Counselling Policies
Confidentiality
All sessions are confidential and your privacy is respected. There are rare exceptions where I may need to break confidentiality. For example, if there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others, concerns about the safety of a child or vulnerable adult, if required by law (such as in relation to terrorism, money laundering, or a court order), or where disclosure is otherwise legally necessary.
Data Protection & GDPR
As a registered data controller, I handle your personal data in line with the UK GDPR and ICO regulations. I store only minimal information, securely and confidentially, and only what is necessary for our work together.
You have the right to access, amend, or request deletion of your personal data, in line with data protection legislation.
I may store your contact details on my mobile phone, which is protected by password and encryption, in order to communicate with you about sessions. Your contact details are not used for any other purpose and are deleted when no longer required.
Email communication is encrypted and handled in line with UK GDPR standards; however, clients are advised not to share highly sensitive personal information via email, as no electronic communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
You can read my full Privacy Notice here, which outlines in more detail how your data is collected, stored, and retained.
Session Notes & Record-Keeping
I keep brief anonymised notes to support the therapeutic process. These are securely stored and retained for up to 7 years in accordance with professional and legal requirements. You can request access to your notes at any time.
Cancellations & Missed Sessions
Please give at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule a session. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice may incur a full session fee. Consistent missed appointments may result in us reviewing whether the work can continue.
Payments
For online sessions, payment is taken in advance via the booking system. For in-person sessions, you may pay in advance or in cash at the appointment. If paying in person, please have the payment ready at the start of the session.
Communication
Outside of sessions, communication is limited to practical matters like scheduling. I do not offer counselling via text or email. In case of crisis or emergency, please contact your GP or relevant emergency services.
To support your confidentiality, I use an encrypted email service for all counselling-related communication. You can contact me securely at:
Please allow up to 2 working days for a reply.
Working Ethically
I am a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and work in accordance with its ethical framework. I receive regular supervision to ensure safe, ethical practice in all my work.
Ending Therapy
You can end therapy at any time. Ideally, we agree on an ending together, allowing space to reflect and process. I will not end therapy without discussion, except in rare circumstances where continuation is no longer appropriate or ethical.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with any aspect of our work together, I encourage you to raise this with me directly so we can address it in a respectful and constructive way.
If you feel unable to resolve the issue with me, you have the right to escalate the complaint to the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
More information on how to do this can be found at here