Privacy Policy

Emma Johnson Therapies’ Privacy Policy

I, Emma Johnson, am registered as a Data Controller and Processor with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and I endeavour to abide by their guidelines. 

In line with the General Data Protection Regulation effective from May 2018, this policy sets out how Emma Johnson Therapies uses and protects the information you provide when using my services and accessing my website. I aim to ensure any data you provide is kept securely, managed respectfully and only used for the purposes for which it has been provided. This policy will be updated periodically in line with current legislation. It explains what personal information I may collect and what I will do with it and not do with it and who will or won’t have access to it and under what conditions.

When you contact me via my website, phone or email I may collect your: 1) Name; 2) Email Address; 3) Telephone Number; 4) Any information you choose to supply regarding the purpose of your enquiry. I use this information in order to make contact with you to discuss your requirements. I may also use this information so that I may improve my services. 

In line with my therapeutic and ethical standards I do not contact my clients or potential clients for promotional purposes. I will only contact a potential client when they have requested it themselves or for the purposes of arranging and re-arranging appointments requested by them and to generally and appropriately communicate with clients in the normal course of administering a therapeutic service. I do not send newsletters. I do not ask for testimonials. I do not ask for post-therapy updates or for feedback although if client chooses themselves to offer this then it is always welcomed.

If you make an appointment to see me, I will give you a copy of this Privacy Policy so that you are aware in advance how I will use information provided in the course of our sessions together. I will ask you at your appointment to sign your consent to this privacy policy. 

At or after our first meeting I will ask you to complete a Client Form & Contract. I will ask you for your GP contact details and some basic health information. The purpose of this information is to help me tailor the therapy to your unique needs and requirements. Also, there are some conditions that are contraindicated for hypnotherapy and sometimes there are circumstances where it may be necessary to contact your GP before commencing therapy. I will inform you of this at our first appointment should this appear appropriate. 

If any professional or any other person shares any of your personal information with me I will let you know what has been shared and store such information securely and confidentially.

I will ask you for details of your next of kin. This is used only in emergency situations or where you have specifically requested that I contact your next of kin.

In the course of our sessions: I will keep notes that record the progress of therapy with the intention of providing a consistent, effective and ethical service and to offer an individualised treatment plan which may include one to one therapy (including face to face work and by Skype/Zoom and telephone) and work and to produce personalised hypnotic scripts which will be used in session and/or which can be sent to you to listen to between sessions. 

I may use your email address for the purposes of sending you a recording to listen to as part of the therapy or instructions for particular therapeutic tools and techniques that can be self-applied. 

It may be necessary to send emails, texts or telephone messages to confirm or rearrange appointments or for communication regarding payment. 

You do not have to consent to the collection of information, however, if you choose not to provide it I may not be able to work with you. 

After therapy is terminated: In line with the requirements of my Governing Bodies, I will retain your records for 8 years on computer or hard copy. After 8 years I will shred any paperwork and delete any computerised information.

For the purposes of clarity, I do not receive or retain your bank details. 

Under the General Data Protection Regulations which are effective from May 2018 you have the following rights: 

1. the right to be informed (which is why I have produced this policy).
2. the right of access: if you wish to see your file then please make a request in writing to the Data Processor: Emma Johnson, The Amethyst Clinic, Selsdon, Surrey CR2 8LE. I will provide you with the information within 30 days of your request. 
3. the right to rectification: this is your right to request changes to any information I hold that is factually inaccurate. If you believe any of the information I hold on you is incorrect then please let me know as soon as possible and I will make the relevant changes. 
4. the right to erasure: given the nature of our work I am required to hold your details for a period of 8 years, after this your information will be securely destroyed. 
5. the right to restrict processing: I will only use the information for the purposes that I have stated above. 
6. the right to data portability: If you ask me to transfer the information I hold to another clinician then I will do so. I will not share your information without your specific consent, other than in the situations described above. 
7. the right to object: to me using your personal data for any particular purpose. I will not contact you for marketing purposes. 
8. the right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling: I will not use your information for profiling purposes. 

Confidentiality and Data Protection: I uphold the common law principles of confidentiality where the duty to keep confidence is balanced against the concept of ‘greater good’. If, in my opinion as a therapist, there is good reason to believe that not to disclose certain information would cause serious danger or harm to the client, to me (as the therapist) or to others then a GP or other appropriate agencies may be contacted. Only information required to ensure safety of relevant parties would be disclosed. Information may have to be disclosed without consent for the prevention, detection or prosecution of a crime. I cannot withhold information where there is a Court Order. The sharing of anonymous case histories with clinical supervisors and peer support groups is not a breach of professional confidentiality.

Cookies: Cookies are small files which ask your permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive so that it can analyse web traffic to my website. Through this I can see which of my website's pages are being viewed. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can modify your settings to decline them if you prefer. If you choose to do this, you may find that you cannot make full use of my website. 

Links to other websites: My website may, from time to time, contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you use these links please be aware that you have left my website and I do not have any control over other websites. I cannot be held responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide when visiting such sites and these sites are not governed by my privacy policy. Please exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website you are visiting. 

I am subject to the ICO’s complaints procedures.

ICO Registration No Z1729688