Privacy Notice

Effective Date: November 1st, 2024

Grey Bear Counselling is committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of any personal information you provide during your counselling sessions. This privacy notice outlines how Grey Bear Counselling collect, use, store, and protect your personal data, and your rights regarding your information.

1. Who We Are

Greybear Counselling is a provider of professional counselling services and dedicated to supporting your mental and emotional well-being. This privacy notice applies to all clients who use this service.

2. Information We Collect

In order to provide you with effective counselling, we collect personal information (in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2018), including but not limited to:

Personal identification details (e.g., name, date of birth, contact information)
Health and medical history (e.g., mental health background, physical health issues, medications, therapy history)
Session notes (e.g., records of what is discussed in therapy, progress notes - anonymised)
Billing information (e.g., payment details, insurance information if applicable)

We may also collect sensitive information, such as details about your emotions, relationships, or any issues you wish to address in counselling.

3. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used exclusively to:

Provide you with tailored counselling services.
Process payments, insurance claims, or billing.
Communicate with you regarding your sessions and administrative matters (e.g., appointment reminders, session updates).

We will never use or share your personal information for marketing purposes or any other activities unrelated to your counselling services.

4. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the practice. All personal information you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except under the following circumstances:

With your consent: If we need to share your information with a third party (e.g., a doctor, or another healthcare provider), we will seek your explicit consent beforehand.
When required by law: We may be required to disclose information if it is mandated by law (e.g., if there is a risk of harm to yourself or others, or in cases of suspected abuse).
Professional consultation: We may occasionally consult with other qualified professionals (e.g., supervisors or colleagues) for guidance, but any information shared will be anonymised.

5. Data Security

We take all necessary precautions to ensure that your personal information is securely stored and protected from unauthorised access. All client records are stored in encrypted digital storage.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purpose of providing counselling services and in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. After that period, we will securely delete or anonymise your information.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your information: You may request a copy of the information we hold about you.
Correct inaccuracies: If you believe any of your personal information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request corrections.
Withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent to the use of your personal information at any time, subject to any legal obligations we have.
Request deletion: You may request that your information be deleted, subject to any legal or professional retention requirements.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at Grey Bear Counselling.

8. Changes to This Privacy Notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. Any changes will be communicated to you, and the updated notice will be posted in a visible location on the website. We encourage you to review this notice periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your privacy.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@greybearcounselling.com