Merrion Webster definition of "confidential" : 1: marked by intimacy or willingness to confide 2: private information 3: entrusted with confidence 4: containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial
Having previously worked on a GDPR project within the EU, I believe it is important to be informed of your information protection as a counselling client. If you engage in 1:1 or Online Counselling Service, the following will apply to data retention, these are the recommended minimum retention periods from the Medical Protection Society: Healthcare records of an adult: eight years after last treatment or death.
This means that by engaging in Counselling, your counselling record will be held on file securely as set out above. Within this time, it is the counsellor's responsibility to ensure your information is protected to the highest level of security.
In my practice, I keep an encrypted record of each session, meaning that all records can not be traced back to an identifiable person. I keep all files securely locked with no other access. Access to your data will not be shared with anyone without your knowledge and consent, outside of the law of the land.
In the event that I might be incapacitated as a counsellor, whether due to illness or death, I have contracted with a fellow counsellor to take ownership of my client records. Details of this nature would be made known to you if it did in fact occur.
All information passed through a computer system, i.e. emails are password protected.
As part of my first meeting with new clients, I go through confidentiality and its limits in detail so that you can make an informed decision on how you would like to proceed with counselling and to avoid any surprises down the line. It is important to me that you are empowered in all your decision making and fully informed from the outset.
If you have further questions you wish for me to address, please email them on and I will update this article as appropriate with relevant information that can help inform people further.