In May 2018, the data protection act was replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The changes to the Data Protection Act are aimed at ensuring your personal, confidential and sometimes sensitive data, is held privately and securely.  This means that any data you give to me must be processed in a way you agree with.  GDPR exists to protect your rights as a consumer. It applies to your identifiable data, e.g. your name and address and any reason and you might have for visiting Sensus Clinical Hypnotherapy. It also covers any session records, text messages or emails between us.

GDPR insists that I must hold onto your data for eight years after your final session. However, the rule for children is different and GDPR stipulates that their data must be held until their 25th birthday.  The exception to this rule applies to young adults whose treatment ends when they are 17 years old, when I must keep their records until they reach their 26th birthday.  Client records will be destroyed in the January after the dates given above.  This is in line with NHS regulations for holding data. Under the GDPR rules, you can request the deletion of any of your records at any time.  Simply write to me requesting that your records are destroyed and once I have confirmed your identity I will do so.  There is no charge for this service.  I will then ensure that all your paper records are shredded with a cross-shredding machine.  Any electronic data held by me, such as emails or texts will be permanent deleted from the devices they are stored on.  In line with GDPR, if you send me a request in writing, specifying the data that you wish to see, I will supply you with a copy of your data within 30 days.  I will need to confirm your identity before sending you the information. There will be no charge for this service.

I am keen to offer the highest quality support to my clients and to do so I will collect the following information:

• An idea of what you would like to achieve by coming for hypnotherapy.
• A small amount of medical information.
• Some briefing session notes.
• Your contact details.
• GP contact details.

This information allows me to provide continuity within the sessions, to help you towards your goal. This information will allow me to refer to the content of earlier sessions and previous discussions. I only use your contact details/address and GP’s details with your explicit consent.

Everything discussed with me during your sessions remains strictly confidential. Occasionally it may be necessary for me to discuss elements of your sessions with my supervisor to ensure that I’m helping you in the most effective way. However, no identifying features about you will be disclosed during these discussions.

I am obliged by GDPR to always protect your confidentiality.  So, for this reason I will not initiate conversation with you if I see you out and about unless you choose to do so! (Please feel free to say hello to me first).

I am only able to contact other health and social care professionals with your written consent I do have a “duty of care” towards my clients, so the only exceptions to this would be if I believed that you were about to harm yourself or others. Should this occur then I would be required to inform the relevant authorities. However, I would always aim to discuss this with you before taking any action. Legally, I would also have to provide the police with information as set out in a warrant or court order, should the situation arise.

Lisa Sinclair is a member of the AfSFH and NCH and adheres to their terms of conduct.