This states how I use your personal data when clients interact with me for services of psychotherapeutic counselling.

 As a registered member of the BACP I abide by their standards and ethical requirements which include strict guidance on the requirements of confidentiality.

Personal information I hold about clients

Identity data:

-       First name, any middle names, last name

-       Nationality/ies

-       DOB

Contact data:

-       Residential/mailing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers

-       GP details for counselling and psychotherapy clients where relevant

How I gather personal data

-       Information that clients provide by emailing me via my website and via various therapy directories and platforms (including The BACP, Psychology Today) or by phone to request further information about my counselling and therapy service.

-       Email at agnes@ao-therapy.com or phone +44 (0) 7479469391.

-       The pre-therapy assessment questionnaire.

-       Counselling and Therapy Contract and Agreement.

-       Brief session notes to provide cues and reminders of session detail.

-       For online therapy, I use Zoom. All these platforms are securely encrypted. Zoom has the facility to record sessions which I will not use. Any chat transcripts or email exchanges taking place during a session will be destroyed either after the session or after therapy has finished, which will be agreed by both of us.

Where I store personal data

-       Personal data that I collect from clients via any form of contact by email or phone will be kept securely on a password protected laptop

-       The pre-therapy assessment questionnaire, contact details, and brief session notes are stored on a computer and are password protected.

-       Client contact details are stored on a smartphone using your initials only and are protected by a passcode.

-       The brief session notes are anonymised, using client initials only and are password protected.

-       I take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that client data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Uses made of the information

I use client contact details to allow me to

-       provide clients with information of the service that they request from me.

-       allow clients to tell me about changes in their availability and to notify you about changes to my availability and any other relevant administrative changes.

-       communicate about billing.

-       to provide any information that I might have agreed to provide you with.

I use the brief session notes to carry out my obligation arising from the agreement entered into between a client and me.

 As part of my commitment to providing a professional service, I attend supervision regularly. This is bound by a confidentiality contract. My supervisor does not have access to any identifying information relating to clients, baring a first name.

Client Rights

Clients 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 the client and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) within 72 hours.

Disclosure of personal information

 I do not share any personal details of clients with any other party. The only exceptions to this would be

-       in the event of my death or incapacitation. Under the terms of my professional will, my professional executor will be able to access clients’ contact details to enable them to inform them about my death/incapacitation and to support them to find another therapist/supervisor with whom to work, should they wish them to. This provision is a requirement of my professional body.

-       If I am under a duty to disclose or share personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation. For example, if I am subpoenaed to court, or as a legal requirement such as safeguarding children or vulnerable adults, terrorism or money laundering.

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

I pay a fee to the Office of the Information Commissioner, as required by the legislation governing data control.

Changes to the GDPR statement

I will notify all ongoing clients of changes I may make to this privacy policy in the future.

Consent to the GDPR statement

A client’s use and undertaking of the services of Agnes Otzelberger (also known as AO Therapy) constitutes their approval and acceptance of this agreement, and their consent to my use, and storage of their personal information disclosed to me, as detailed above. Clients have the right to withdraw their consent at any time.