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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement & Privacy Policy.
To assist in working effectively with you, Astara Integrative Therapy keeps confidential records about all clients. These records are kept securely, are only seen by your counsellor, and may be used anonymously in the production of practice statistics. The records held by Astara Integrative Therapy are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018, which gives clients the right to access personal data held about them.
To provide you with safe and appropriate counselling, hypnotherapy, or coaching, we need to collect personal data from you and require your written consent to do so.
What Information Do We Collect?
When you self-refer or are referred to this service, we collect the following personal details:
Name, Address, Email Address, Landline Number, Mobile Number, Date of Birth, GP Name and Address
During your assessment, your counsellor gathers:
Relationship status
Mental health history
Current medications
Results of relevant medical tests
Name and contact details of medical or mental health professionals managing your care
Family history (no names other than your own)
During therapy, your counsellor will keep brief notes of each session to record the content and any agreed homework tasks.
Your counsellor is required to have their own privacy and data protection policy, which they will provide during your initial assessment session.
How Do We Use This Information?
We collect this information for the following reasons:
To accurately identify you and safely process your referral through this service
To communicate with other mental health and medical professionals supporting your care
To identify factors contributing to the problem you are seeking help with
To monitor and measure the effectiveness of this service
Where Do We Keep This Information?
Referral data is received and stored via password-protected Word documents.
Referral data is processed via email using password-protected Word documents.
Referral, assessment, and therapy data are kept together in paper format by your counsellor.
Your counsellor is required to be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and have their own privacy and data protection policy.
How Long Do We Keep Your Data?
Referral information and client notes are stored in locked filing cabinets for a minimum of 7 years, in line with guidance from our insurers.
After this period, records are securely shredded.
Records in this service are not classed as medical or public records.
How Do We Safeguard Your Privacy?
Referral data is received via email or face-to-face in an initial consultation.
Referral data is processed via password-protected Word documents.
Other than your original referral information, all documentation is identified by your initials only.
The only person with access to your data is your counsellor.
You will not be personally identified in any reports monitoring service effectiveness.
Subject Access Requests
Should you wish to access your data, or have it destroyed before 7 years have elapsed, you may submit your request in writing to your counsellor. Each application will be considered individually, and any decision to provide access to or destroy your personal data will be reached only after consultation with insurers and professional bodies.
Please note: counsellors will not provide court reports or present as witnesses in court cases relating to any therapeutic alliance. Counsellors’ notes are considered an aide-memoire of reported events and are not admissible in court.
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Changes to this policy.
We may update this policy, and we will post changes here. Check back periodically.
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