Who I am
My website address is: https://forthandbloomtherapy.co.uk.
Contact details:
Tel: 07828 075601
Email: [email protected]
I am Anna Vahrman, a certified hypnotherapist and UKCP registered trainee psychotherapist. I provide hypnotherapy services online throughout the UK. In-person hypnotherapy sessions are also available in the West Dorset area
The work I carry out as a therapist involves processing personal data of clients in compliance with the UK-GDPR (2021) and the Data Protection Act (2018). I am registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).
Personal Data
I hold clients’ personal information for the following purposes:
· Personal contact details (name, address, email and telephone number)
· Doctor’s name and contact detailsency services.
· Health Questionnaire (current and previous medical history, medication)
· Communications (written, email, text and voicemail)
· Emergency contact name and telephone number
· Handwritten or digital records of our sessions
· Notes from supervision sessions – as a professional requirement.
· Invoices
· *Special category data
In accordance with the UK-GDPR (2021) and the Data Protection Act (2018) the legal basis for obtaining, processing and storing the above data is ‘Consent’ and ‘Legitimate purpose’.
*Special category data
The UK-GDPR defines special category data as:
· personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin;
· personal data revealing political opinions;
· personal data revealing religious or philosophical beliefs;
· personal data revealing trade union membership;
· genetic data;
· biometric data (where used for identification purposes);
· data concerning health;
· data concerning a person’s sex life; and
· data concerning a person’s sexual orientation.
In the course of coming to our therapy sessions to discuss various aspects of your personal life, you are likely to disclose information which is classed as ‘special category data’.
Specific laws designed to protect special category data, require me to state that I have a lawful base for processing such data, (as set out in Article 6 of the UK GDPR). The lawful base for processing special category data is contract, such that in order to provide therapy to you, we agree in (this) contract that you have agreed for me to be privy to special category data, in the undertaking of our therapy sessions and contact between sessions where necessary.
I am also required to have a reason for processing such data, (as set out in Article 9 of the UK GDPR). The lawful base for processing special category data is (a) Explicit Consent, such that in order to provide therapy to you, we agree in (this) contract that you have agreed for me to be privy to special category data, in the undertaking of our therapy sessions and contact between sessions where necessary.
Storage of Data
I use the Google suite for business, and have opted into a Data Processing Agreement with Google, which means a greater degree of privacy in line with GDPR regulations. For more details please visit https://cloud.google.com/privacy/gdpr.
Online therapy sessions are conducted via Zoom which is an encrypted service. You will be provided a personalised link and password for our sessions. https://explore.zoom.us/en/gdpr/.
All handwritten and printed information pertaining to therapy (session notes) are stored in a locked filing cabinet and identifiable by a client code. These will then be ultimately stored digitally in a password-protected folder on Google Drive, and the paper versions shredded.
Contact details, the signed contract, and signed Therapy Privacy Policy are kept digitally in a password-protected folder on Google Drive. I also keep your phone number and email address in paper form in a locked filing cabinet. These are kept separate from your session notes.
Supervision Notes, consisting of Client Codes and a brief summary statement of each session are also kept in a separate file, in a locked filing cabinet, as well as digitally in a password-protected folder on Dropbox.
Any emails sent between us are held in my therapy Outlook account, which is password protected and is only accessible by me. Any texts sent between us are held in my personal phone, which is password protected and is only accessible by me. However, please be aware that text applications, are not recommended due to confidentiality and privacy issues, and so please refrain from putting sensitive clinical or therapeutic details into texts.
Any other digital notes are stored securely in a password-protected folder, as is information that is sent to me by e-mail, which may be kept in your therapy session notes file.
Telephone calls and voicemails are received to Anna Vahrman via EE Mobile. For details of EE’s GDPR and privacy please see https://business.ee.co.uk/help/terms-and-conditions/privacy-and-gdpr/.
Please be aware that your bank statements will show that payments have been made to ACTV-UK Ltd If you are concerned about discretion and would like to amend this so that payments will show up as a different reference/payee, you will need to discuss and arrange this with your bank.
Disposal of Data
In accordance with professional recommendations, I will dispose of (shred or delete) therapy notes and client contact details 7 years after therapy has ended, unless there is a legitimate requirement not to do so (such as Court proceedings).
Voicemails will be deleted after 30 days, or manually deleted sooner.
My professional executor will destroy any data that s/he has when you and I finish our work.
You have rights with regards to the data held:
· The right of access. I will provide you with all data I hold on you as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness).
· The right to rectification. If any data I hold is incorrect, just let me know and I will correct it as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness).
· The right to erasure. If you wish me to erase your data just let me know and I will delete any computer records and shred any paper records as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness). NB: data may be retained for scientific research, historical research or statistical purposes where erasure is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of that processing but this would never include case notes or data such as address/email/phone.
· The right to restrict processing. This would usually be a stop-gap measure before correction of any errors or before erasure
· The right to data portability. This might apply if you want your notes sent to another therapist for example, but it is likely that the easiest solution would come under the right to access, ie I would send the data to you.
· The right to object to:
o processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority (including profiling). I do not engage in these.
o direct marketing: such as promotional emails
o processing for purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics
o automated decision making and profiling. I do not engage in automated decision making or profiling
If you have concerns about how I have handled your data, you can obtain further information from, or make a complaint to, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) https://ico.org.uk
If you wish to withdraw your consent, please contact me at [email protected]
Cookie Policy
Anna Vahrman, trading as Forth and Bloom Therapy uses cookies when you visit our website, forthandbloomtherapy.co.uk (the website) to help customise the website and improve your experience using the Website.
This cookie policy should be read alongside, and in addition to, the above privacy policy.
What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer by this website when you visit certain parts of the website and or when you use certain features of the website
This website may place and access certain cookies on your computer. We use these cookies to improve your experience of using the website.
Cookies do not usually contain any information that personally identifies you, as the website user. However, personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information obtained from and stored in cookies. For more information on how such personal information is handled and stored, refer to the privacy policy above.