As an accredited Core Process psychotherapist I am bound by the professional codes of my the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
The codes of UKCP, in combination with the AVG law (Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming =GDPR General data protection regulation) ask for your specific consent for keeping your data. Because you signed a contract for psychotherapy with me, I keep a file according to the current regulations. I use these data to be able to work as a therapist with you.
Which information is kept?
– An administrative file: contact details (name, birth date, address, phone numbers, email-address)
– A professional file: notes of sessions, with may include information on your mental and physical health, race, political views, sexuality, religion1, name of your GP.
With whom is the information shared?
– I keep and use this information for myself in order to follow the process of our work, and to be able to communicate with my supervisor. My supervisor has no entrance to your files.
– I may communicate on your case with colleagues or in intervision groups. This is always anonymous and not reducible.
– Only with your consent will information be shared to other caregivers.
– Only in rare circumstances, a judge might oblige me to share information. Should this happen, I will discuss this with you first.
– When something serious happens to me and I cannot inform you that your therapy cannot proceed, your administrative file will be shared to a specifically for this purpose appointed psychotherapist who will inform you.
How are your data kept?
– I keep the administrative file separated from the professional file.
– My PC and smartphone are secured by a password. The data on the PC are additionally protected by encryption. I do not keep a professional file on my smartphone.
– My insurance company asks me to save your files for 7 years. After this time they will be deleted.
What are your rights?
You have:
– The right to see into your file, without costs, within one month of asking for it.
– The right to change or delete information. We can discuss together which information you mean. I would like you to ask me this question on a written note. When there is a current complaint, a legal procedure, or when deleting the files prohibits me to work competently, I can object against deleting the files.
– The right to withdraw your consent to use the data as above decribed.
Should you have a complaint about my data handling according to the AVG/GPDR law, I wish you to discuss this with me first. There is a possibility to complain with the ‘autoriteit persoonsgegevens’: Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens.