Session Details
The initial session is a chance for you to see if you feel comfortable with me. After this, if you decide you would like to work with me, I will suggest we have six sessions together. At the sixth session we review how your counselling is going and organise further sessions, if that is what you would like.
To book an initial session, please get in touch. I have a contact form or you can email directly -vanessa@feelfreetherapy.co.uk. After you make an inital contact and I reply to you, I delete your email within two weeks if I hear nothing more. This is because of data protection laws. Any information you provide in this initial contact with me will be used to respond to your enquiry and managed in accordance with my Privacy Notice which you can read below.
Appointments
Counselling sessions last 50 minutes. Regular attendance is important to develop consistency in the counselling relationship. If you need to cancel an appointment, I ask for 24 hours notice. For late cancellation I charge the full session fee.
Fees
I charge £60 for appointments either in person, via video call or on the telephone.
Payment is normally required 48 hours in advance, by bank transfer. This secures your appointment. Please email me for the bank account details.
I am a recognised provider with Aviva Health Insurance and Vitality Health Insurance.
Confidentiality and Supervision
Counselling is confidential unless I think you might cause harm to yourself or someone else. All counsellors are required to see a supervisor to make sure you get the best service possible. I will discuss aspects of what you share with my supervisor, on the same confidential basis. In the event I do think you might cause harm to yourself or someone else, I may need to contact someone (for example, your GP) but I will discuss this with you first wherever possible.
I am committed to protecting your privacy by following GDPR and DUAA. My full privacy notice is below.
Privacy Notice of Feel Free – Therapeutic Counselling with Vanessa Waddell.
I (Vanessa Waddell, Feel Free) respect the privacy of my clients and the users of my website. I take great care to treat any information you share as confidential. This privacy notice has been written to explain how I use your data and to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and The Data Use and Access Act (DUAA)
What information do I collect?
I only ask for the personal data which is strictly necessary to give you the service you require. I collect contact details like your name, email and sometimes your phone number. I also take session notes which will contain other personal data you choose to share with me. This can include age, date of birth, sex recorded at birth, gender identity, occupation, marital status, children, ethnic origin, race, religion, politics, sex life, sexual orientation and health.
Why do I collect personal data?
So I can contact you if necessary and so I can comply with the requirements of my insurance company and professional body.
The lawful basis on which I use your data?
I must show the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that I have a lawful basis to collect and use your personal data. I’m also required to tell you what this lawful basis is.
This lawful basis is ‘consent’. To find out more about ‘consent’ please look at the ICO website – www.ico.org.uk
How I store your data?
Your data is stored in a lockable document box and on a password protected computer and password protected mobile phone.
How long will I keep your personal information?
I will keep your contact details for the duration of our work together. When we finish working together all personal information will be deleted or disposed of securely. The only exception to this is session notes, which I must keep for 6 years to comply with the requirements of my insurance company.
What are the circumstances in which I may need to share your data with a third party?
Only to fulfil an ethical or legal obligation, such as:
- During my supervision sessions when I talk about what you have shared with my supervisor. I only use your first name.
- If I receive a court order stating I need to release the session notes.
- If I think you are at risk of serious harm to yourself or another.
- If you tell me about an intended act of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking.
- If the police ask for information about a road traffic accident.
- Confidentiality can be broken if necessary for reasons of public interest in the area of public health.
What are your rights?
- To be informed about what information I hold – I will provide you with a copy of this privacy notice at your first session.
- To access the information I hold, you can ask either verbally or in writing – I will give you the information you want within one month.
- To have any erroneous information corrected – you can ask verbally or in writing.
- You have the right to data portability – For example, to ask your notes to be transferred to another counsellor.
- To have your records erased (in the defence of a legal claim, I may decline).
- To restrict processing.
- To object to processing.
You have the right to withdraw consent at any time either verbally or in writing. You can email me at vanessa@feelfreetherapy.co.uk to do so.
If you have any questions about this privacy notice you can email me vanessa@feelfreetherapy.co.uk; or if you have a complaint about how I have used your data please email me with the complaint vanessa@feelfreetherapy.co.uk. I will be obliged by law to acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and respond to you 'without undue delay.' If you are not happy with how I am dealing with it you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Their website is ico.org.uk. They can be phoned on 0303 123 1113. They also have a live chat service.
