This page describes the information I collect from you, how I store it, what I use it for and with whom I share it.  It also describes your rights regarding the information. This is in response to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force in May 2018. I also adhere to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

I am the data controller for my counselling and psychotherapy practice and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), number ZA099329.

I will update this privacy notice as needed and inform you when changes are made. This notice was last updated on: 16^th February 2020.

The types of personal data I collect whilst working with you are:

• Contact information – your name, address, date of birth, email address, phone number
• Emergency contact information – usually GP details
• Membership information and authorisation (if you are referred via private health insurance)
• Organisation or Institute information (if you are referred via a company or educational institution)
• Background information about your life and your experiences as part of initial assessment

I collect this data during our initial contact by email or telephone and in our first session together.

I use this data to enable and maintain contact with you during our work together and to record some aspects of our work.

Security of your personal data:

Information I collect about you is kept securely in a lockable filing cabinet.  The information I collect is hand-written and only stored in the filing cabinet. I retain this information for the duration of our work together and for a period of time thereafter. 

Records of contact between us:

If you choose to contact me by mobile phone (text or calling) then I will keep your name and number in my contacts on my smart phone for the duration of our work together. At the end of our work I will delete your name and number from my phone. Likewise contact by email will be stored in my smart phone and on my computer. This information is stored in the Cloud for download if my phone or computer is lost or stolen.  Because these devices and applications are not secure, I recommend emails and messages between us are limited to the exchange of information regarding session times and dates, lateness, cancellation, invoicing and other general queries and do not include personal information regarding our work together.

I keep some hand-written notes to summarise sessions that we have, as a means of monitoring the therapy process. These notes are kept separately from your contact details to maintain privacy and are also kept in the lockable filing cabinet. I use legitimate interests to justify retention of these notes for three years after the end of therapy, in case you should return to therapy or for any other purpose.  If notes are requested by a third party (such as the police or a solicitor) I supply them only after receiving your written consent and after you have had a copy of the material to be disclosed.

I keep a paper diary for appointments which will have your name recorded for sessions booked.

My website https://hattieberger.com is a WordPress site and uses data analytics and cookies. I do not collect any information about traffic to my website, nor share any data from my website or any of the other sources of information with third parties. I do not have a presence on social media platforms.

Your rights:

You have the right to request to see any information held by me about you. Please ask in writing (hattieberger@mac.com)  and I will provide you with the information requested within four weeks. You also have the right to ask me to rectify, change or delete any information held about you that you don’t feel to be correct or no longer wish me to have.

Additionally, you can ask me to securely destroy any information I hold about you at any point during or after our work together.  I will ensure this is carried out within four weeks of the request. For more information on your rights see https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters.

If I become aware that information about you has been accidentally or maliciously obtained by a third party, I will notify you within two working days.

If you have any concerns about the way your information is being held by me, or any aspect of data privacy please discuss with me. If you are still unhappy you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/