Privacy Notice
True Self Systems
Introduction
Your privacy is very important to me and you can be confident that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was given to me. I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679) (the GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. This privacy notice tells you what I will do with your personal information from initial point of contact through to after your therapy has ended, including:
- Why I am able to process your information and what purpose I am processing it for
- Whether you have to provide it to me
- How long I store it for
- Whether there are other recipients of your personal information
- Whether I intend to transfer it to another country
- Whether I do automated decision-making or profiling
- Your data protection rights
I am happy to chat through any questions you might have about my data protection policy and you can contact me via trueselfsystems@pm.me.
‘Data controller’ is the term used to describe the person/ organisation that collects and stores and has responsibility for people’s personal data. In this instance, the data controller is me. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office [ZB576723 ]. My postal address is: Unit 210, First Floor, Warwick Works, Downs Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 8QJ.
My lawful basis for holding and using your personal information
The GDPR states that I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. There are different lawful bases depending on the stage at which I am processing your data. I have explained these below:
If you have had therapy with me and it has now ended, I will use legitimate interest as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information.
If you are currently having therapy or if you are in contact with me to consider therapy, I will process your personal data where it is necessary for the performance of our contract.
The GDPR also makes sure that I look after any sensitive personal information that you may disclose to me appropriately. This type of information is called ‘special category personal information’. The lawful basis for me processing any special categories of personal information is that it is for provision of services (in this case, somatic and systemic therapies) and necessary for a contract with a professional service provider (in this case, a contract between me and you).
How I Use Your Information
Initial contact.
When you contact me with an enquiry about my services I will collect information to help me satisfy your enquiry. This will include:
- Name
- Pronouns
- Phone number (optional)
- Summary of why you are getting in touch (optional)
If you email me or complete a contact from on my website, this information goes into an Protonmail encrypted email acount. If you decide not to proceed I will ensure all your personal data is deleted within 1 year. If you would like me to delete this information sooner, just let me know.
Exemption:
- Blocked telephone numbers or spammed email addresses, where the content of messages is misaligned with the services offered here.
While you are accessing services
Once you book an initial assessment session, the necessity for information increases to include the following:
- Emergency contact details
- Request for relevant health information such as: allergies, injuries, diagnosis, medications
- History intake form (optional)
Rest assured that everything you discuss with me is confidential. That confidentiality will only be broken where required to by law. I will always try to speak to you about this first, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this.
I will keep a record of your personal details to help your sessions run smoothly. These details are kept securely on Cliniko practice management software for clinics and allied health practitioners and are not shared with any third party. I will keep brief written “aide-mémoire” style notes of each session and a history intake form if you return one. These are all kept on Cliniko.
For security reasons I do not retain text messages for more than 3 months. If there is relevant information contained in a text message I will copy it onto your Cliniko record. Likewise, any email correspondence will be deleted after 1 year if it is not important. If necessary I will transfer important emails onto your Cliniko record.
After your sessions have ended.
Once your sessions have ended, initially there is the option for your record to be archived in Cliniko, this means it can be reactivated if you return for more work. Your archived records will be kept for up to 3 years from the end of our contact with each other and are then securely deleted. If you want me to delete your information sooner than this, or you have any questions regarding the exemptions in this privacy policy, please tell me.
Exemptions:
- Data retained that relates to non payment of fees.
- Data relating to a complaint process (or probably one), where communications between client and practitioner are required to be shared with a relevant membership body.
- Anonymised tracking data that facilitates maintenance of good practice. E.g. numeric outcomes of goal tracking forms and other related measures.
Third Party Recipients of Personal Data
I sometimes contract a supplier to carry out specific tasks. I take care to choose third parties with robust privacy standards. Current third party contractors are as follows (privacy and legal statement linked to where appropriate):
- DK Green Counselling: annonymised reports of session content for the purposes of supervision.
- Protonmail: email provider using end to end encryption.
- Stripe: payment processeor.
- Eventbrite: where used for workshop bookings.
- Mailchimp: for the purposes of the True Self Systems general mailing list.
- Apple: iphone full name and telephone number contact list.
For third party website information, read on below.
Your Rights
I try to be as open as I can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. You have a right to ask me to delete your personal information, to limit how I use your personal information, or to stop processing your personal information. You also have a right to ask for a copy of any information that I hold about you and to object to the use of your personal data in some circumstances. You can read more about your rights at ico.org.uk/your-data-matters. If I do hold information about you I will:
- give you a description of it and where it came from
- tell you why I am holding its, tell you how long I will store your data and how I made this decision
- tell you who it could be disclosed to
- let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.
You can also ask me at any time to correct any mistakes there may be in the personal information I hold about you. To make a request for any personal information I may hold about you, please put the request in writing addressing it to trueselfsystems@pm.me. If you have any complaint about how I handle your personal data please do not hesitate to get in touch with me by writing or emailing to the contact details given above. I would welcome any suggestions for improving my data protection procedures.
If you want to make a formal complaint about the way I have processed your personal information you can contact the ICO which is the statutory body that oversees data protection law in the UK. For more information go to ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
Data Security
I take the security of the data I hold about you very seriously and as such I take every effort to make sure it is kept secure. I do this as follows:
- Prioritising privacy standards when choosing contractors.
- Enabling 2 factor authentification.
- Using strong passwords.
- Up till the end of 2023, all paper records are kept in a locked safe (from 2024 onwards all records will be kept digitally on Cliniko).
Visitors to my Website
I use the platforms named below to build and maintain my website. When someone visits my website, I allow some of these services to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. I do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way that does not identify anyone.
I do not make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting my website. I use legitimate interests as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information in this way when you visit my website. Like most websites we use cookies to help the site work more efficiently – find out about our use of cookies [insert link]. No user-specific data is collected by me or any third party. If you fill in a form on my website, that data will be temporarily stored on the web host before being sent to me.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are sessions?
- Most sessions that I offer are 1 hour long, this is adequate for most of the work that I offer.
- I sttucture my day so that you receive a full hour (i.e. rather than a 'therapeutic hour' of 40 - 45 mins, as is common in talking therapies)
- 1.5 hour slots are sometimes possible, but due to the structure of my working day, they are less frequently available.
How many sessions do I need to have?
Regular Session Commitment
In my regular booking slots (i.e. weekly or fortnightly) I mostly work with people longer term (i.e. 6 months to several years). This has the benefit of building a strong relational container, through which we can safely access deeper material.
Ad Hoc Session Bookings
I also see people ad hoc (i.e. sessions booked as and when you need them). An ad hoc booking pattern can work well in combination with attending my groups and workshops (where appropriate to your needs). It can also work well for freelancers or people unable to commit to a regular booking, or people wanting to do a short piece of work.
How do I know which therapy to choose?
Sometimes which therapy to use is really clear. This maybe because you have experienced a range of healing modalities, enabling you to be really clear about where to go next.
Or it maybe because during the intake process, you offer a piece of information that makes it really clear to me which tool in my toolkit will be most useful to your enquiry.
Sometimes it is not so clear either to you or to me where to begin: this is where an orientation session can be useful, for making a plan of work.
Either way: we assess what will work best for your enquiry based on my skills and experience, together with your preferences which I will support you to express.
What happens in a session?
This is a brief summary of what happens in each session type for your ease of comparison:
You will be asked to complete a family tree form prior to your session (this is optional). We will spend some time talking about your themes. We will then 'constellate' using your inner vision, floor markers or sometimes using small figures. I will teach you how to do this so don't worry, I have several methods and there is a right one for everybody!
TEB: Transforming Touch & Intentional Touch:
In an introductory session I will offer you a short teaching, so you can understand how transforming touch (and intentional touch) works. We will talk about your themes and collboratively identify the things you want to transform. I will describe to you the pattern of touch and ask your permission to continue. In an intro session, the transforming touch may last 15 - 20 mins. In subsequent sessions it may last as long as 30 - 40 minutes.
Transforming touch: you lie on a massage table - clothed - and under a blanket if you like. I place my hands for 1 - 6 minutes to connect with areas of your body such as your kidney adrenals or brainstem. This is called the 7 point protocol. In time we will add 'enhancements' to this, which may include guided movements relating to primitive reflexe integration.
Transforming intentional touch: we move through the 7 point protocol and any enhancements 'intentionally'. I don't touch you, but guide the process with my voice. E.g. "I am bringing my attention now to support your kidney adrenals".
Throughout the whole process - you may opt to remain silent or continue to talk and share what is emerging for you. I will engage with the process as it unfolds for you, bringing guideance and support.
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
Your presenting themes will be woven with an EMDR treatment plan as follows:
You will spend some sessions learning supportive EMDR somatic practices. These could include "vault" (for dealing with flashbacks) and "safe place" (anchoring a reliable feeling of safety in your body). These are valuable as standalone resourcing tools, they are also essential to moving towards the EMDR processing phase.
During processing, you will receive some form of bi-lateral stimulation, as you are supported to reflect upon the theme we have chosen to work on that session. You will be asked to watch something moving, so that your eyes move quickly from left to right. Or else we might use tapping (on your palms, applied by me, or self tapping using your own hands).
Trauma Sensitive Breathwork Therapy
Where relevant I may ask you to complete a form requesting information about your birth. We will spend some time talking about your themes and then explore them more deeply by bringing attention to your body and your breath while you remain seated in your chair. We may also support your journey with breath using transforming touch.
In my breathwork sessions: I don't use loud music. I don't do long breathing processes with you lying down, using intensive breathing patterns. These maybe ok and helpful to some: but I don't consider them to be trauma sensitive.
- The wheel of consent contains both theory, solo touch practices and partnered touch practices.
- The theory and solo touch practice (waking the hands) can form a valuable part of individual sessions.
- Partnered touch practice: I don't teach this in 1-2-1 sessions, as it is incompatible with my primary role as a therapist. I may teach partnered touch practice in groups or to partners / couples. Please enquire for current information.
My work with practitioners is a mixture of practical guidance and transformational enquiry, to unite what you do best with those whom you best serve. We can use constellations or breathwork to transform blocks in your working life. Or I can guide you to develop your own branding and website, so sessions will be much more practically orientated e.g. developing design and logo, writing copy, learning how to DIY your own website.
Mixed Modality Sessions:
Some people approach my work clearly wanting to experience just one area of it. Others are drawn to my work because of the range of approaches that I use and sessions may be mixed modality.
Either way, how I approach sessions is strongly influenced by a Pluralistic approach that celebrates diversity. I understand that therapy is most effective when it takes account of your preferences and that an effective therapeutic relationship is characterised by collaboration, caring and trust.
Accessibility
The Somatic Therapy Studio is accessed via one flight of stairs, as is the venues that I use for in-person workshops. It is a high priority for me to move all of my work to a wheelchair accessible space but unfortunately at this time, all in-person work is not wheelchair accessible.
I continue looking for accessible venues but unfortunately - at present - they are not compatible with my accessible, sliding scale pricing policy.
I have experience of offering somatic and systemic work (both online and in-person), across a range of client neurodivergence and disabilities. I integrate social models of disability throughout my work and am willing to be called in on my blindspots.
If you have access needs, please let me know in the intake form and we can discuss if and how I am able to meet them. Here are some specific areas of experience in my work:
- Autism & ADHD (70% of my practice have a ND diagnosis, or are considering one).
- Sensory Processing Disorder / Issues
- Wheelchair users (online)
- Hard of Hearing
- ME / CFS
- Advanced stage MS
How do I know you are a safe and ethical practitioner?
Safety Frameworks
I have regular 1-2-1 supervision with DK Green Psychotherapy and Niki D Rainbow Relationships (for group work). I also attend supervision calls with Stephen J Terrell and Ellen Keating, regarding the Transforming Touch® area of my practice.
I am part of closed regularly meeting, peer support and suppervision practitioner circle. We are called Plurilium and consist of 5 practitioners. Focus keywords of our discussions include consent, ethics, nervous system awareness, community accountability, DEI generally, GSRD & LGBTQIA+ practice.
When undertaking superivison, care is taken to not give details that would reveal your identity. In the rare event that my supervisor were to recognise a client via details given, the conversation would be drawn to a close and I would take that casework elsewhere.
I hold public liability insurance with BGI UK. I am an accredited senior member of the ACCPH which has a complaints process. You can see exactly what I studied and with whom by reading my training and experience page.
Your data and privacy
- Information Comissioner's Office: registration number ZB576723
- Privacy Statement Page Link
A disclaimer, please read:
In booking a session you understand and agree to the following:
None of the work I undertake has a scientific or medical evidence base. Whilst every effort has been made to create a safe environment for you, you also agree to undertake this work at your own risk. You agree to be reponsible for your own wellbeing, including checking in advance with suitable practitioners if this work is suitable for you. This might include:
- Your medical practitioner / GP / doctor
- Any psychiatric or mental health practitioners you are under the care of
If you are booking from the USA:
The definition of "therapy" used on this website accords with the common language usage of that term in the UK. 'Therapy' in the UK indicates a range of modalities - both medical and holistic - that support people to experience greater well-being.
