Client Privacy Notice

Last updated: June 2026

Your Privacy

Protecting your privacy is an important part of my professional and ethical practice. I am committed to handling your personal information with care, respect and transparency, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is stored, how it is used, and your rights.

Who I am

Christine Cummins Psychotherapy

Data Controller: Christine Cummins

Email: cc-cft@outlook.com

ICO Registration Number: ZC204263

If you have any questions about how your information is handled, please feel free to ask at any time.

What information I collect

To provide therapy safely and effectively, I may collect the following information:

  • Name

  • Date of birth

  • Address

  • Telephone number

  • Email address

  • Emergency contact or next of kin details

  • Relevant information about your current circumstances

  • Information you choose to share during therapy

I only collect information that is necessary to provide a safe, ethical and effective therapeutic service.

Clinical notes

I keep brief clinical notes following each session to support continuity of care and to help me provide a safe and effective therapeutic service.

These notes are intentionally concise and record only the information necessary to support our work together. They are not a transcript of our conversations.

How your information is stored

Your personal information is stored using secure, password-protected systems.

Your personal details, including your name, date of birth, address, contact details and emergency contact information, are stored within a password-protected electronic spreadsheet.

Clinical notes are stored securely on a reMarkable 2 device, which is certified to the ISO/IEC 27001:2023 information security standard.

Access to your information is restricted to me. I take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse or disclosure.

Online therapy

Where therapy is provided online, sessions are conducted using Microsoft Teams.

I take reasonable steps to ensure that online sessions are private and secure. I will always conduct sessions from a private office where I am alone, and where conversations cannot be overheard or viewed by anyone else. My devices are password protected and appropriate security measures are in place to help safeguard your personal information.

Microsoft Teams incorporates security features, including encrypted communications and user authentication. However, no internet-based platform can guarantee absolute security. If I become aware of any issue that could affect the confidentiality of our sessions, I will discuss this with you as soon as possible.

To help maintain confidentiality, I ask that you also choose a private space for your session wherever possible, use a secure internet connection, and take reasonable steps to ensure that you cannot be overheard or interrupted during our appointment.

Financial information

I do not store your bank account or payment card details.

Payments are made using your chosen payment method. I retain only the information necessary for accounting and tax purposes, such as payment dates, invoice numbers and amounts received.

How your information is used

Your information is used solely for purposes connected with providing therapy. This includes:

  • Contacting you regarding appointments.

  • Providing therapeutic services.

  • Maintaining appropriate clinical records.

  • Meeting legal, ethical and professional obligations.

  • Maintaining appropriate financial records.

I will only use your information for the purposes for which it was collected.

Professional supervision

As part of safe and ethical practice, I regularly attend professional supervision.

Your work may be discussed within supervision to support safe and effective practice. Wherever possible, identifying information is kept to an absolute minimum. My supervisor is also bound by professional and ethical duties of confidentiality.

Couples and family therapy

As a systemic psychotherapist, I sometimes work with couples and families. This means that my records may include information shared by more than one person.

I will handle this information with care and in accordance with my professional, ethical and legal responsibilities. Where information relates to more than one individual, I will carefully consider everyone's rights to privacy and confidentiality before responding to requests for access.

Confidentiality

Everything discussed within therapy is treated as confidential.

I will never sell, rent or share your personal information or the content of our therapeutic conversations with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.

There are, however, a small number of circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken. These include where:

  • there is a serious concern that you or another person may be at significant risk of harm;

  • disclosure is required by law or by a court order;

  • professional or regulatory obligations require information to be shared.

Wherever possible, I will discuss any proposed disclosure with you before sharing information.

Sharing your information

Your personal information will not be shared with third parties without your knowledge unless:

  • you have given your consent;

  • I am legally required to do so;

  • there is a safeguarding concern or serious risk of harm;

  • disclosure is required by my professional, ethical or regulatory obligations.

Where third-party providers support the running of my practice (for example, secure email, online meeting platforms or website services), they process information only as necessary to provide those services and are required to maintain appropriate standards of security and confidentiality.

How long your information is kept

Your records are retained for seven years after therapy ends, in line with professional practice, legal requirements and the conditions of my professional indemnity insurance.

When this retention period has ended, your records will be securely destroyed or permanently deleted using appropriate methods to protect your confidentiality.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information I hold about you.

  • Request correction of inaccurate information.

  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

  • Request erasure of information where this is appropriate and lawful.

  • Object to certain types of processing.

  • Request a copy of the personal information you have provided.

Some of these rights may be limited where professional, legal or safeguarding responsibilities apply.

If you have any questions about how your information is stored or used, please ask. I will be happy to discuss this with you.

Questions or complaints

If you have any concerns about how your personal information has been handled, I hope you will raise them with me first so that we can try to resolve them together.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority for data protection.

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Thank you for taking the time to read this notice. I believe that openness, transparency and mutual trust form an important part of the therapeutic relationship. If anything in this notice is unclear, please feel free to ask.