Privacy Policy
(GDPR)
Your Privacy Matters
Counselling should make you feel heard, understood, and respected. We believe that respect includes protecting your privacy — because it’s hard to open up when you’re unsure who’s listening. Here, what you share stays between us.
To truly process your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, you need to trust that everything you say is treated as sacred and kept confidential, along with any personal information you provide.
Below, you’ll find details on how we protect your privacy and handle your data in line with GDPR regulations.
Your data
Please take a minute to read through this statement of legal and ethical requirements of practice regarding data protection and transparency of information storage and usage. I will ask you to sign/verbally agree to a copy of this, along with the Client Contract (see terms and conditions), during our initial session.
GDPR is the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, a 2018 law that protects personal data and grants individuals data rights like access and deletion. Please see our agreement with you below.
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Secure storage
Your personal information is stored securely and confidentially, either electronically, using codes with password protection, or in paper format which is stored in a locked cabinet, coded for protection. The data collected is used to enable effective communication during the therapeutic process, it is used in a safe and ethical manner and is in line with EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) May 2018.
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Sharing data
It may become necessary to share your data with a third party if I feel you, or someone else close to you is at risk of significant harm. Unless the risk is imminent, this will be discussed with you before appropriate disclosure. I do have a legal obligation to break confidentiality in compliance with a court order, concerns over child protection, and information or knowledge regarding drug trafficking or acts of terrorism
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Contact details
Your contact details are held securely for up to 1 year after the therapeutic process has ended and session notes will be held securely and confidentially for 5 years after the therapeutic process has ended, at which point they will be deleted or destroyed accordingly.
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Right to access
You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal information, and also the right to ask me to amend or change any incorrect information about you.
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Right to erasure
You have the right to ask me to erase any information that I hold about you. This includes your personal information that is no longer relevant to original purposes, or if you wish to withdraw consent. In all cases and when considering such requests, these rights are obligatory unless it is information that I have a legal obligation to retain.
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Data portability
As the client, you have the right to receive the personal information which you previously provided, and also have the right to transfer that information to another party. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) May 2018, the data “controller” is Sabrina Williams - London Counsellors.