Confidentiality is the foundation of counselling and psychotherapy, and is essential for building a solid therapeutic relationship and ensuring a sense of safety. All information you share will remain confidential unless we both agree to discuss something with a third party. However, there are some limits to this confidentiality, and if needed, I would consult you wherever possible before taking any action.
Psychotherapists and counsellors regularly present their work in clinical supervision to monitor and improve the clinical work undertaken. This supervision is conducted on a confidential basis, using only the client’s first name.
Sometimes, it may be necessary for the therapist to contact the client’s GP or another professional involved. This would usually be done with the client's permission and discussed in the session beforehand. However, if I believe there is a risk to the safety of you or another person, I may contact external services without prior consent. In such cases, only relevant details will be shared, such as start date, duration, and the broad outcome of the work.
There are legal limits to confidentiality regarding the disclosure of committing or intending to commit criminal offences, such as under the Prevention of Terrorism, Drug Trafficking Acts, and Child Protection Acts.
In a court of law, a therapist may be required to answer questions about a client.
All records are held electronically and securely in accordance with professional recommendations. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) and the General Data Protection Regulations (2018) for the information I hold about you. Your consent, given by signing a psychotherapy contract at the start of our therapy, is the legal basis for storing your information.
I store your name, address, contact details, medical history, your doctor’s names and contact details, and any other relevant medical notes. I make brief therapeutic notes on the content of our sessions and these notes are kept in an anonymised form and do not identify you personally.
You have rights regarding your personal information, and these are outlined on this website.
As part of my practice, I am fully insured for professional liability with Holistic Insurance, a specialist provider of insurance for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
As a member of the NCPS, I strictly adhere to their code of ethics and professional practice. Copies of these are available upon request.