Confidentiality Policy
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is one of the most important parts of the counselling relationship. It helps to create a safe, trusting and respectful space where you can talk openly about your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Information you share with me during our work together will normally be treated as confidential, subject to the limits of confidentiality explained below. This includes your personal details, such as your name, address, telephone number and email address, as well as anything you choose to discuss during our sessions.
I may make brief confidential notes after each session to support my work with you and to ensure continuity of care, particularly if we are working together over a longer period. These notes are kept securely in accordance with UK data protection law and my professional responsibilities.
Professional Supervision
As part of my professional practice, I attend regular clinical supervision. Supervision is a professional requirement for counsellors and helps ensure that I am working safely, ethically and in your best interests.
During supervision, I may discuss relevant aspects of our work together. Wherever possible, I will avoid sharing information that could identify you. My supervisor is also bound by professional standards of confidentiality.
Limits of Confidentiality
In most circumstances, what you share with me will remain confidential. However, there are some situations where I may need to share information with an appropriate person or organisation. Wherever possible, I will aim to discuss this with you first, unless doing so would increase the risk of harm.
Confidentiality may need to be broken if:
I believe there is a serious risk of significant harm to you.
I believe there is a serious risk of harm to another person.
I have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child or an adult at risk and need to follow safeguarding procedures.
I am required to do so by a court of law or another legal obligation.
Where information does need to be shared, I will make the decision carefully and ethically, and will only share information that is relevant and necessary for the particular circumstances.
Practical Considerations
While I will always take reasonable steps to protect your confidentiality, there are some practical situations that are outside of my control. For example:
You may be seen by someone you know when arriving at or leaving a counselling session.
During walk-and-talk sessions, we may be seen by members of the public, someone you know, or someone who knows me.
If you choose to discuss your counselling in a public place, other people may overhear your conversation.
I will always do my best to protect your privacy and will discuss any practical arrangements with you if needed.
If you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality at any stage of our work together, please feel free to discuss them with me. I believe it is important that you understand how your information is protected and feel confident in the counselling relationship.
Privacy Notice
I take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously and handle it in accordance with applicable data protection law.
What Information I Collect
I may collect personal information that is necessary to provide counselling safely and effectively. This may include:
Your name and contact details
Emergency contact information
Information provided during an initial assessment
Information you choose to share as part of your counselling sessions.
I may also keep brief notes relating to our sessions where this is necessary to support my professional work and provide continuity of care.
How I Use Your Information
I use your personal information to:
Provide and manage your counselling sessions
Communicate with you about appointments and practical arrangements
Maintain appropriate professional records
Support safe and ethical counselling practice
Meet any legal, safeguarding or professional obligations that apply to me.
I will only use your information for appropriate and legitimate purposes connected with providing my counselling service, unless I have a legal obligation or another lawful basis for doing so.
Confidentiality and Sharing Information
Your personal information is treated as confidential. I will not normally share your information with other people or organisations without your knowledge.
There may be circumstances where information needs to be shared, for example where there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person, safeguarding concerns in general, or where I am legally required to disclose information.
Where appropriate and safe to do so, I will aim to discuss this with you before information is shared. Please refer to my Confidentiality Policy above for further information about the limits of confidentiality.
As part of my professional practice, I attend clinical supervision. Relevant aspects of my work may be discussed with my supervisor to support safe and ethical practice. Wherever possible, identifying information will be avoided.
How I Keep Your Information Secure
I take appropriate steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, and to limit access to those who need it for legitimate professional purposes.
How Long I Keep Your Information
I retain personal information and counselling records only for as long as necessary and in accordance with relevant legal, professional and insurance requirements.
This would be for a period of ?
When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or destroyed.
Your Rights
You have rights in relation to the personal information I hold about you. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:
Request access to the personal information I hold about you
Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
Ask for your information to be deleted where applicable
Object to or ask for restrictions on certain processing
Raise a concern about how your personal information is being handled.
Some of these rights are subject to legal requirements and exemptions, so they may not apply in every circumstance.
If you would like to exercise any of your rights or have questions about how I use your personal information, please contact me using the contact details provided on my website or counselling agreement.
Complaints
If you have concerns about the way I handle your personal information, I would encourage you to contact me first so that I can try to resolve your concerns.
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.
Changes to This Privacy Notice
I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, legal requirements or the way I handle personal information. The most recent version will be made available on my website.
Angela Husband
Healing Path Counselling
email: hello@healingpathcornwall.co.uk