Privacy Policy
My privacy policy sets out how any personal data I collect from you, or that you provide to me, will be stored and processed confidentially.
How I gather your personal information:
- Information that you provide by emailing me via my website and via various therapy directories and platforms (Bacp, Counselling directory) or by phone to request further information about my counselling service.
- Email at amandaashman@hotmail.co.uk or phone 07790215127.
- The counselling agreement form and initial consultation.
- Brief session notes.
- Regarding online therapy, I use the platform Zoom. This platform is securely encrypted. Zoom has the facility to record sessions which I will not use. Any chat transcripts and therapeutic email exchanges will be destroyed either after the session or after therapy has finished and which will be agreed by both of us.
Where I store your personal data:
- Personal data that I collect from you via any form of contact by email or phone will be kept securely.
- Your contact details are stored on a device and are password protected.
- The counselling agreement form is stored in a locked filing cabinet. Any brief session notes are handwritten, anonymised and stored in locked filing cabinets.
- I take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.
Uses made of the information:
- I use your contact details to allow me to provide you with information of the service that you request from me, to allow you to tell me about changes in your availability and to notify you about changes to my availability and any other relevant administrative changes.
- I sometimes use the brief session notes to aid memory and carry out the work as agreed in the counselling agreement.
- As part of my commitment to providing a professional service, I attend supervision regularly which is a professional requirement. This is bound by confidentiality rules, and to protect your identity I only use the first name.
How long I keep your information/notes for:
- Text communication and emails will be deleted once every 3 months. After therapy has finished, your phone number will be deleted from my smart phone.
- I will retain your brief sessions notes for as long as we are working together. After therapy has finished, I will retain these documents for a further five years in case you decide to return to therapy with me, and which is also a requirement of my insurance then after which the documents will be destroyed.
Your rights:
- You are entitled to view, amend, or delete the personal information that I hold. All requests have a month to be carried out.
In the event of a data breach:
- I have a legal obligation to report a data breach to you within 72 hours.
Disclosure of your personal information:
- I will never use your personal data for any purposes other than the administration of the therapy service I am providing to you.
- Rest assured that everything you discussed with me is confidential. That confidentiality will only be broken with extreme exceptions such as if a person poses a realistic and immediate threat to themselves or another or if the therapist is required to give information by a court of law. I will always try to speak to you about this first, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this.
- In the event of my incapacity or death your personal contact information will be disclosed to a clinical executor so that they can notify you. In the event of my death the executor will also destroy all contact information and notes.
- If I am under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal requirement.
Consent to the GDPR agreement:
- Your use and undertaking of the services of Amanda Ashman-Wymbs constitutes your approval and acceptance of this agreement, and are consenting to my use, and storage of your personal information, you have disclosed to me, as detailed above. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
