waiting list for new clients
Get in touch 07747 361799
waiting list for new clients
Get in touch 07747 361799
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I (Michaela Addis) understand how important your privacy is. I take care to maintain your
confidentiality in accordance with current data protection laws (General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR), 2018) and the ethical guidelines of the National Counselling &
Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and the National Hypnotherapy Society (NHS). These
guidelines have been set up to protect your confidential material and ensure that your
therapist (Michaela Addis) always conducts themselves with professionalism and integrity.
In order to provide you with the best service possible, I will hold your personal contact
details and records of your therapy sessions. I am registered with the Information
Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and you can find important information below about how your
information will be held and used.
Your personal information
I will collect and store your personal data securely in accordance with data protection laws.
My website and booking system is powered by GoDaddy and their system will automatically
store your name, email address and telephone number when sessions are booked. This
applies to all bookings, including relaxation sessions, workshops, initial consultations and
therapy sessions. You can find details of GoDaddy’s Privacy Policy on their website.
Your phone number is stored on my phone under your first name and first initial of your
surname. My phone is password protected and only accessible by me. Your details will be
deleted from my phone one month after therapy has ended.
I use Square for online payments and their system will automatically store your name, email
address and telephone number if you pay for a session via payment link or directly through
the website. You can find details of Square’s Privacy Policy on their website. Your contact
information is stored electronically and securely using password protection and can only be
accessed by me.
You will be subscribed to my monthly newsletter and you can opt out of these emails at any
time.
In order to be able to fulfil my duty of care to you, in your initial consultation or first therapy
session, I will ask you for contact information for your GP and elected Emergency Contact
person. These details will be stored securely and will only be accessible to me. This does not
apply to relaxation sessions or workshops.
Please note that I will need to keep your client record for 7 years after the end of your
therapy (or 7 years after a child I have been working with turns 18), so that I can respond
effectively to any potential requests regarding your clinical notes and treatment.
I will never pass on your contact details to any third party organisations for the purposes of
sales, marketing or research and will never use your personal data for any purposes otherthan the administration of the therapy service I am providing to you i.e. to arrange, cancel
and rearrange appointments and collect payment for sessions.
You may receive emails from Awaken Therapy for review purposes or to inform you of offers
or additional services you may be interested in. You can opt out of these emails at any time.
I cannot be held responsible for any failures in the security of third party services that are
used within my business i.e. GoDaddy or Square.
Your payment details
All payments are made through BACS transfer or directly through the website. I use Square
for online payments and their system will automatically store your name, email address and
telephone number if you pay for a session via payment link or directly through the website.
The payment card used for the transaction is also recorded (the type of card and last 4 digits
of the card number) and this allows the system to send you an online confirmation and
receipt for your transaction. You can find details of Square’s Privacy Policy on their website.
Payment details are recorded in my financial income reports, which are stored electronically
and securely using password protection and can only be accessed by me. This record holds
your account name (for BACS payments), unique client reference number and date of
transaction. His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) requires that I retain this information
for 5 years after the end of the financial year.
Your therapy sessions
Everything that you discuss with me is confidential, however, there are certain
circumstances in which I am required by law to break confidentiality:
• acts of terrorism
• drug trafficking and money laundering
• court orders or subpoenas
In addition to these examples, I am permitted by law to break confidentiality if there is
concern about your safety or the safety of someone else. Examples of discretionary
disclosures include:
• child protection and safeguarding
• protection of vulnerable adults
• risk of suicide or serious self-harm or harm to others
I will always endeavour to speak to you about this first. Further details can be found in the
code of ethics on the NCPS or NHS website.
During remote working (as part of the initial consultation, for example) I will ensure that I
am conducting online and telephone sessions in a quiet, private and confidential setting. I
have selected video calling platforms that offer end to end encryption to ensure maximum
privacy. Please note however that I cannot be held responsible for any breaches that occur
due to failures in this technology.I discuss my clinical work with a supervisor. This is to ensure that I am offering you the best service possible and that I am working in a safe and responsible way. These conversations are bound by confidentiality and you will only be referred to by initials.
I keep notes of each session. These are anonymised and held securely. These notes are for
my use only and help to keep a track of everything that is being discussed. They will only be
shared with your consent or if I am instructed to do so by a Court of Law. In line with
industry guidelines, these notes will be kept securely for 7 years after your therapy comes to
an end (or 7 years after a child I have been working with turns 18). After this time, they will
be confidentially destroyed.
If your sessions are paid for or arranged via a third party, (e.g. your employer, a friend, or a
family member), other than payment requests, invoices or receipts, information related to
your therapy will not be shared. Details about your sessions will remain confidential
between us, unless there is a need to break confidentiality based on the circumstances
outlined above. Any other information can only be shared if you provide your written
consent.
Work with children and young people
The clients I work with who are under 18 are entitled to the same levels of confidentiality as
my adult clients. Communication with parents/carers will always be based on the child’s
wishes, including reviews of progress. This will be discussed and agreed at the start of
therapy.
Your communications with me
If you use the contact form on the website, send an email, text or WhatsApp message, only I
will have access to it.
All phones, tablets and laptops used to respond to your emails are encrypted, fully
protected with anti-virus software and password protected.
There will usually be no contact outside of our therapy sessions.
Data Usage
I may use your email address and telephone number to contact you about your
appointments. I may also contact you directly via email in order to share information with
you that is pertinent to your therapeutic process. Your phone number will also be used to issue automatic appointment reminders via GoDaddy.
You may receive emails from Awaken Therapy for review purposes or to inform you of offers
or additional services you may be interested in. You will also be subscribed to the monthly
newsletter and can opt out of these emails at any time.
Your rights
Any personal data retained by me is kept in accordance with the GDPR, 2018.
Under these guidelines you have the following rights:
1. The right to request access to your data
You can request to view the information that I hold about you (contact details, appointment
logs etc.) at any time. If during therapy you would like to see your session notes, please let
me know. Should you require a copy of your notes after your therapy has come to an end
you can make this request by emailing ki@awakentherapy.co.uk or calling 07747 361799.
2. The right of rectification
At any point during your time using my service or during the 2 years thereafter, while I retain
your records, you have the right to request amendments to your contact details or session
notes. This right can be exercised either by speaking directly to me or by contacting me in
writing.
3. The right to be forgotten
You can request that I delete and confidentially destroy the information that I hold about
you and your sessions at any time. This request can be made by contacting me at
Instances where I would not be able to comply with your request are as follows:
a) It is necessary for me to retain these records in order to continue providing an
effective service
b) I am compelled to retain these records by a Court of Law
c) I require these records in order to establish, exercise or defend legal claims
Consent
When you book your first session with me, you will be asked to sign a contract to confirm
that you consent to the storage and processing of your personal data for the purposes of
providing therapeutic services.
For relaxation sessions and workshops, you are confirming your consent by making a
booking.
You are entitled to withdraw this consent at any time and can do so by emailing me
Breaches of data protection
In the event of any breach of my data protection policies, I will notify you and the ICO, if
appropriate, within 72 hours and will seek to rectify this immediately.
Raising concerns
Should you have any concerns about my data protection practices, you can raise these
directly with me. You can also notify the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Policy created: 31st March 2022 (Latest update: 24th February 2025)
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