Confidentiality
Your privacy and trust are at the heart of therapy.
One of the foundations of a therapeutic relationship is knowing that you have a safe, confidential space where you can speak openly without fear of judgement.
Everything you share during our sessions is treated with respect, sensitivity and confidentiality. My aim is to create an environment where you feel able to explore your thoughts, emotions and experiences freely.
What confidentiality means
Everything discussed during counselling remains confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of our work together without your knowledge or permission.
This includes:
- The reasons you are seeking therapy
- Personal experiences and life history
- Thoughts and feelings shared during sessions
- Session notes and records
- Any correspondence relating to your therapy
Your confidentiality is respected throughout the therapeutic process.
When confidentiality may need to be broken
Although confidentiality is a fundamental part of counselling, there are a small number of situations where I may have a legal or ethical duty to share information.
These situations are rare and may include:
- If there is a serious risk that you may harm yourself.
- If there is a serious risk of harm to another person.
- If there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult.
- If I am required to disclose information by a court of law.
- If legislation requires disclosure, for example in relation to terrorism or certain serious criminal matters.
Whenever possible, I will discuss this with you first so that you understand what information may need to be shared and why.
Clinical supervision
As a professional counsellor, I attend regular clinical supervision.
Supervision is an important ethical requirement that helps ensure I provide safe, effective and high-quality therapy.
During supervision, aspects of client work may be discussed anonymously. Your name and identifying details are not shared, and your privacy is always protected.
Clinical supervisors are also bound by strict professional standards of confidentiality.
Keeping your information secure
Any personal information and counselling records are stored securely and handled in accordance with UK data protection legislation.
Reasonable measures are taken to protect your information from unauthorised access, accidental loss or misuse.
Further information about how your personal information is collected, stored and processed can be found in the Privacy Policy.
Communication outside of sessions
If you contact me by email, telephone or through the website contact form, reasonable steps are taken to protect your privacy.
However, please be aware that electronic communication cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
For this reason, I recommend avoiding sharing detailed or highly sensitive personal information via email whenever possible.
Your counselling records
Brief clinical notes may be kept to support the therapeutic process and to meet professional and legal obligations.
These records are kept securely and are only accessed when necessary in relation to your care.
Records are retained in accordance with current professional guidance before being securely destroyed.
Working together safely
Confidentiality is an important part of building trust, but it also works alongside professional responsibility.
If a situation arises where confidentiality cannot be maintained for legal or safety reasons, I will always aim to explain the situation clearly and involve you in the process wherever it is appropriate to do so.
Questions about confidentiality
Beginning therapy often brings questions about privacy and confidentiality.
If there is anything you are unsure about, I encourage you to ask. I will be happy to explain how confidentiality works before or during your first session so that you feel informed and comfortable as we begin working together.