Karen Spooner Counselling and Psychotherapy Your privacy is important. When you contact Karen Spooner Counselling and Psychotherapy, any personal information you share will be treated with care, respect and confidentiality. This privacy notice explains how your personal information is collected, used and stored in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. ________________________________________ Who I Am Karen Spooner Counselling and Psychotherapy provides counselling and psychotherapy services for adults, children and young people. Counselling is offered in person in Hayle and Camborne, Cornwall, as well as online and telephone sessions across the UK. For the purposes of data protection law, Karen Spooner is the Data Controller responsible for how your personal data is handled. Contact: Karen Spooner Karen Spooner Counselling and Psychotherapy Email: ________________________________________ What Information May Be Collected When you make an enquiry or begin counselling, some personal information will be collected. This may include: Basic personal information •Name •Email address •Telephone number •Emergency contact details (for ongoing clients) Administrative information •Appointment information •Correspondence relating to counselling sessions •Payment information where relevant Counselling information During counselling sessions, information relating to your wellbeing or life circumstances may be discussed. Brief notes may be recorded following sessions to support the therapeutic process. This information may include sensitive information relating to mental health or personal experiences. Under UK GDPR, this type of information is known as special category data and is given additional protection. ________________________________________ Why Your Information Is Collected Your personal information is collected in order to: •respond to enquiries •arrange and manage counselling appointments •provide safe and appropriate counselling support •maintain professional records •meet legal, ethical and insurance requirements Information will only be collected where it is relevant and necessary. ________________________________________ Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data Under UK GDPR, personal information must have a lawful basis for being processed. The lawful bases used in counselling practice may include: Contract When counselling sessions are arranged or delivered. Legitimate interests For the safe and effective running of the counselling practice. Legal obligations Where records must be retained for legal, tax or insurance purposes. For sensitive counselling information (special category data), processing is necessary for the provision of health and therapeutic support. ________________________________________ Waiting List and Enquiry Information If you contact the practice or join a waiting list before beginning counselling, only minimal information will be collected in order to respond to your enquiry. If counselling does not proceed, your information will usually be deleted within three months. ________________________________________ Counselling Records Brief notes may be kept following counselling sessions. These notes are intended to support the therapeutic process and maintain professional standards. Where possible, notes will be kept in a way that reduces identifiable information. All records are stored securely and confidentially. ________________________________________ Confidentiality Confidentiality is an essential part of counselling. Information shared within counselling sessions will not normally be shared with anyone else. However, there may be rare circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken if there is serious concern about: •risk of harm to yourself •risk of harm to others •safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult •legal requirements (such as court orders) Where possible, this would usually be discussed with you first. ________________________________________ Professional Supervision Counsellors work under regular professional supervision to ensure safe and ethical practice. In supervision, aspects of the work may be discussed. This is done in a way that protects client identity wherever possible. Supervisors are also bound by professional confidentiality. ________________________________________ How Your Information Is Stored Your information is stored securely using password-protected devices and secure systems. Reasonable steps are taken to ensure that personal information is protected from loss, misuse or unauthorised access. Only information necessary for providing counselling services is retained. ________________________________________ Online and Telephone Counselling Where counselling is delivered online or by telephone, reasonable steps are taken to use secure communication platforms. While efforts are made to maintain privacy, it is important that clients also ensure they are accessing sessions from a private and secure environment where possible. ________________________________________ How Long Records Are Kept In line with professional recommendations, counselling records are usually kept for: •7 years after counselling ends For clients who were under 18 at the time of counselling, records may be retained until: •7 years after the client’s 18th birthday After this time, records are securely destroyed. ________________________________________ Your Rights Under UK data protection law, you have the right to: •request access to the personal information held about you •request correction of inaccurate information •request that your information be deleted •restrict or object to certain types of processing •withdraw consent where applicable Requests can be made by contacting the practice directly. ________________________________________ Complaints If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, you are encouraged to contact Karen Spooner Counselling and Psychotherapy in the first instance. You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK data protection regulator: Information Commissioner's Office Website: https://ico.org.uk ________________________________________ Updates to This Privacy Notice This privacy notice may be updated occasionally to reflect changes in practice or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available on the website. Date: 14th March 2025.