Commitment to Your Privacy

At Helen Jack Therapy, I believe that protecting your privacy is fundamental to the therapeutic relationship. Trust is at the heart of the work we do together, and I want you to feel confident that your personal information is handled with the same care and respect as everything else you share with me.

This statement explains in plain terms what information I collect, why I need it, and how I look after it.

What Information I Collect

To provide therapy and manage our work together, I collect and hold:

• Your name and contact details (email address, phone number, address)

• Information about the concerns that bring you to therapy

• Notes from our sessions

• Relevant medical or health history you share with me

• Payment and invoicing information

• Booking and appointment records

Why I Collect This Information

I need to process your personal information to provide you with therapy. The legal basis for this is:

Article 6(1)(b) UK GDPR — processing is necessary for the performance of the therapeutic contract between us.

Because therapy involves sensitive health-related information, I also rely on:

Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR — processing is necessary for the provision of health or social care treatment by a health professional.

DPA 2018 Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 2 — the health or social care condition.

Professional Supervision

As required by the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, I discuss my clinical work in professional supervision. This is an essential part of maintaining high standards of care.

Your identity is always protected in supervision. I do not share your name or any identifying details with my supervisor. My supervisor receives anonymised case material only and is bound by their own professional confidentiality obligations.

Clinical Executor Arrangements

I have appointed a Clinical Executor — a trusted fellow therapist — who would step in to contact you and handle your records confidentially in the unlikely event of my death or incapacity.

My Clinical Executor is bound by the same professional confidentiality standards as I am. They would retain your records securely until the end of the applicable retention period and securely destroy them only after that period ends.

Who Else May See Your Information

Beyond myself, the following may have access to some of your information:

• My clinical supervisor — anonymised case material only, with no identifying details

• Squarespace — hosts this website and collects certain technical information

• Google Meet — if we work together online

• Statutory authorities — only where I am legally required to share information

When I Might Need to Break Confidentiality

Confidentiality is central to therapy, but there are rare circumstances where I may need to share information without your consent:

• If there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else

• If there are safeguarding concerns about a child or vulnerable adult

• If I receive a court order requiring disclosure

Wherever possible, I will discuss this with you first.

How Long I Keep Your Records

I retain your records for 6 years after our last session. This timeframe is in line with the Limitation Act 1980 and standard professional indemnity insurance requirements.

At the end of this period, paper records are securely destroyed and electronic records are permanently deleted.

Your Rights

You have several rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — You can ask to see what information I hold about you

• Correction — You can ask me to correct any errors in your records

• Deletion — You can ask me to delete your information, although this right is not absolute. I may need to retain your records until the end of the retention period where required by professional guidelines, insurance, or law

• Complaint — You can raise concerns about how I handle your information

Making a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal information, I would encourage you to raise them with me first so we can try to resolve matters together.

You can contact me at helen [at] helenjacktherapy.com (replace [at] with @ when emailing) or visit my compliance page at https://helenjacktherapy.policydiary.co.uk

Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you also have the right to complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office:

Website: ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113