Confidentiality and Data Protection
Privacy Notice
JCB Counselling
Judith Bensi MSc, MBACP (Accred.)
judith@jcbcounselling.co.uk
Your privacy and confidentiality are important to me. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I use it, how I protect it, and your rights.
Information I may collect
When you contact me or begin counselling, I may collect information including your:
name and contact details
date of birth
GP and emergency contact details, where relevant
mental and physical health information
personal history and circumstances
assessment information and CBT outcome measures
appointment and payment information
correspondence
brief clinical notes
audio or video recordings, where separately agreed
Some of this information is classed as special-category health data and receives additional protection under UK data protection law.
How I use your information
I use personal information only where it is necessary to provide safe and effective counselling. This may include:
responding to enquiries
assessing whether I am the right counsellor for you
arranging and providing counselling sessions
planning and reviewing CBT treatment
maintaining appropriate clinical records
clinical supervision
meeting professional, legal and insurance requirements
supporting my postgraduate CBT training where you have agreed to this
responding to safeguarding or serious risk concerns where necessary
Confidentiality
What you discuss in counselling is confidential.
I receive professional clinical supervision as part of safe and ethical practice. Wherever possible, information discussed in supervision will not identify you.
There are limited circumstances in which information may need to be disclosed, for example where there is a serious risk of harm, a safeguarding concern, or a legal requirement to provide information.
Where appropriate and possible, I would normally discuss this with you first.
Audio and video recording
As part of my postgraduate CBT training at the University of Oxford, some sessions may need to be audio recorded and, in some circumstances, video recorded for supervision, training or assessment.
No session will be recorded without discussing this with you in advance and obtaining your specific consent.
Before recording, I will explain:
why the recording is required
who may listen to or view it
how it will be stored
how it will be used
how long it will be retained
when it will be deleted
Storage and security
Personal and clinical information is stored securely and protected against unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.
Where practical, identifying information such as your contact details will be kept separately from clinical notes.
Audio and video recordings used for training or assessment will be stored securely and deleted when they are no longer required.
How long I keep your information
Clinical records will normally be retained for [INSERT PERIOD] years after counselling ends, unless there is a professional, legal, insurance or safeguarding reason to retain them for longer.
Audio and video recordings will normally be retained for a shorter period and deleted once they are no longer required for the relevant supervision, training or assessment.
Sharing information
I do not sell your information or use clinical information for marketing.
Where necessary, limited information may be shared with:
my clinical supervisor
relevant University of Oxford training or assessment personnel, where you have agreed to this
professional advisers or insurers
healthcare, emergency or safeguarding services where there is a serious concern
service providers used to operate the practice securely
Only information that is reasonably necessary will be shared.
Your rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
ask what information I hold about you
request a copy of your information
ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
request deletion or restriction of certain information
object to certain uses of your information
Some of these rights are subject to legal and professional exceptions.
To discuss your information or exercise your rights, contact:
Website enquiries
If you contact me through this website or by email, I will use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, arrange counselling.
Please avoid including detailed or highly sensitive clinical information in an initial website enquiry.
Data protection concerns
If you have concerns about how your information has been handled, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office.
Last updated: September 2026