Data Protection and Privacy Page
Your privacy is very important to Sharon Riches. Sharon meets the high standard for data privacy in line with the General Data Protection (GDPR) which came into effect on the 25 May 2018.
Sharon Riches processes your personal data to manage your treatment in therapy and to contact you in accordance with local GDPR as applicable and as described in more detail below:
Categories of personal data
The categories of data collected and processed by Sharon Riches include but are not limited to the following:
- Name and contact information, including home address, GP details, email and telephone numbers.
- Date of birth or age.
- Information recorded in our initial assessment to assess suitability for therapy.
How data is collected
Data will be collected in the following ways and are all subject to the same level of privacy:
- Data entered into the contact form on the Sharon Riches Counselling and Hypnotherapy website.
- Data collected via a telephone conversation.
- Data collected via email.
- Data collected during a face to face meeting.
Purpose of Processing
Your personal data is processed for the purpose of therapy, including:
- Identifying you as the client.
- Maintaining an accurate treatment plan.
- Communicating information to you about your therapy, by telephone, post, text or email.
- Transfer of monies in respect of fees paid electronically.
Your data will never be shared with other companies for marketing purposes.
Access to data
If you wish to access your personal data that is processed by Sharon Riches, please contact Sharon in writing via letter or email to sharon@sharonriches.co.uk. Or Sharon Riches, 8 Cheviot Gardens, Downswood, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8TE.
Data security
Sharon Riches maintains reasonable precautions to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Sharon Riches stores all paper records in a locked filling cabinet, to which only Sharon Riches has the key, electronic records are stored and password protected.
Health Hosts has servers all over the world, as well as back up servers. They have confirmed they meet the relevant conditions of GDPR in relation to data transfer both in and outside of the EU. You can read their privacy policy at https://www.healthhosts.com/privacy-policy/.
Data retention
Sharon Riches will retain your personal data for a period not exceeding seven years following the end of the therapeutic relationship.
Rights to be forgotten
If you require your personal data to be deleted please contact Sharon Riches either by post or email and all data will be deleted, except that which is required for legal reasons.
Transfers and disclosures
Sharon Riches will, on occasion, discuss your treatment with her supervisor/s who are bound by the same ethics, confidentiality and data protection regulation. Within this process your identity will remain confidential.
Sharon Riches will not transfer of disclose your personal data to others except in exceptional circumstances (such as risk to your life or the life of others, or risk to children or when required by law). In this case your consent will be sought if at all possible.
Promotion and publicity material
No personal data will be disclosed to others.
Anonymised testimonials may be used on the Sharon Riches Counselling and Hypnotherapy website or Sharon Riches Counselling and Hypnotherapy Business Facebook page which are owned by Sharon Riches with the authors permission.
Complaints Procedure
In the event of a complain, in the first instance you are encouraged to speak to Sharon Riches directly. If that does not prove satisfactory you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office on 0303 123 1113 or via their website, ico.org.uk.
Agreement to process Personal Data
By continuing to use www.sharonriches.co.uk website you are agreeing to the policies set out in this document.