Privacy Policy

This privacy notice sets out how Optimal Mind and Body uses and protects any information that you give us when you visit this website or when you contact us by other means and the lawful basis under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR.)

Children and young people under the age of 16 must have the consent of their parent, guardian, or carer to contact us via the website or by phone.

Consent to hold your personal data

Optimal Mind and Body is committed to ensuring that we protect your privacy and will seek your explicit written consent to hold personal data about you, specifically and only for the purposes of providing counselling to you. We may analyse the data you provide us for the purpose of providing the best possible service to you.

You can be assured that all this information is held securely and will only be used in accordance with data protection principles. Leanne Duthie is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adheres to the BACP ethical framework for Good Practice. Leanne will honour the confidence and trust you place in her.

The basis on which we hold or share information about you is outlined below as well as the limits around confidentiality

You have the right access to the information we hold or share information about you and to amend or ask for the deletion of information that may not be accurate or correct. Please contact us if you wish to view the data that Optimal Mind and Body holds about you. OMB will not hold your data for longer than is deemed necessary for the purposes of counselling and follow best practices and legal guidance. If you wish to know how long we hold data or notes, please contact us.

By visiting the website, you are agreeing to the contents of this Privacy Notice.

The types of personal data collected

Whether or not you become a client of Optimal Mind and Body, we will use your personal data for the purposes of initiating counselling for you. We collect most of this information during first contact and assessment. We will advise you if any of this data is optional. 

At first contact

We will collect the following information to establish if we can provide you with counselling:

• Your name.
• Your gender.
• Date of birth.
• Contact information including your telephone number, address and email.
• Other information relevant to you engaging in counselling. For example, the name of your medical practice, any long-term conditions you may have and details of any medication you are taking.
• Information about any disability or communication difficulty you may have.
• At first contact you may also choose whether to share a brief description of what is bringing you for counselling.

Initial Assessment

At the initial assessment, you will be asked to sign Optimal Mind and Body’s informed consent to give us permission to process your data and information about your healthcare professionals and emergency contact details.

During Counselling

• Anonymised counselling notes – your identity is protected, and these notes are not shared with anyone unless we are legally required to do so or the client specifically requests, that we share them with another third party, which we have the right to refuse to do.
• Personal data that identifies you and counselling notes are held separately and securely to protect your anonymity.
• You have the right to view these notes and you would be advised of any request to share your notes.
• These notes are the property of Optimal Mind and Body and not the client.

What we do with the information we gather

Optimal Mind and Body collects this information to understand your clinical and other needs from counselling and to provide you with a better service, for the following reasons:

• Internal record keeping.
• To assist with clinical assessment and the collaboration between your counsellor and personal trainer.

The lawful basis and purpose of holding this data is to ensure we can meet the terms for providing a contract for counselling with you. It is also to ensure good governance. 

We also use your personal data to meet any legal obligations placed upon us, for instance when you exercise your rights to see what data we hold under our data protection law or to meet any legal compliance placed on us; or occasions where we may be obliged to disclose information related to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk.

Your written consent will be sought at assessment for the need to meet possible disclosure to other bodies and for when we process any special categories of sensitive personal data about you, such as gender, sexual orientation, or biometric data, (when processed data is anonymised.)

Where your personal data is stored 

Optimal Mind and Body will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy notice.

All information you provide is stored securely and information held on computers is held on secure servers. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the Internet cannot be completely secure. We have security measures in place to protect your personal data, but we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site, particularly by email; any transmission is at your own risk. 

Security  

Optimal Mind and Body is committed to making sure your information is secure. There are suitable and appropriate physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Controlling your personal information

We do not share your personal information with anyone else unless in exceptional circumstances we may be required by law and our ethical responsibilities to break our confidentiality with you.

We would discuss this with you first wherever possible but if you do not give consent, we may still have to disclose information. This relates to situations where you may be at risk of harm, causing harm to others, safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk, acts of terrorism and unreported road traffic accidents where we are under legal obligations.

Access to information

You have the right of access to the personal information we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR and the right of access to your client notes. 

You can contact us or email us if you wish to examine what we hold and believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete. Steps will be taken to correct any information we hold.

There is no charge to access this information and it will be provided to you within one week unless circumstances require longer, but this will not exceed a month in any event. 

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners’ Office in connection with enforcement and compliance with data protection law at www.ico.org.uk.

Complains Procedure 

If you have a concern or complaint about our service, please email optimalmindandbody.co.uk and we will aim to resolve your issue as soon as possible.

If we are unable to resolve your issue informally and you decide to make a formal complaint, please refer to BACP guidelines found at bacp.co.uk or alternatively email professional.conduct@bacp.co.uk.