CONFIDENTIALITY

Vivienne Cracknell Counselling takes your privacy very seriously. In line with the government General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) I have set out clearly below what information it is necessary to hold, how it will be stored, who it might be shared with and limits to our confidentiality. I require your consent to be able to comply with GDPR standards. 

Information that we hold and how we store it 

Contact details 
You are required to provide your name, age, address, preferred contact details, GP details and permission to contact your GP should it become necessary. This sheet is signed by you and is then stored within a locked filing cabinet. These details are destroyed six years after therapy is completed.

Assessment forms
Your initial assessment form will be kept securely from your contact details and will be destroyed six year after therapy is completed. 

Notes
I will be taking notes after our sessions. This will enable me to keep factual information, reflections and thoughts on how therapy is progressing. These notes are kept securely, and will be destroyed six years after the end of therapy. Your notes are confidential, and can only be disclosed if legally required by a judge or coroner (with a court order).

Contact 
Communication with my clients will be by mobile telephone.  For identification reasons I will store your number with your first name. Email correspondence is provided through dedicated email addresses and all reasonable precautions are taken to preserve confidentiality. However, as technology is constantly changing, emails are sent at your own risk and we suggest should not include sensitive information.

Who might my information be shared with?
It is of paramount importance that you feel able to share anything that you’d like to within therapy. To adhere to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s Ethical framework for good practice I am required to attend supervision sessions where I may discuss some client issues. 

Limits to confidentiality
I may consider sharing information with a further professional body should I consider that there is a serious risk of harm to you or to others. As your therapist I would endeavour to act in your best interests and, unless there is a good reason not to do so, I will discuss any potential disclosures with you prior to the act. Extremely rare exceptions to this involve terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering which will be reported directly to the police.