Personal Information we Collect

As CBT therapists, we are required to collect personal and sensitive data to help us deliver therapy. This information may be collected at initial contact (via email, website contact page or phone call), at initial assessment sessions and in all further therapy sessions. 

We will collect the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth 
• Gender
• Telephone, WhatsApp contact details and permission to send sms and WhatsApp messages and leave voicemail
• Email address
• Gp details 
• Occupation 
• Relationship 
• Psychological therapy history and diagnoses
• Medical conditions
• Medication
• Current psychological difficulties
• Historical psychological difficulties
• Lifestyle and social circumstances 
• Risk information e.g. suicidal and self harming history and alcohol and drug use 
• Any criminal convictions or ongoing trials

Information Storage

To make sure your data remains secure, we have implemented the following measures when storing your information:

• Personal data we collect from you will be kept securely via Clinix, including brief session notes.
• No identifiable details of yourself will ever be written onto paper, and any paper notes from work in session together will be transcribed onto WriteUpp or a password protected word document after each session before being immediately shredded. 
• Any other materials we create in session together will be stored anonymously on Google Cloud, which is accessed by the therapists private, password protected device.
• Your phone number will be saved onto your therapist’s smartphone and WhatsApp under a non identifiable code. 
• If paying by bank transfer you will be given your non identifiable code to use as a reference.
• Therapists are required to attend regular supervision; to protect your identity, if you are ever discussed in supervision only initials will be used. 
• Erasing information: once therapy has finished, your phone number will be erased from your therapists work phone. Your therapy notes will remain on our system after your therapy for 5 years, after which they will be erased.

How we use personal information

We will never use your personal information for any other reason other than the administration of the therapy service we are providing. If you do not provide us with the personal information requested we may be unable to provide a therapy service to you. 

In certain circumstances we may need to share personal information with relevant professionals. We have a duty of care to ensure the safety of our clients so this will be in instances where there is a need to know basis, if we believe there is a risk to yourself, someone else, or any safeguarding or legal issues.

Your Data Protection rights 

Under data protection law, your rights include: 

• Right of access – you have the right to be informed what information we hold, to see demographic information we hold and to make a subject access request (SAR) for copies of your records. SAR involves an administrative charge of £20 and your records will be provided within one month of the request. 
• Right to rectification – you have the right to rectify any personal information which is incorrect or incomplete. 
• Right to erasure – you have the right to request your personal information is erased. However, we are able to decline this if this information is required in the event of any risk or safeguarding concerns, in order to practice within our own professional code of ethics and conduct.
• Right to withdraw consent – you have the right to withdraw permission to using your personal information. For example, withdrawing consent to calling your telephone number and being contacted via email only.

Please email fandbtherapy@hotmail.com or let your therapist know if you want to assert any of these rights. 

We reserve the right to make changes to this policy at any point, in which case you will be notified via email or an alternative agreed method of contact.