I do not use your information for marketing, I do not sell it, and I do not make automated decisions about you. 
 

Confidentiality and sharing 

What you tell me stays between us, with a small number of exceptions. I will always try to talk to you first before sharing anything, unless doing so would put you or someone else at greater risk. 
 

Supervision. Like all BACP members, I discuss my work with a clinical supervisor. I do not use your full name or details that would identify you, and my supervisor is bound by the same duty of confidentiality. 
 

Safety. If I believe you or someone else is at serious risk of harm, I may need to contact your GP, an emergency contact, emergency services or another appropriate service. 
 

Safeguarding. If I have concerns about the safety of a child or an adult at risk, I may need to share them with the relevant safeguarding service. 
 

The law. I must share information if the law requires it, for example under a court order or where information relates to terrorism. 

At your request. With your agreement, I can write to or speak with other people involved in your care, such as a GP, school or assessor. 

If I am suddenly unable to work. I have a clinical will. If I die or become too ill to work, a trusted colleague, who is also a therapist, will use an up-to-date list of current clients to let you know, and will make sure my records are kept safely and destroyed at the right time. 
 

People who help me run the practice. A few companies and professionals handle some information for me: 

• Google, which provides my email and calendar (Gmail and Google Calendar) 

• Microsoft, which provides Outlook, the program I use to read my email and keep a second calendar, and Teams for online sessions 

• Zoom, for online sessions 

• Apple (FaceTime) and WhatsApp, if you would rather use them for a video session or for messages 

• Wix, which hosts this website and its contact form 

• If a colleague referred you to me: she and I share a calendar showing your name and appointment times, and she takes payment for your sessions. She is a therapist bound by the same duty of confidentiality, and she sees nothing else about our work 

• Mettle, my business bank (part of NatWest), which shows your name and what you paid when you pay by bank transfer 

• Xero, my accounting software, which holds payment records showing your name and what you paid 

• My accountant, who sees bank statements and payment records. These show your name and what you paid, but nothing about our sessions 

• My insurer and the BACP, only if there is a claim or complaint 

 

Some of these companies store information outside the UK, for example in the EU or the United States. Where they do, they rely on safeguards recognised under UK data protection law. 
 

Children and young people 

I work with children and young people from the age of 7. For anyone under 16, I ask a parent or guardian for written consent before we start, unless the young person is able to understand and agree to therapy for themselves. 
 

Children and young people need to know that what they say is private, just as adults do. I do not share the detail of sessions with parents. With the young person’s agreement I share general themes and progress, and I will always tell a parent or guardian if I am worried about their child’s safety. 
 

A young person who is able to understand their data protection rights can use them for themselves. Otherwise a parent or guardian can act on their behalf. 
 

How I keep your information safe 

• I keep brief session notes on paper only, never on a computer. They are kept in a locked cabinet inside a locked office. 

• Letters, reports and signed forms that are sent or returned to me electronically are saved only on my password-protected computer, not in online storage. 

• I sometimes write short reflective notes to help me think about my work. They use only your initials and nothing else that identifies you, and I shred them within 4 weeks. 

• My phone, laptop and email are protected by passwords, and my email also needs a second code to sign in (two-step verification). 

• Online sessions take place on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or on FaceTime or WhatsApp video if you prefer. I do not make audio or video recordings of sessions. 

• I never put client names, session notes or anything that could identify you into AI tools. I sometimes use AI to help with general wording, for example for templates, letters and handouts, and everything I send is written and checked by me. 

• Email, text and WhatsApp messages are not completely secure. I keep messages about appointments brief, and I suggest you keep sensitive details for our sessions. 

• If something went wrong and your information was at risk, I would tell you promptly, and report it to the ICO where the law requires. 
   

How long I keep your information 

I keep client records for 7 years after our last session, because my professional insurer requires it. After the periods below, paper records are shredded and electronic records are permanently deleted.