Confidentiality

Your confidentiality with online therapy

 No confidential or private information is transmitted via unencrypted emails.

• The therapy service does not record any video or sound from any therapy sessions.
• No information is given to any person or organisation without a client’s explicit consent in writing.
• Any contact from an individual or organisation, asking for any client information, or trying to discover if the client is or has ever had therapy, will be disregarded; if possible, the client will always be kept informed of any requests received by third parties.
• For any new clients who tell me that a current or an old client has recommended this service, I will always tell them that I never confirm or deny a person or has ever been a client of this therapy service. Any further or persistent requests for information, I will respond by ending the session.
• After therapy has ended, all information is destroyed securely, and no files will remain. The exception is the payment information kept by my PayPal merchant account; I cannot remove such information.

Your responsibilities

In online therapy, the client has a responsibility to keep their internet-enabled devices secure. This is important because therapy sessions often involve sharing sensitive and personal information, and it’s essential to protect this information from unauthorized access.

To keep their devices, secure, clients can take several steps. First, they should use strong and unique passwords for their devices and online accounts. They should also enable two-factor authentication whenever possible to add an extra layer of security. Additionally, clients should make sure to keep their software and operating systems up to date to ensure that they are protected against known vulnerabilities and threats.

It’s also important for clients to be aware of common online scams and phishing attempts, which can be used to trick them into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software. Clients should be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments, especially if they are not sure of the source.

If you are unsure about this topic, please ask about this in the first session.

Limits to confidentiality

• You indicate a serious intention to harm yourself or someone else.
• You indicate that you are about to commit a serious criminal offence or have been involved in such a crime, such as murder, robbery, rape.
  You tell me you or other people are involved in terrorist activities.
• You tell me that you are engaged in current child abuse or are a serious risk to vulnerable adults or children.
  Whether it involves you or someone else, all counsellors are bound by law to break your confidentiality, for example, if ordered to do so by a court of law.
• If an ethical issue involving an unidentifiable and untraceable client becomes known, therapy will be terminated at that point.