Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 12 September 2026

Protecting your privacy is important to us at Shifted Perspective. This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What Information I Collect

Depending on how you contact me and whether you become a client, I may collect:

  • Identification and contact details: Name, address, telephone number, email address, GP details and emergency contact details.

  • Demographic information: Age, gender, date of birth.

  • Medical and Health information: Mental and physical health history, current difficulties, medical conditions, medications, risk information, therapy goals, and questionnaires completed during therapy.

  • Social and personal information: Employment, education, family and social support, lifestyle.

  • Financial information: Payment records, invoice information and your name as it appears on bank transfers.

Please avoid including highly sensitive personal or medical information within your initial website enquiry where possible.

How Your Information Is Collected

Information may be collected when you:

  • Complete the website enquiry form.

  • Contact me by email or telephone.

  • Complete assessment, consent or registration forms.

  • Attend therapy sessions.

  • Complete questionnaires during therapy.

  • Make payments for sessions.

Why I Collect Your Information

I collect and use your information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and determine whether my services are appropriate for your needs.

  • Arrange appointments, send appointment reminders and communicate with you about your therapy.

  • Provide safe and effective psychological therapy.

  • Maintain accurate clinical records for legal, professional and clinical purposes.

  • Process payments and maintain financial records.

  • Meet legal and professional obligations, including safeguarding responsibilities, reporting serious risks where required and complying with professional standards.

  • Improve the quality of my services through service evaluation, quality improvement activities and, where appropriate, anonymised research relating to mental health.

  • Send information about new services, workshops or events that may be of interest to you, where you have given your consent to receive such communications.

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Information

The law requires me to have a valid reason for collecting and using your personal information.

I process your information because:

  • It is necessary to provide the therapy services you have requested.

  • It enables me to communicate with you, arrange appointments and manage my practice safely and effectively.

  • I have legal and professional responsibilities to maintain clinical records and, in limited circumstances, share information to protect you or others.

  • Your health information is collected because it is necessary to provide appropriate healthcare and psychological therapy.

Where I ask for your consent (for example, to send marketing communications or record a therapy session), you are free to withdraw your consent at any time.

How Your Information Is Protected

Protecting your information is extremely important to me.

I take appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep your information secure, including:

  • Secure encrypted electronic record systems.

  • Password-protected laptop and mobile devices.

  • Strong passwords and two-factor authentication where available.

  • Secure cloud-based storage where appropriate.

  • Up-to-date antivirus and security software.

  • Restricted access to personal information.

  • Locked storage for any paper records.

I regularly review my security procedures to maintain good practice and reduce the risk of unauthorised access.

Sharing Your Information

Your information is treated confidentially and will not normally be shared without your knowledge or consent.

However, information may be shared where:

  • There is a serious risk of harm to yourself or another person.

  • There are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult.

  • Disclosure is required by law or court order.

  • There is information relating to terrorism or other serious criminal activity.

Wherever possible, I will discuss any need to share information with you beforehand.

Where you have been referred by another professional or organisation, I may provide agreed updates with your consent.

Clinical Supervision and Session Recordings

To ensure safe, ethical and effective practice, I engage in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development in accordance with BABCP standards.

During supervision, I may discuss aspects of my clinical work. Wherever possible, client information is anonymised and no identifying information is shared. My clinical supervisor is also bound by professional standards of confidentiality and data protection.

Occasionally, I may ask for your written consent to audio or video record a therapy session for clinical supervision, professional development or other professional requirements. You are under no obligation to agree, and choosing not to be recorded will not affect the therapy you receive.

Any recordings will be stored securely using encrypted, password-protected systems and accessed only by myself and, where appropriate, my clinical supervisor. Recordings that are not required will be deleted promptly. Any recordings used for supervision will be securely deleted once they have fulfilled their intended purpose.

Data Retention

Clinical records are retained for seven years following the end of therapy in accordance with professional guidance.

Financial records are retained for the period required by HMRC.

At the end of the relevant retention period, records are securely destroyed or permanently deleted.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information I hold about you.

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

  • Request erasure of your information where applicable.

  • Object to certain types of processing.

  • Request a copy of your information in a portable format where appropriate.

  • Withdraw your consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

Please note that some of these rights may be limited where I have legal, ethical or professional obligations to retain information.

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, or have any questions about how your personal information is used, please contact Shifted Perspective at [email address]. I will respond to your request in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

Website Cookies

My website may use essential cookies to ensure it functions correctly.

If non-essential cookies, such as analytics or marketing cookies, are used, you will be informed through a cookie banner and given the opportunity to manage your preferences.

Third-Party Services

To help me provide my services safely and efficiently, I use trusted third-party providers who may process your personal information on my behalf. These providers are expected to comply with UK data protection legislation and maintain appropriate security standards.

Current providers include:

  • Squarespace – My website is hosted by Squarespace. If you submit an enquiry through my website, the information you provide is securely transmitted and processed via Squarespace.

  • Google (Gmail) – I use Gmail to communicate with clients. While reasonable steps are taken to keep emails secure, email is not always a fully secure method of communication. Please avoid sending highly sensitive personal or medical information by email where possible.

  • Google Meet – Where online therapy sessions are offered, they are conducted using Google Meet. Google Meet uses encryption to help protect communications. Clients are encouraged to join sessions from a private location using a secure internet connection to help maintain confidentiality.

  • Banking Provider – If you pay by bank transfer, your bank and my banking provider will process your payment details as part of the transaction.

CCTV

Shifted Perspective operates from a dedicated therapy room located within the grounds of my home, with separate side access for clients.

For the security of my home and everyone attending the property, CCTV operates on the driveway and side access leading to the therapy room. As a result, clients may be captured on CCTV when arriving at or leaving appointments.

CCTV footage is used solely for security purposes and is not used to monitor therapy sessions.

Footage is stored securely, accessed only where necessary (for example, following a security incident), and retained only for as long as reasonably necessary before being automatically deleted.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how your personal information has been handled, I encourage you to contact me first so I can try to resolve the matter.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in legislation, professional guidance or the way Shifted Perspective operates.

The most recent version will always be available on the Shifted Perspective website. Existing clients may request a copy at any time.