Confidentiality Statement
What to expect from me regarding confidentiality
All our interactions either in therapy sessions or directly relating to your therapy with me will remain strictly confidential. This includes:
interactions that are face-to-face, via email and telephone, including texts
any scheduling or appointment notes (which will be anonymised using only client initials)
As part of my professional practice, I am required to keep notes of our sessions together, which will be stored according to current General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines.
As all your details will remain strictly confidential, I will not share any of your information with anyone including your GP, unless you choose to give me your signed consent in writing to release any or specific information about you to any person or agency that you designate.
All professional bodies in the UK require hypnotherapists to have regular clinical supervision; therefore, to ensure that you receive the most appropriate, safest and highest standard of therapeutic care possible, I may share details of my work with you with my supervisor. All details that I share will continue to uphold confidentiality and you will not be identified.
Although all information is confidential, there are some circumstances in which I will not be able to maintain your confidentiality.
Some of these exceptions are legal duties and some, I feel, are my duty as an ethically and morally responsible therapist.
Whenever possible I would always inform you of any impending breach and aim to gain your consent for sharing information.
These are:
Legal duties for breaching confidentiality
Acts of terrorism or acts of terror – I am legally obligated to report any planning or acts of terrorism, or funding of terror activities to the police.
Money laundering – I am legally obligated to report this.
Drug trafficking – I am legally obligated to report this.
Court Order or Coroner’s request – I am legally obligated to comply with these.
Ethical and moral responsibilities for breaching confidentiality
Danger to yourself – If I felt that you were in danger and there was an imminent risk of serious self-harm or suicide, or you were at risk of abuse or neglect, I may need to contact the necessary safeguarding organisations, such as your GP or the police, to allow me to help keep you safe. This is a permitted reason for breaking confidentiality.
Danger to others (children) – If I learn or believe that you pose a danger to any person under the age of 18 (either sexually, physically, emotionally or through neglect, including Female Genital Mutilation) I will follow the necessary safeguarding children’s procedures for Kent County Council. If I feel that discussing my concerns with you will increase the risk of danger, I will raise my concerns without your knowledge or consent. This is a permitted reason for breaking confidentiality.
Danger to others (vulnerable adults) – If I learn or believe that you pose a danger to any vulnerable person over the age of 18 (either sexually, physically, emotionally, financially or through neglect, including human trafficking and modern slavery) I will follow the necessary safeguarding vulnerable adult’s procedures for Kent County Council and contact the Police is necessary. If I feel that discussing my concerns with you will increase the risk of danger or harm, I will raise my concerns without your knowledge or consent. This is a permitted reason for breaking confidentiality.