Helen Arnold Counselling
Counselling and Psychotherapy in Derbyshire and Online
Privacy Policy
Introduction
Your privacy is very important to me and you can be confident that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was given to me. I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679) (the GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
This privacy notice tells you what I will do with your personal information from initial point of contact through to after your therapy has ended, including:
- Why I am able to process your information and what purpose I am processing it for
- Whether you have to provide it to me
- How long I store it for
- Whether there are other recipients of your personal information
- Whether I intend to transfer it to another country,
- Whether I do automated decision-making or profiling, and
- Your data protection rights
‘Data controller’ is the term used to describe the person/organisation that collects and stores and has responsibility for people’s personal data. In this instance, the data controller is me. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, registration number: A8653537.
My lawful basis for holding and using your personal information:
The GDPR states that I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. There are different lawful bases depending on the stage at which I am processing your data. I have explained these below:
If you have had therapy with me and it has now ended, I will use legitimate interest as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information.
If you are currently having therapy or if you are in contact with me to consider therapy, I will process your personal data where it is necessary for the performance of our contract.
The GDPR also makes sure that I look after any sensitive personal information that you may disclose to me appropriately. This type of information is called ‘special category personal information’. The lawful basis for me processing any special categories of personal information is that it is for provision of health treatment (in this case counselling) and necessary for a contract with a health professional (in this case, a contract between me and you).
Initial contact:
When you contact me with an enquiry about my counselling services I will collect information to help me satisfy your enquiry. This will include your name, contact details and the concerns that you gave, or trusted individual may give me when making an enquiry on your behalf. If you decide not to proceed I will ensure all your personal data is deleted within a week (usually If you would like me to delete this information sooner, just let me know.)
While we are working together:
Everything you discuss with me is confidential. That confidentiality will only be broken if you or somebody else is at risk. I will always try to speak to you about this first, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this. I will keep a record of your personal details to help the counselling services run smoothly. These details are kept securely locked away and are not shared with any third party.I keep minimal written notes of each session, these are kept in a locked filing cabinet and contain no identifying details. For security reason I am the only person who can access my phone and computer.
I do not do automated decision making or profiling.
After counselling has ended:
Once counselling has ended your records will be kept in accordance with BACP, insurance and GDPR guidelines and then securely destroyed. If you want me to delete your information sooner than this, please tell me.
Third party recipients of personal data:
I do not share your data with third parties unless you are, for example, in danger and in need of emergency assistance. For this reason, when we are working remotely (by phone or online meeting platform) I will check where you are during the session. I do not transfer your data outside the UK.
Your rights:
I try to be as open as I can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. You have a right to ask me to delete your personal information, to limit how I use your personal information, or to stop processing your personal information. You also have a right to ask for a copy of any information that I hold about you and to object to the use of your personal data in some circumstances.
If I do hold information about you, you can ask me to:
- Give you a description of it and where it came from
- Tell you why I am holding its, tell you how long I will store your data and how I made this decision
- Tell you who it could be disclosed to
- Let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form
- You can also ask me at any time to correct any mistakes there may be in the personal information I hold about you
To make a request for any personal information I may hold about you, please put the request in writing addressing it to: Helen Arnold, Overdale, Will Shore's Lane, Oker, Matlock. DE4 2JL.
If you have any complaint about how I handle your personal data please do not hesitate to get in touch with me by writing or emailing to the contact details given above. I would welcome any suggestions for improving my data protection procedures.
If we cannot satisfactorily resolve the situation together and you want to make a formal complaint about the way I have processed your personal information you can contact the ICO which is the statutory body that oversees data protection law in the UK. For more information go to https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
You can read more about your rights at https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/.
Visitors to my website:
When someone visits my website, I use a third party service, Webhealer (https://www.webhealer.net/privacy-policy/), to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. I do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way that does not identify anyone. I do not make, and do not allow Webhealer to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting my website.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can call or text me on +44 7599 624541, fill in the contact form or book a free consultation online.
I usually respond to enquiries by the end of the next working day and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services. Find out more by reading my Privacy Policy.
Some frequently asked questions
I work in person at my office in Oker and the Matlock Therapy Centre, as well as on-line and by phone.
You may find meeting in person and having counselling away from distractions or the fear of friends or family overhearing is preferable. It can feel good to use this safe space for the work we do and leave it behind when you leave the office. My Oker office is in a peaceful rural setting with breathtaking views over the Peak District National Park, while the Matlock Therapy Centre is conveniently located in central Matlock and offers a calm, comfortable place for your counselling sessions.
If you struggle to get out or live too far away, on-line and telephone counselling have proved to be very effective and of course you may find that a blend of in person and online fits better into your busy lifestyle. We can discuss and revise your options at any time during therapy.
Counselling costs £50 per session. Face to face clients can pay by cash, cheque or BACS at the start of each session. On-line and phone clients usually pay by BACS before their session. Prices will increase annually.
50 minutes.
Yes. 24 hours notice of cancellation is required or the full fee for the missed session will be charged.
Talk to me! Life is full of endings big and small, many relationships and experiences end badly with bad feelings, arguments, unspoken feelings, or just drift, leaving you with unfinished business. I’m big enough to discuss ending without pressuring you or acting up so lets explore your feelings and work towards a healthy, empowering ending together. For that reason I will always offer you an ending session but never insist. An ending session could be an opportunity to celebrate the changes you’ve made, to remember the highs and lows and to think about what might trip you up so you can spot early warning signs and take action. Working towards an ending, perhaps with a planned tapering-off of sessions is even better. Once we have ended I respectfully and confidentially dispose of all data relating to you. If you want a break from counselling we can arrange that together. I won’t pressure you in any direction. I’ll continue to store your data safely during that time.
By being a member of the BACP I’m demonstrating my commitment to my work, my clients and my profession. I joined when I was a trainee, first as a student member, then a registered member when I graduated (MBACP), and now MBACP (Accred). The BACP says ‘BACP accreditation schemes aim to recognise the achievement of high standards of knowledge, experience and development in counselling and psychotherapy.’
Counselling is a lot about talking and listening. It’s talking and listening with someone who is completely focussed on you and your well-being, who can hold the good, the bad and the ugly. As a counsellor, I work relationally and don’t advise, coach or give you standard exercises to do. There are enough podcasts, soundbites and inspirational sayings out there. Some of them are brilliant but none of them can get to know and care about you as a unique person.
Hearing yourself say things out loud that you may hesitate to air elsewhere, and knowing that you are being heard, forms new neural pathways and helps you untangle the emotional knots that are holding you back from fully living your life. I’m trained and experienced in holding and guiding that process.
If it feels helpful, we might use paper and pens, pencils or charcoal to organise what’s happened or how you’re feeling. I’ve even arranged burning of harmful and hurtful experiences once they’ve been discovered in distant memories, and recorded on paper in sessions. I also have playdough and fidget toys if they’re soothing. Or we can just talk, there’s no pressure to take part in activities.
My aim is to support you whilst you work out what to do.
Together, we can determine the right pace and direction for your therapy, ensuring that it is tailored to you and your goals.
I adhere to the BACP Code of Ethics, which prioritizes the well-being and individual needs of each client. Just as every person who seeks counselling is unique, so too is the relationship we build and the duration of our work together.
With experience in short, medium, and long-term engagements, I can offer flexibility to suit your specific needs. After our free consultation, I typically recommend we commit to 4-6 sessions. This initial period allows us both to explore our working relationship and assess how effectively we collaborate.
Clients often feel immediate relief from getting things off their chests but I always point out that can, at times, feel worse before it gets better because you’ll be exploring your story and situation and all of the accompanying feelings. I liken it to cleaning a wound safely and with care – it might hurt at times, and it’s ok to tell me that so we can decide how to proceed. Also, I’ll be keeping an eye on how you are managing and work accordingly. Sometimes there will be lightbulb moments or others when you plateau or feel stuck. Bring those feelings to your session so we can explore them together.
Great question! No I’m not perfect, I’m utterly human. I’m a human who, like everyone else, has lived through a full spectrum of experiences. I’ve had plenty of therapy, all therapists should, and when I chose to become a counsellor I undertook a gruelling training and have remained committed to developing my professional skills and self care so I have the capacity to hold the work you and I do together. Wounded healer? Isn’t everyone a little bit scarred? But it doesn’t have to stop us living full and joyful lives.
If you are a regular client I may be able to confirm that you have been attending therapy, giving dates and confirming, with your permission, an outline of why you first attended therapy. I keep minimal notes. I don’t give expert opinions or offer diagnoses or prognoses.