Experienced psychotherapist in Hereford and online

Client’s contact details need to be kept so that I can set-up sessions for remote working (either sending them links for online video-based therapy, or to telephone them for telephone therapy). I many need to contact clients to cancel, confirm, or rearrange sessions.

Client notes are kept so that a clear record is kept of the service I provide, to help keep track of the contract, number of sessions offered and number of sessions attended. A brief outline of what was discussed is to enable the client and I to review the focus for the therapy, to track any trends or themes that appear, to enable a joint review of our work as necessary, and to help in case of complaint or concerns.

I may use writing to reflect on the sessions, context, explore possible overlap with own life, my reveries on the work, expand my thoughts from beyond the client’s narrative etc as part of my thinking and reflective process. These works will not contain personal client data, such as names, and is unlikely to be traceable to any specific client. For the purposes of clarity, I will refer to this as ‘process works.’ Process works are purely to help me think and reflect, process the work done. This is in the service of my ability to provide psychotherapy and also in the service of my self-care.

Potential clients contact me if they are considering psychotherapy with me, and therefore the method they have contacted me, for example if they have emailed, is likely to remain on the device I hold, such as Outlook on my laptop.

At the initial conversation with clients, I will take their name and telephone, email address, or both. This will be stored on a contact sheet, per client, on my laptop. 

After each session, from the first contracted session, I will keep the brief notes. These are in paper form, handwritten and kept in a locked cabinet.

If a client informs me they have changed any of their contact details then I will update the form accordingly. Unless informed otherwise by the client I will assume my details are up-to-date.  

The notes are available for the client to look at and review, at their request or we might agree this in a session.

There are occasions when I may need to share client details with third parties:

• If the client discloses to me that they, or someone they know and identified in the session, are in life-threatening imminent danger then I have a personal and professional duty to advise authorities.
• If the danger is not imminent or urgent, but suspected or known, then this will be discussed with the client with an agreement of which of us will contact which authority. 
• In certain criminal matters I may need to share or disclose information to the statutory services without informing my client. Examples of this are if the client discloses acts of terrorism, or money laundering.
• If the client discloses the current abuse of a child then I have a legal duty to inform the Statutory services.

I have monthly supervision and during this I will refer to my client using a name (which may or may not be their actual name, and this will not be confirmed). The client will not be identifiable to the supervisor, however the narrative from the client will be disclosed, and therefore there is a chance the supervisor – through their own means – may recognise a client. There is a standard of candour and transparency required in supervision and psychotherapy that ensures that if this were to occur, it will be disclosed and we may agree that I will seek supervision for that particular client elsewhere. 

Contact details for clients will be erased once their term of therapy has ceased. As clients contact me for therapy, there is no good reason for me to keep their personal data for any period after our contract has completed. Please note, that it may be that whilst our sessions have completed, we remain in contract if you have asked me to provide another service such as authoring a report, in which case I will continue to hold your personal details until all work between us has completed.

However, the notes may be kept for a maximum of 3 years. This is because there remains a possibility the client may return for further psychotherapy and it may be helpful to have a record of the previous work, and also because this is the limitation of complaints through BACP. A year for this is reasonable, and keeping notes beyond this seems unnecessary and unlikely to be expected by the client.

I will keep a record of our sessions and payments as part of my financial records, for example on bank statements. It is up to the you/ the client to choose a reference for the BACs payments when you set this up, and can chose whether to use your name or another reference. I hold financial information for 6 years.

Client’s contact details, bearing their name, are kept on my laptop. I am likely to have their email address stored in my Gmail; on my mobile phone’s email and on my laptop’s email.

Laptop and modile telephone are password protected.

Any paper documents containing any personal or identifying information are kept in a locked container.

You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal information, free of charge, in an electronic or paper format. You also have the right to ask me to amend or change any incorrect information about you. 

You have the right to ask me to erase any information that I hold about you. This includes your personal information that is no longer relevant to original purposes, or if you wish to withdraw 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. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018, the data “controller”  is Helen Miskin.

My supervisor has agreedhat, in the event of my sudden death or incapacity, she is to contact my clients on my behalf to inform them. She has been advised how to obtain my clients’ contact details.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Application number: A8713677

I have a data protection / GDPR policy

I have referred to UKCP and BACP guidelines in data protection

Provision of Services Regulations 2009

The following information is supplied in accordance with our obligations under The Provisions of Services Regulations 2009. Any requisite information that is not provided below, is included in the Engagement Letters and Standard Terms and Conditions of Business that Anchorage issues to its clients.

Service Provider

Trading Name: embodied understanding

Proprietor: Helen Miskin

Service: Psychotherapy and Counselling practice, supervision and training

Postal address: No. 2 Rydell Mount, 37 Bodenham Road, Hereford, HR1 2TP

Telephone: 07716 366177

Email: helen.miskin@embodiedunderstanding.com

Public registers:

Authorisation: Registered and accredited to engage in psychotherapy, counselling, and supervision in the UK by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). Registered to engage in psychotherapy, counselling, and supervision in the UK by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Registered to practice EMDR by the EMDR Association

Complaints: Complaints can be made by contacting the proprietor at the postal address shown above. In the event of your not being satisfied by my response, you may also bring the matter to the attention of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (telephone 020 7014 9955 or e-mail: complaints@ukcp.org.uk ) Or contact the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists (general enquiries: 01455 883300 e-mail: bacp@bacp.co.uk). 

General terms and conditions: A contract, accompanied by my privacy policy accessible online, will be provided to all clients at the commencement of any engagement to which they apply.

Insurance: My professional indemnity insurer is Psychologists Protection Society, Lime Tree House

North Castle Street, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 1EX, United Kingdom. The territorial coverage extends to the United Kingdom.

Codes of conduct: As an accredited member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), and a registered member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), embodied understanding and its proprietor, Helen Miskin, is subject to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice These can be found in the BACP and UKCP websites.