Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
To safely and appropriately provide you with therapy, I (Melissa Pleciak) need to collect personal data from you and obtain your written consent to collect this data.
Therapy is a confidential process and I will not reveal your personal data or the content of your sessions to a third party without your express permission. The only exceptions to this would be if you were threatening your own life or the life of another, there was a safeguarding issue or you were involved in a crime that falls outside of therapy confidentiality boundaries. In these cases, I may decide to contact emergency services or relevant authorities without your permission (detailed in the Client Agreement which would be signed upon registrations)..
This privacy policy explains what information I collect, how I use it, where I keep it, how long I keep it for and the procedures that I have in place to safeguard your privacy.
What Information Do I Collect?
When you make you initial contact, I will collect the following information from you:
Name
Phone number
Email address
Reason for your enquiry
When you choose to proceed from an enquiry, the following information will be collected via the Pre-Assessment Form:
Reason for therapy
Mental and physical health history
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
The Pre-Assessment Form does not identify you and will be destroyed should you or Melissa Pleciak decide not to proceed with therapy.
If you proceed with therapy, you will be asked to complete the Client Registration Form and, the following information will be collected:
Name
Pronouns
Address
Email address
Landline number
Mobile number
Date of birth
GP name and address
Emergency contact
Name and contact details of medical or mental health professionals managing your care
You will then be asked to sign the Client Agreement, which states my code of ethics, how I record keep, information about accessing therapy, session fees, the cancellation policy, boundaries outside of sessions and exclusions.
During your assessment session, I will gather the following information from you:
Current medications
Mental and physical health history
Employment history
Family history
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Family history
Relationship status and history
Nationality
Cultural heritage
Religion
Sexual health history
Results of relevant medical tests
During your therapy, I will keep brief notes of each session to record the content of the session and any homework tasks that may have been agreed.
How do I use this information?
To accurately identify you and the means of contacting you for the purpose of offering you psychosexual and relationship therapy.
To identify all of the factors that may be contributing to the problem you are seeking help with.
To monitor the effectiveness of my services.
Where do I keep this information?
Any emails relating to your therapy are kept on my password protected computer.
Your Registration Form, Pre-Assessment Form, and Full Assessment form along with your Session Notes are kept in password protected documents, within the same password protected computer.
Any hard copies of documents or notes are kept in a locked cupboard which only I know the access code to.
How long do I keep your data for?
I destroy computer records of your enquiry on completion of your therapy. Other notes are kept in locked filing cabinets for a minimum of 7 years, in line with guidance from insurers, after which point they are shredded. Your records are not classed as medical records or public records.
How do I safeguard your privacy?
All electronic communication is stored on password protected laptops. Your registration information and all other documentation is identified by your initials only.
You will not be personally identified in any reports that monitor and measure the effectiveness of this service.
I have regular supervision to ensure that I am providing the best standards of care for you. You are identified in supervision by your first name or initials only. My supervisor may keep records of the guidance they have offered which would not be directly identifiable to you and which would be stored in line with their individual Privacy Policies. Supervisors do not have access to your data other than in the instance of your therapist becoming incapacitated, at which point they would enact the therapists Clinical Will.
Subject Access Request
Should you wish to access your data or have it destroyed before 7 years have elapsed you may submit your request to me in writing. Each application will be considered on an individual basis and any decision to provide access to or destroy your personal data will be reached only after consultation with our insurers and professional bodies. Any documents pertaining to couple’s work will require the written permission of both parties before being shared.
Data Breaches
I strive to do their utmost to protect your data. However, in the event of a personal data breach the following actions will be taken.
All breaches will be reported with 72 hours to the data protection officer, where deemed necessary.
If the breach is likely to result in a high risk of adversely affecting individuals’ rights and freedoms, we will inform those individuals without undue delay.
A record of any personal data breaches will be kept.
ICO Number: ZB664457
Data Controller and Processor: Melissa Pleciak