Terms and Conditions

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Service

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• Each clinical service session will last up to 50 minutes and will take place at the scheduled time. The Psychologist will be available for the entirety of this period.

• It will not be possible to extend the session beyond the scheduled time, even if the client arrives late.

• Please note that this service is not a substitute for psychiatric medical treatment. If deemed necessary, the Psychologist may request that the client seek such treatment alongside psychotherapeutic support.

• The Psychologist's approach focuses on identifying behavioural patterns and suggesting healthier changes through psychotherapy, rather than diagnosing mental health conditions.

• The client is responsible for actively engaging in and taking ownership of the therapeutic process. The Psychologist's role is to provide support and tools for behavioural change, such as homework and questions designed to promote insight and reflection.

• It is the responsibility of the client to promptly inform the Psychologist of any changes to their personal data, including their address, phone number, email address, emergency contact details, and GP's contact information, to ensure their records are kept accurate and up-to-date.

• Contact outside of scheduled sessions should be limited to making scheduling arrangements only. To protect confidentiality and prevent data breaches, the Psychologist reserves the right to decline discussions about therapeutic content outside of session times.

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Confidentiality

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The Psychologist will maintain professional confidentiality to protect the privacy of individuals, groups, or organisations encountered in their professional practice, in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Psychologists. However, there are specific circumstances in which the Psychologist may choose to break confidentiality and share information without the client's written consent. These situations include:

• When there is a suspicion of risk to the safety or wellbeing of the client or others.

• In cases of ongoing domestic violence, neglect, or abuse of any child under the age of 18 or any individual with disabilities.

• When the Psychologist receives a court order, for example, if the client's mental health is raised in legal proceedings.

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The Psychologist may discuss aspects of the sessions during supervision; however, your personal details will be kept confidential in these discussions.

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Honorarium (Fees)

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• To secure your appointment, payment for the session must be completed at the time of scheduling (in advance of the session). Your session is considered confirmed only upon receipt of payment.

• Payments are accepted via electronic transfer (such as Revolut or PayPal) and debit/credit card. While electronic payments may incur transaction fees from the provider (e.g., card processor), any transaction fees associated with the use of standard consumer debit or credit cards will be absorbed by the Psychologist in compliance with EU regulations.

• Any change in the contract or readjustment can only happen with the knowledge and agreement between the parties.

• Session fees are subject to an annual review and readjustment. This change, typically based on inflation and operating costs, will take effect at the beginning of each calendar year and will be communicated to clients at least one month in advance.

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Schedule Changes or Cancellations

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• The Psychologist must be informed of any unforeseen circumstances that prevent the client from attending a session.

• Cancellations or requests to reschedule must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

• Cancelled sessions should be rescheduled at the time of cancellation, subject to the availability of both the Psychologist and the client.

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Absence

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• Sessions that the client misses without prior notice will be charged at the regular rate, except in cases of extreme emergency.

• If a client misses two consecutive sessions without notification during treatment, the service may be considered interrupted, and the client may lose their preferred appointment slot.

• Clients who will be absent (for vacation, break, illness, etc.) for more than two consecutive sessions and wish to maintain their scheduled days and times must pay for the corresponding sessions. If they do not wish to pay, they can reschedule a new time upon their return, depending on the Psychologist's availability.

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Online Sessions

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• Online sessions are conducted using the Google Meet platform, which is considered secure in terms of confidentiality (see: https://cloud.google.com/security and https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/protecting_healthcare_data_on_google_cloud_wp.pdf). Furthermore, all sessions are conducted with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) activated for an added layer of security.

• While the Google Meet platform offers high levels of security and privacy, the internet is not entirely risk-free due to potential threats such as hackers, viruses, and trojans. Therefore, it is recommended that clients take their own preventative measures to minimise these risks.

• It is the client's sole responsibility to ensure they are suitably equipped for online therapy. It is recommended that the client has well-functioning equipment and a reliable internet connection to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the calls.

• To maintain the confidentiality of the service, the client must be in a safe and private location, free from interruptions such as phone calls or other people.

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Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and concerning your therapy client data, this policy explains how your personal information is processed and protected. By law, I am required to inform you about these practices and to obtain your consent for specific data processing activities, as detailed below.

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Data Collected

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• The following categories of data are collected:

  • Your name and address

  • Your phone number and email address

  • The name and phone number of an emergency contact

  • Your General Practitioner's (GP) name and contact details

  • Relevant medical information

  • Session notes

  • Activity documents (e.g., homework assignments)

  • Payment information

  • Emails and phone messages exchanged between us

  • Invoices

   

• Data Storage and Security

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​Your data is primarily and securely saved on an encrypted EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) platform that is compliant with both HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) standards. This platform employs robust security measures to protect your personal and sensitive information.

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Currently, a password-protected folder within Google Cloud Services (https://policies.google.com/privacy) is also used for data storage, where you are identified only by your initials to enhance privacy. Google Cloud has implemented security measures and offers contractual agreements (Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA, Data Processing Addendum for GDPR) to support compliance with these regulations.

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Personal data is initially collected through PandaDoc, an encrypted signature system (https://www.pandadoc.com/security/), and subsequently transferred to the secure EHS platform and stored under password protection.

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The data collected is solely for professional purposes, directly related to your therapy. No information is shared with any third parties without a legal basis or your explicit consent in specific circumstances (as outlined in the "Confidentiality" section of the Terms and Conditions).

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Your completed consent form, session notes, payment information, and invoices are retained for 7 years, as recommended by The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).

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Emails and phone messages exchanged between us that are not part of the direct therapeutic process will be deleted after your therapy concludes.

Access to my computer, tablet, and professional mobile phone is restricted to myself alone. Your phone number is not saved directly in my professional mobile's contacts. This data is retained for the purpose of facilitating our communication.

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Session Notes

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Session notes may include the date, time, and location of our sessions, the main topic discussed, and brief factual points related to key aspects of the session. I do not take extensive verbatim notes during sessions, focusing instead on the themes explored. These notes are securely stored on the encrypted EHS platform.

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I maintain a "clear desk" policy to ensure that session notes and other confidential information are never left unattended before being securely transferred to the EHS platform. Notes taken during a session are typically transferred, and the physical notes are securely disposed of.

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Payment Information

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For tax purposes, a record of your payments is maintained by the payment service you use (e.g., Revolut, PayPal) and potentially in a protected record on the EHS platform, where your identification is managed securely.

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Please be aware that if you request an invoice, your full name will be visible on that document. If you have concerns about this, please discuss alternative arrangements with me.

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Your Data Protection Rights (GDPR)

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Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

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Please note that the application of some of these rights may be subject to professional and legal obligations.

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• The right to access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data I hold about you.  

• The right to rectification: You have the right to request that any inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected.  

• The right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten"): Under certain professional and legal conditions, you can request that your personal data be deleted. 

• The right to restrict processing: Under certain professional and legal conditions, you can request that the processing of your personal data be limited.

• The right to object to processing: Under certain professional and legal conditions, you can object to the processing of your personal data.

• The right to data portability: Under certain professional and legal conditions, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.