Arbour Counselling 

Privacy Policy

Initial contact: After your initial consultation, if you choose to move forward with counselling, I may request details such as your age, gender, contact information, emergency contact, GP details, or other important information. If you opt not to go ahead with counselling, I will delete all of your personal information within 1 month. If you prefer to have it deleted sooner, please inform me.

Confidentiality and information sharing : Everything discussed in our sessions will be kept confidential between us, unless you disclose potential harm to yourself or others, in which case I may need to share your contact information with relevant agencies. Additionally, if there are any legal obligations (e.g. money laundering or terrorism) or court orders requiring me to disclose information, I may need to do so. I would endeavour to discuss my concerns with you and inform you of any necessary actions.  

Supervision: To ensure that I work ethically and efficiently, I routinely consult with my clinical supervisor regarding my client sessions. If I need to share details about our sessions with my supervisor, I will make sure to protect your confidentiality. 

Data protection and storage: I keep brief notes of our counselling sessions, but once our sessions are over, I will delete these records along with any personal information after 7 years. Your information is securely stored and kept confidential. Paper documents are converted to electronic files, password protected, and safely disposed of. Client notes are anonymised and kept separate from personal details. Contact details are stored on a password protected smartphone, and correspondence, such as emails or text messages, will be deleted within 1 month of our sessions ending. 

Possible documents held: Counselling contract, assessment record, brief session notes, Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions, personal information and contact details. 

Your identity and personal details are safeguarded in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2019.

Your rights: You are entitled to know what information I have, access it, correct any mistakes, revoke your consent, and ask for it to be deleted (within legal limits).