FAQ about our service, including GDPR and confidentiality guidelines
Please Read This Document Carefully
The frequently asked questions and related answers in this document establish the terms and conditions for sessions with Green Tree Therapy therapists.
Frequently Asked Questions & Terms and Conditions
How do Solution-Focused Brief Therapy & Coaching work?
Thank you for choosing Green Tree Therapy. We specifically use an approach called ‘Solution Focused’ in our therapy, and coaching. This differs from other talking therapy approaches as it focuses on your preferred future. We often all know what we don’t want, but rarely do we consider what we do want. Our role is to guide you in identifying small, achievable changes you want to make that will help you achieve your preferred future. Alternatively, our talking together may help you to cope better with those things that cannot change or have no control over — for example, improving your coping abilities with the anxiety and stress that might come with a serious illness or a difficult relationship.
How do I know you are qualified to do the job?
Our team are all qualified in their various fields, and as such, are regulated by the following
regulatory bodies:
- British Psychological Society
- Health and Care Professions Council
- Association for Solution Focused Practice
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council.
We must adhere to their strict code of conduct and ethics, including having a recognised qualification, the proper insurance, regular Continual Profession Development (CPD) training, and regular supervision with a regulated and qualified supervisor. To verify this, you can search for these associations online and then search their members. (Please note, all therapists are not registered with all listed organisations. If you would like to know more about your therapists’ qualifications and experience, please ask.)
What is the General Data Protection Regulations, 2018 (GDPR), and how does it affect me?
The GDPR replaces the 1998 Data Protection Act to ensure your personal and sensitive, confidential data is kept private and held securely, being processed in the way you have agreed to. It is there to protect your rights as a consumer of a service or product that might involve your identifiable data, e.g., your name and address or whether you have a specific condition. It also covers any session records, text messages, or emails we exchange.
How long will you hold my information?
The associations we belong to stipulate that we must hold your data for up to eight years after your final session. Unless you are a child, in which case we must hold your data until your 25th birthday unless you are 17 when treatment ends, and then we must keep it until your 26th birthday. Therefore, all records will be deleted in the January after the above retention scales. This is in line with NHS regulations for holding data.
What if I don’t want my records to be held for that long?
Under the GDPR, you can request in writing to Green Tree Therapy for all your records to be deleted. In this case, we will shred all your paper records with a cross shredding machine and delete any electronic data such as emails or text messages from the devices they are stored. We would have to save the request for deletion you made but would not hold on to any other data.
Why do you need to record this information?
We collect information about; why you are using the service, a small amount of relevant medical information, and a small amount of information about your significant others, alongside brief session notes. This information enables us to provide a high-quality service to you and equips us with the knowledge of our previous discussions before each session. We will only use your contact details/address or Doctors details with your explicit consent (please see further details below about exceptions to this if your safety is at risk)
How do you ensure my information is held securely?
Hard copy documents: Are all stored in a locked cabinet in a locked room. Text messages: All our work phones are secured with fingerprint recognition. Emails: Our email accounts require a username, password and emails are encrypted between our devices and the mail server. Electronic documents: Any electronic documents, e.g. A letter to your GP, or an invoice, are password protected and stored on a password-protected computer if they contain personal or sensitive information.
Is what we discuss kept confidential?
Everything you talk about during our sessions is strictly confidential between you and your therapist. To ensure we are working effectively and have the right support, we may discuss elements of our sessions with our supervisors. We do not disclose any details that may identify you to the supervisor during these discussions, and the supervisor also adheres to the GDPR. There are exceptions to this, where someone’s safety is at risk (please see details below)
What if I see you outside of the session?
If we see each other outside of a session, we would smile but will not engage in any further conversation to ensure your confidentiality. You are welcome to share with other people about the therapy you are receiving, but we are obligated by GDPR law to ensure your privacy is protected.
What about other Health and Social Care Professionals?
As we adhere to the GDPR, any contact relating to you with other healthcare professionals would only be made with your signed consent.
Exceptions:
• To safeguard you and the people around you, if you were to disclose that you would carry out harm to yourself or someone else, then under our “Duty of Care”, we are obligated by law to inform the relevant authorities. This is to support you to live well, and we would always aim to discuss this with you before contacting anyone.
• If we were to be served with a police warrant or court order, we would also have to disclose your information as required by law.
How do you carry out the sessions?
All sessions are carried out by phone or secure video (Zoom Pro) call, whichever you prefer. We suggest, to make the most of your session, that you consider when and where would be best for you to take the call and be able to give the conversation your full focus.
How long will each session be?
Sessions are usually 50 minutes long but can be longer or shorter to enable you to get the best out of your session. If you have talked about what you need to in 30 minutes, that’s fine, and if you are in the middle of discussing something important to you, we will not move on until an appropriate time for you.
How often will the sessions be?
Sessions often begin weekly or fortnightly at first, with clients then choosing to spread sessions out over more extended periods. At the end of your session your therapist can arrange and book your next appointment.
How many sessions do I get, and do I have to attend them all?
We can offer you up to 8 sessions. Some clients use all 8, others just 1 or 2, and everything in between. The sessions are not in any way compulsory. They are not linked to any universal credit required activity. It is time that is available to you, if you feel it is useful.
What if I am running late?
Please do your best to let us know if you are running late. Where possible, we will aim to continue with your full session, but often we will have another client waiting, and therefore, it may mean the session has to be a little shorter.
What if I need to rearrange my session?
- If you need to cancel a session, please give us as much notice as possible. We are a busy service and someone else could use your cancelled appointment. Appointments cancelled with less than 24hrs notice will be counted as one of your 8 sessions. If you do not attend 2 sessions without contacting us you will be discharged from our service and your referrer informed that we are no longer working together. Your advisor may re-refer you.
- This is a commitment between us both as therapist and client, and the sessions are unlikely to help if you are not committed to your appointments and the work we do together. This also protects stability relating to our therapist’s income and business sustainability.
- If we need to rearrange a session, we will let you know at the earliest opportunity and hope you might approach our sessions with the same ethos.
Would you, as my therapist, ever choose to end my treatment early?
If we are subjected to abuse by you or by someone else acting in your interests, we may end our therapy without notice.
Please ensure that you fully accept these terms and conditions by discussing and verbally consenting with your therapist at the start of your first appointment.
As the processing of your personal data is required to enable us to provide you with a service, we do not require consent from you to hold your information securely or to provide you with this service. Still, we take this opportunity to assure you that we adhere to all laws and procedures relating to data protection (Article 9, paragraph 2, (h) of the GDPR) and will only use your data to provide you with this service. For any further reason, you explicitly consent to the below.
Please confirm with your therapist your consent to be contacted by Green Tree Therapy for the purpose of:
- Appointment reminders/rearrangements
- Links for online sessions via Zoom Pro
Please also confirm with your therapist what formats you agree for Green Tree Therapy to contact you with:
- Text
- Phone call
Your privacy and confidentiality are important, and Green Tree Therapy will never use your information for any purpose other than what you have explicitly consented to above. You may withdraw consent at any time by getting in touch via 07426 705 305 or