SNL Counselling is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number ZB624050. We take the privacy of your information very seriously and this privacy notice is designed to tell you about our practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal data which may be obtained via the website or other means including online forms, email, text messages or telephone. This notice applies to personal data provided by clients and potential clients from the initial point of contact through to therapy conclusion. In this notice “you” refers to any individual whose personal data that is held or processed by SNL Counselling. Any personal data and information held will only be used for the purpose it was given to SNL Counselling.

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SNL Counselling does not process personal data on a large scale, but will hold and process personal data in order to supply services and this privacy notice explains how this is carried out. SNL Counselling adheres to current data protection legislation, including GDPR (2018), The Data Protection Act 2018 and The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. SNL Counselling also adheres to the ethical guidelines regarding protecting client privacy and confidentiality set by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

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Your information and how that is used:

When you make an enquiry to SNL Counselling you will be asked for contact details and other relevant personal information so that your enquiry can be processed and to set up an initial appointment. Processing your data in this way is necessary for the performance of the contract. Throughout the course of our sessions ‘personal data’ such as age, gender, occupation or ‘special category data’ such as race, religion and sexual orientation may also be collected.

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After termination our of sessions ‘legitimate interest’ is used as the basis to hold your personal information. Upon termination of counselling, all data in relation to a client’s counselling is stored securely for two years. After this period data is destroyed in a confidential manner.

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As I will mention in the counselling agreement with you I may discuss elements of our sessions with my clinical supervisor in order that I can provide the best possible service. During these discussions I do not disclose any details that may identify you to my supervisor, your name is always anonymised. My clinical supervisor is bound by the same GDPR protocols.

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There are some exceptions to confidentiality, SNL Counselling is duty bound to pass on any information to the relevant authorities in certain situations. Ethical and legal requirements to share your information are listed below.

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If you threaten to harm yourself or another person

If we believe someone to be at risk of harm or abuse

If you share information about a proposed act of terrorism or other illegal act

If we receive a Court Order or request from a Coroner for the release of client notes.

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If SNL Counselling feels that it is in your best interest to break confidentiality, we will always try to discuss this with you prior to disclosing any information. We will not share your details with any other person or organization outside of the information given above without your consent.

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Clinical Wills: In the event of sudden illness, incapacitation, or the unexpected death of myself, I have appointed a Therapeutic Executor. They will take care of contacting you in such events. My executor is a qualified therapist who adheres to the same ethical framework and confidentiality as myself. They will only access your contact details in an emergency and discuss with you appropriate onward arrangements.

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Information held securely: SNL Counselling takes your privacy very seriously, we will take all reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse, or alteration of any information you give. To ensure that your information is held securely your personal data will be stored on an encrypted hard drive and password protected.

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During our work together I will record brief, factual notes about what has been discussed during your session. Any notes recorded will not include any personally identifiable information. These notes will be handwritten and filed securely in a separate locked filing system.

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Emails will not be sent in an encrypted form unless you require it and give SNL Counselling permission to communicate with you in that way. Email, unless encrypted, is not a fully secure means of communication. Whilst we endeavour to keep our systems and communications protected against viruses and other harmful effects, SNL Counselling cannot bear responsibility for all communications being virus free.

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Your rights:  If you would like to see the information SNL Counselling holds about you, or would like to correct, update or delete any records, please email sharonlistens@gmail.com If you don’t want your records to be held for the two year period stated above, you can make a request in writing to sharonlistens@gmail.com, and I can then delete/destroy the data that we have.

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Data storage and Web Cookies

The SNL Counselling website is hosted by Wix.com. Your data may be stored through Wix’s databases, applications and data storage. The data collected is stored securely on firewall protected servers. Cookies are used to monitor and analyse the performance and effectiveness of Wix’s platform, ensure the platform is safe and secure and that the website experience is of a high standard. I may use software tools to measure information including page response times, length of visits to certain pages and page interaction.

 

When you contact me via my website, I will use the personal information you provide so that I can respond to your query. Your personal information will only be used for the specific reasons stated above. Once I have responded to your query, I will delete your data unless you become a client. At which point your details will be kept in a secure record system.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this privacy notice or your personal data you can contact sharonlistens@gmail.com. Alternatively you can read more about your rights at ico.org.uk/your-data-matters.