty of care to you, in your initial consultation or first session, I will ask you for contact information for your GP and elected emergency contact person. These details will be stored securely and will only be accessible to me. This personal information will be held for the duration of your therapy after which it will be deleted from my database.

 

Please note that I will need to keep a record of your name and client reference number for seven years after the end of your therapy, so that I can respond effectively to any potential requests regarding your clinical notes and treatment.

 

I will never pass on your contact details to any third party organisations for the purposes of sales, marketing or research and will never use your personal data for any purposes other than the administration of the counselling service I am providing to you i.e. to arrange, cancel and rearrange appointments and collect payment for sessions.

 

Intake Sheet

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During our initial sessions, I will complete an intake sheet with you to gather information about your current situation, reasons for counselling, family, health issues, medication, any risks or concerns and what your aims are in counselling. I require this information to get a picture of your current support and any factors that can impact on your wellbeing.

 

Online Bookings

 

When you make an online booking or payment, Kiku will send a booking notification to your therapist via email and the Kiku messaging system. 

 

Anonymised payment details are recorded in my financial income reports. These reports will only hold your first name, last name initial and unique client reference number. The HMRC requires that I retain this information for 5 years after the end of the financial year. You can view Kiku’s privacy policy here.

 

Your payment details

 

All payments made through my website www.counsellingwithjosh.com are made through the secure Stripe Connect server. My website therefore does not hold your payment information. 

Your therapy sessions

 

What we discuss in the counselling session is kept in the strictest confidence. However, there are some limitations to this. As a registered member of the BACP, I am required to have regular supervision and I will sometimes need to discuss our work with my supervisor. This is to ensure that I am offering you the best service possible. These conversations are bound by confidentiality and you will only be referred to by your first name.

 

If there is evidence that you intend to harm yourself imminently, or if a minor (under 18 years old) is at risk of serious harm, or if another vulnerable person is at risk of harm, I have a legal obligation to share details with any relevant agencies. If it is a matter of your safety and wellbeing, we will aim to discuss your support options together. If any specific support needs are highlighted and I am unable to meet these within the boundaries of our therapeutic contract, I will support you by offering contact details for other support agencies, such as the GP, mental health support teams, or other therapeutic/support options.

 

I am also required by law to report engagement in activity such as terrorism, money laundering and drug trafficking. I am also required to share information if instructed to do so by a Court of Law. Whenever there is a need to break confidentiality, I will always endeavour to speak to you about this first, but this may not always be possible.

 

I will ensure that sessions are conducted in a confidential setting and that we use video calling software that offers end to end encryption to further protect your privacy. Depending on if we choose to use Zoom, Google Meet or Whatsapp, here is their GDPR compliance/privacy notices for your information:

 

Zoom - https://zoom.us/gdpr

Google Meet - https://support.google.com/meet/answer/9852160?hl=en

WhatsApp - https://www.whatsapp.com/privacy

 

Please read to ensure you are aware of any limitations to these services. Please note that I cannot be held responsible for any breaches caused by failures in this technology.

 

Brief notes are kept for each session. These are anonymised and are stored securely in a password protected file within a system called Kiku. In line with industry standards, these notes must be kept securely for up to 7 years after your therapy comes to an end, after which they will be confidentially destroyed. 

 

All confidential information is held in accordance with the GDPR, 2018 using a secure and encrypted system called Kiku (please see their Privacy Policy for more information at https://www.wearekiku.com/privacy-notices). I reserve the right to change the note storage system from Kiku to another encrypted GDPR, 2018 compliant system at any time without notice.

If your sessions are paid for or arranged via a third party, (e.g. your employer, a friend, or a family member), other than payment requests, invoices or receipts your counselling information will not be shared. Details about what is discussed in your sessions will remain confidential between us. Any other information can only be shared if you provide your written consent.

 

Your communication with me

 

My email accounts use the secure Google Workspace server and are password protected. If you send an email to my email address, only I will have access to it. All phones, tablets and laptops used to respond to your emails are password protected.

 

Data Usage

 

I will only use your email address and telephone number to contact you about your appointments. I may also contact you directly via email in order to share information with you that is pertinent to your therapeutic process.

 

Your phone number may also be used to issue appointment reminders via text message. You can opt in or out of text updates using your free Kiku account.

 

Your rights

 

Any personal data retained by me is kept in accordance with the GDPR, 2018.

Under these guidelines you have the following rights:

 

1. The right to request access to your data

You can request to view the information that I hold about you (contact details, appointment logs etc.) at any time. If during therapy you would like to see your session notes, please let me know. Please expect 48 hours for an initial response to this request. Should you require a copy of your notes after your therapy has come to an end you can make this request by emailing counsellingwithjosh@gmail.com.

 

1. The right of rectification

At any point during your time using my service or during the seven years thereafter, while I retain your records, you have the right to request amendments to your contact details or session notes. This right can be exercised either by speaking directly to me or by contacting me in writing.

 

1. The right to be forgotten

You can request that I delete and confidentially destroy the information that I hold about you and your sessions at any time. This request can be made by contacting me counsellingwithjosh@gmail.com.

 

Instances where I would not be able to comply with your request are as follows:

a) It is necessary for me to retain these records in order to continue providing an effective service.

b) I am compelled to retain these records by a Court of Law.

c) I require these records in order to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

 

Consent

 

When you book your first session with me via Kiku, you will be asked to provide a digital signature to confirm that you consent to the storage and processing of your personal data for the purposes of providing therapeutic services.

 

You are entitled to withdraw this consent at any time and can do so by emailing me at counsellingwithjosh@gmail.com.

 

Breaches of data protection

 

In the event of any breach of my data protection policies, I will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours and will seek to rectify this immediately.

 

Raising concerns

 

Should you have any concerns about my data protection practices, you can raise these directly with me. You can also notify the Information Commissioner’s Office. I am registered with the ICO under the reference number ZB825283.