GDPR Policy

Overview

How Liverpool Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, ‘LCCP’ (trading as Your Online Therapist) processes and shares your Data and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We may hold records on our clients in mainly documented form, in the case of Your Online Therapist this will be in the form of brief written notes, with just your first name as a header or email records if we exchange them, this information is not disclosed to a third party or used for any kind of marketing or statistical purpose, we may be required to share information in computerized or document form if ordered to by the Police or by the Courts, or if we are billing an employer we may share dates and times of appointments you have attended. Computerized information like emails and copies of letters may be kept on password protected devices.

Use & Record Keeping

We may prepare reports from records for example an employer, however this would have been agreed between all parties prior to the onset of treatment or requested by yourself after that.

Computer records are limited to any emails / letters by attachment you may have sent and our responses, prepared letters and reports, invoices issued or communication with legal bodies as above, email accounts are only accessed by your counsellor / therapist or the Directors.

Verbal details may be shared with supervisors as is standard practice in counselling and therapy, or details may be disclosed if a person is at risk or reasonably is considered a risk to others.

All records written or otherwise are deleted or destroyed after 7 years, in 20 years LCCP has never suffered a data breach and we consider it of the highest importance that your personal details are kept secure.

Confidentiality

Whatever is said between myself and my therapist is strictly confidential, with the following exceptions:

Examples may be taken to supervision, your anonymity will be preserved.

If a court of law orders the release of details.

If any criminal act has been or is about to be committed by you (or others) then disclosure will be considered, in the case of historical abuse then providing no children or vulnerable adults are currently at risk then disclosure choice is usually left to the client.

If it is considered that there is a real risk that I may harm myself or others.

In the event of complaint or possible slander or libel against the therapist.

If a child or vulnerable adult is or may be at risk of physical or psychological harm.

Examples of work may be used for training purposes; however, permission will be requested beforehand and your anonymity will be maintained.

If you have any queries about record keeping, please feel free to ask.