The Legal bit

General Data Protection Regulation

GDPR AGREEMENT

My GDPR agreement sets out how any personal data I collect from you, or that you provide to me, will be stored and processed confidentially.

How do I gather your personal information?

Information that you provide by emailing me via this website to request further information about my psychotherapy service.
Email at agi.gault@larkmyle.net
The pre-therapy questionnaire form.
Brief session notes.
Regarding online therapy, I use the Zoom platform, which is securely encrypted. Zoom has the facility to record sessions, which I will not use. Chat transcripts and therapeutic email exchanges will be destroyed either after the session or after therapy has finished, which will be agreed upon by both of us.

Where do I store your personal data?

I will keep the personal data I collect from you via any form of contact, such as email or phone, securely.
The pre-therapy questionnaire form, your contact details, and brief session notes are stored in a paper file in a private office.
The brief session notes are anonymised; use your initials only.
I will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Uses made of the information

I use your contact details to allow me to provide you with information about the service that you request from me, to allow you to tell me about changes in your availability and to notify you about changes to my availability and any other relevant administrative changes.
I use the brief session notes to carry out my obligation arising from the agreement we entered into.
As part of my commitment to providing a professional service, I attend supervision regularly. This is bound by a confidentiality contract (separate to this policy), and to protect your identity, I only use the initial of your first name.

How long will I keep your information/notes for

Text communication is deleted immediately, while emails are purged once a month. After therapy has finished, your phone number will be deleted from my phone.
I will retain your pre-therapy questionnaire and brief session notes for as long as we are working together. After therapy has finished, I will retain these documents for a further five years in case you decide to return to therapy with me, which is also a requirement of my indemnity insurance, and then, after which, the documents will be destroyed.

Your rights

You are 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 am legally obligated to report a data breach to you and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours.

Disclosure of your personal information

In the event of my incapacity or death, your personal contact information will be disclosed to the clinical executor of my Professional Will so that they can notify you. My executors will also destroy all contact information.
If I am under a duty to disclose or share your personal data to comply with any legal obligation, such as being subpoenaed to court or as a legal requirement to safeguard children or vulnerable adults, terrorism or money laundering.

Changes to the GDPR agreement

Consent to the GDPR agreement

Your use and undertaking of the services of Larkmyle Consultancy constitutes your approval and acceptance of this agreement. You are consenting to my use and storage of the personal information you have disclosed to me, as detailed above. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.