Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy -Your privacy is very important to me. 

I, CHRISTINE ABBOTT as a sole trader, am the Data Controller and adhere to current General Data Protection Legislation (EU/2016/679), the GDPR, The Data Protection Act 2018 and the privacy and Electronic Communications EC Directive) Regulations 2003. I am registered with the ICO.

As required under GDPR, this page sets out my privacy policy, which respects your privacy totally. You can be confident that I will be committed to protecting you fully as a perspective client / client. 

Please read through the Privacy Policy carefully. If you click to agree and accept the terms and conditions, it means you will agree and abide by them. My policy describes and explains how I look after your privacy and your rights. All personal information you give me will be treated safely and securely and confidentially.

How information is collected.

As outlined by the ICO, by law I am only allowed to collect personal information from you, such as from our conversations, signed consents and agreements, assessments, letters, emails, texts and via the phone/mobile,such as your name, address, age, marital status, job, interests, reasons for counselling, and payment, to fulfil my counselling agreement with you. This will be collected before and during the sessions and after the counselling has completed. This information is stored separately from any notes taken in session. 

The COUNSELLING CONTRACT is a legal document which is written and agreed between us making your and my rights clear. It includes the professional agreement we make to create a safe and clearly defined experience for you, information on the session duration, mutual respect, attendance, payment and ensures everything is crystal clear for therapy to go ahead. It can be readdressed and changed at any time with both parties in agreement. Your identity remains completely anonymous.

Third parties may also hold information gathered through interactions such as via the phone, internet, SMS, information derived from the use of cookies on my website, using WhatsApp, face book, Instagram, Google.My email account, mobile phone and iPad/laptop are all password protected and have anti-virus software.

A professional and ethical service that complies with the GDPR is provided for all client’s no matter where a client is on their journey. 

All administrative information and notes may be requested for any legal reasons, court of law, and could be required re safety of all parties concerned. For security your notes are anonymised, stored separately from your contractual notes to protect your identity. For security reasons I do not retain any texts or emails for more than two weeks, however any relevant information will be added to the appropriate place of storage. All storage is safe and secured and locked cabinet with only my access to it. Everything is password protected. All client records will be kept for seven years and then destroyed from the date of the last session. You have every right to ask for your information to be deleted 

Should you request for any personal information I may hold about you, please pop this in writing or on an email and I will respond within 48 hours (providing I am not on holiday, absent from work for whatever reason)

Sharing of information. I will not share your information with any third parties unless you have given me consent to do so. In terms of sharing information, third parties include:

*statutory bodies when required by law or instruction of a court of law

*to avoid significant harm to you, me, or others

*my ethical membership body, insurers, professional advisors, and Lawyers should you make a complaint against me.

* In the case of my death or incapacity, my professional executor will be the only person to gain access to information.

I have a duty to always keep you safe and maintain to confidentiality. This is only broken if I feel the client poses an imminent danger to themselves or others, ie safe guarding issues, abuse. Money laundering, acts of terrorism, drum trafficking. 

Anonymised information is shared with my clinical supervisor, peer support group only, to ensure I work ethically and effectively with your best interests at heart.

ALL digital information will be erased when the contract has ended.

All paperwork will be stored carefully, anonymously, and safely in a locked cabinet for 3 years and then destroyed. 

Your Rights. You have every right to see or request any information I have on you at any time. Circumstances whereby I may share information on you will be WITH YOUR PERMISSION, would be for instance, with your GP or if there were any legal requirements. 

Information regarding financial transactions made to CHRISTINE ABBOTT via bank transfer are recorded in the form of bank statements 

My accountant works under the strictest of confidentiality 

In terms of marketing, I will never use your information.

Should you have any concerns about the way I use or process your information, I am happy for you to talk through any questions you may have abut data protection policy, and if still concerned you can contact The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) on 030312311

The Privacy Policy is reviewed regularly       Last updated: November 2022