Psychotherapy & Clinical Supervision in Crouch End, North London

Awareness

What’s awareness got to do with anything? People turn up for therapy because they’re unhappy with an aspect of themselves, their lives, their relationships. They are looking for something to change. Often people show up in the hope that they can change the behaviour of someone else; if only the other person could be different THEN they’d be happy. A lesson quickly learned is that we can never change other people. We can change ourselves and by doing so things (and people) shift around us.
So what is this process of changing oneself?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on behaviour change through changing habitual (negative) thought patterns. As a client, you will be encouraged to identify the thoughts and belief systems that contribute to your feelings of unhappiness. The thought patterns themselves will be examined and challenged, and you will then find that this alters your behaviour, and you start to feel better about yourself. This is a way of directly confronting ‘the problem’ head on and trying to change it. Makes sense.

Psychoanalytic therapy has more emphasis on tackling deep-seated, unconscious patterns of the client’s inner world which are revealed largely through how they relate to the therapist. These patterns are believed to have developed during childhood, and may well have gone unchallenged into adulthood. Through taking time to explore and understand their inner ‘map’, the client can then begin to make changes.

Other forms of therapy will take a view that a key component of the work is developing awareness, for example awareness of what you are thinking or feeling, how you are behaving, what is going on in your body and how you are relating to others and the environment around you.

Ironically, this attention to awareness is not done in order to change anything, but to highlight what is already there. By the counsellor listening carefully and reflecting back, the client is thereby able to see and understand their life more clearly, including areas where they are not paying attention and have less awareness. This is the real meat of the work, and is surprisingly transformative. Somehow this process activates the client’s resources which will in turn allow growth and change to happen. The counsellor has helped the client to accept who they are and how they are, and this in turn opens up new possibilities.

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Privacy Policy and Data Retention Statement-Effective from 25th May 2018

I aim to be fully compliant with current GPDR legislation and to let you know how I use and protect the data you’ve given me. GDPR replaces the previous Data Protection Act. I wish to be transparent with regard to the processes I have in place. Identifiable information, if shared, will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. I follow guidance from my governing bodies UKCP and my insurers Towngate.

As a private practitioner and supervisor, I’m considered the data processor and controller in my practice. As the data controller, I process some of your personal data. During the assessment process information such as next of kin, family members and medication are gathered and held. This is encrypted (if digital) and securely stored. No one but me can access this information.

Data Processing means obtaining, recording or holding information. The definition is very wide, and most of what I do involves a degree of processing. I process the personal data I have collected as controller. I maintain records of personal data and processing activities and hold responsibility should there be a breach.

Consent.

This is a primary concern and is separate to other terms and conditions. As my client, you can withdraw consent at any time. I hope to offer you choice and control. As a therapist and supervisor who occasionally uses creative interventions, I want to ensure you know that any drawings or art done in session is yours. I will store this material safely and dispose of it in a timely manner. I will never use any of your data/artworks for writing, publishing, research or training purposes.

I have bi-weekly ongoing supervision for support/creative inspiration and to ensure that my practice is safe. When I share client material or images this is always done confidentially, protecting your identity. Nobody but me has access to any of your data. I will keep this process under review and refresh it if anything changes.

Note keeping.

I keep notes on the ongoing work that I do with clients, but only use initials to identify people and I keep these notes minimal. I hold notes for five years. After this time frame, they're disposed of securely. You have a right to see the information I hold about you should you wish to. You have a right to change any information which you consider to be incorrect. You can also ask me to delete all/any of the information that I hold. There are however some details I need to keep due to legal and professional obligations.

Data Storage.

I promise to keep all sensitive data safely. This involves using passwords and encrypted documents. I keep all sensitive data in a lockable file. I dispose of data by shredding documents after the counselling has finished after a 5 year window. I dispose of emails on a regular basis.

While we work together I will store your name and phone number on my smartphone. I will only contact you in response to you or concerning appointments. I do not engage with clients through any social media.

In the event of a complaint.

Please contact me directly. If we cannot resolve this you could then contact the Information Commissioner Office ( ICO). I am registered with them and my reference is ZA257108 (A8189801). https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/ or Guidance for GDPR Compliance.


Clinical will

In compliance with my membership of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, I am required to hold an up-to-date Professional Will. In the event of a sudden cessation of my therapy practice eg through an accident or death, I have appointed 2 Professional Executors and a Co-ordinator who would manage things on my behalf. This is arranged for your welfare as my client and every step is taken to ensure GDPR standards are met. The Exectors and Co-ordinator have access to a password protected document with the names and contact details for all my clients. However they are instructed only to view these details in the event my becoming incapacitated.