Privacy Notice & protection of your data

Come Alongside is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read the following in order to learn more about Come Alongside's privacy policy and information collection and use practices. This policy applies to data collected via forms and the website.

What information do I collect?

Counselling requests; registering with me to request access to counselling can be done online or via telephone. This process involves providing your name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers, email address, GP details and relevant medical details.
Other information including your availability, therapeutic issues, and other details which I may deem relevant to processing your request may also be collected.
Third parties - You may have found me through Google, Psychology Today or BACP (the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists); the way in which they collect data is subject to their own Privacy Policies.

What do I use your information for?

I use information held about you in the following ways:

To provide clients with a professional counselling service
To offer suitable counselling appointments, and to assess whether Come Alongside can offer a service suited to your needs.
To notify you about changes to your appointments and other changes to our services.
To seek feedback from you on your experience of counselling with me.
To improve my service to ensure that it is provided in the most effective manner for you and for me.
To administer my service, including the arrangement of appointments and the handling of payments control.

What information do I share?

I will not share any information about you with other organisations or people, except in the following situations:
Consent – I may share your information with professional carers or others whom you have requested or agreed we should contact.
Anonymity - Like all reputable therapists I meet regularly with a Supervisor with whom I may share aspects of your case. This is to ensure I am giving clients the best possible service. Clients' anonymity is protected through the use of restricted information.

Serious harm – I may share your information with relevant authorities if I have reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being caused to you or another person, but I will endeavour to discuss this with you first to obtain your consent.
Compliance with law – I may share your information where I am required to by law or by the regulations and other rules to which we are subject.

.How do I keep your information safe?

All information you provide is stored as securely as possible. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Although Come Alongside does its best to protect your information I cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to via email, including forms completed on the Come Alongside website which are transmitted by email; any transmission is at your own risk.

Your rights

You have the right to ask us to provide a copy of the information held Come Alongside records. You may withdraw your consent for Come Alongside to hold and process your data at any time. However, if you do this while actively receiving counselling your counselling would have to end.

Cookies

Come Alongside does not use cookies to collect any personal information on the website, or to share your browsing behaviour with any third party except:

Google Analytics – Like hundreds or thousands of websites you visit, Come Alongside may make use Google Analytics to collect generic, anonymous data from all visitors to monitor how the website is used. This data is shared with Google in return for the service they provide.

Cookies - If you are aware of, or find any other cookies on this website, please contact Come Alongside know immediately as they have not been installed by me!

Changes to this policy

I may edit this policy from time to time. If I make any substantial changes I will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on the website.