Confidentiality and Privacy
What you share with me in counselling is treated with the utmost care and respect. Everything we discuss is kept confidential, with only a few legal exceptions which I will explain clearly before we begin working together.

Confidentiality may need to be broken if:

• You are at serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
• There is disclosure of serious harm to a child or vulnerable adult.
• You share information about certain serious crimes (e.g. terrorism and money laundering).

Wherever possible, I will always aim to speak with you first before any information is shared outside of the therapy room.

Data Protection
As a registered counsellor, I adhere to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) guidelines to ensure your personal data is handled responsibly and securely.

I only collect information that is necessary to provide a safe professional counselling service. Your data is:

• Stored securely and not shared with a third party without your consent, unless required to do so by law (e.g. in response to a court order or safeguarding concern).
• Kept for the period required by my insurer and professional body (BACP), then safely destroyed/deleted.
• Available to you, should you wish to see what is held.
• I am registered with the Infomation Commissioner's Office (ICO).

You will receive a fully copy of a Contract before we begin working together. This helps to ensure everything is clear and transparent from the start of our work together.

If you have any questions about confidentiality or how information is handled, I would be happy to talk you through it. Your privacy and trust are essential for the work we do together.