Privacy Policy
The General Data Protection Regulation
This privacy policy explains how I, Sara Bevins of Inner Voice Counselling and Hypnotherapy Service, will use and protect any information that you give me when you use this service.
I am committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.
Should I request from you certain information by which you can be identified when using my services, then you can be assured that it will only ever be used in accordance to this privacy statement.
This policy applies to the practice, website and services offered by Sara Bevins within her counselling, EMDR, supervision, hypnotherapy practice.
Clients/Supervisee’s that undertake to work with Sara Bevins will be issued with a paper copy of the Privacy Policy at their initial consultation or sent via email. This will contain the following information and they will be asked to sign that they understand and agree with how the information is collected, stored and held before therapy/supervision can commence.
Personal information I collect:
• Name and date of birth
• Address
• Preferred contact information (telephone and/or email)
• Occupation
• Relevant important information
• Counselling/EMDR/ Hypnotherapy/Supervision history
• Medical conditions
• GP details and medication details
• Clients reasons and expectations for Counselling/EMDR/Hypnotherapy/Supervision
How I store information:
Personal hand written details are kept in a locked cabinet.
Any sessional notes/information is non-identifiable and stored on a password accessed controlled personal computer.
Smart phone: My smart phone is locked and is only accessible using a password; I only store contact numbers but no names to numbers only client/supervisee codes.
Email/Texts: Email addresses are stored on my email account. Text messages only assigned to numbers/codes not names.
Website. No personal information is stored on the website other than to momentarily collect and send enquiries to my email account for initial contact purposes, and the website is hosted by a secure server.
Documents Held:
• Client assessment form/Supervisee information form
• Contract/agreement form (client/ supervisee will receive their copy of this at commencement of therapy/supervision)
• Sessional notes which are kept for 5 years to comply with insurance policy terms.
How I may share your information:
• Supervision: I attend monthly clinical supervision to ensure my practice remains safe and ethical. Session details and client codes may be shared with my supervisor.
• Therapeutic Will: Your name and contact details will be shared with my Therapeutic executor so that in the unlikely event of my sudden death you will be contacted should you still be in therapy with me. My therapeutic executor will sign a confidentiality agreement document.
• Emergencies: If your health is in jeopardy I may share your details with a healthcare service such as your GP or a Mental Health Crisis Team.
Your rights:
• Right to access: You have a right to ask for a copy of your personal information, free of charge, in an electronic or paper format. You also have a right to ask me to amend or change any incorrect information about you.
• Right to be forgotten: You have the right to ask me to erase any information that I hold about you. This includes any personal information that is no longer relevant to original purposes. Or if you wish to withdraw your consent. In all cases and when considering such requests, these rights are obligatory unless it’s information that I have a legal obligation to retain.
• Data Portability: As the client you have the right to receive your personal information which you previously provided, also you have the right to transfer that information to another party.
For purposes of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018, the data controller is Sara Bevins of Inner Voice Counselling and Hypnotherapy Service.
March 2023.