Q&A’s

Part of being a therapist means I need to collect a certain amount of information about each client/person that I work with and I want to reassure you that all information I collect is processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.

You may however have some questions so I hope this section can help with answers to any queries you may have.

What information do you need about/from me?

I will need your name and/or your child's name if I am working with them, along with a date of birth, address, phone number, email address, and doctors name, telephone number and address. 

I will also ask what possible reasons bring you to art therapy and if you have had therapy before or are currently seeing any other professionals. 

I will also ask you a little about your work, your lifestyle and overall health.

I will also ask you to sign a therapy consent form if you chose to go ahead with art therapy with me.

How is this information collected?

It is written down and collected on a paper form in discussion with yourself and/or your child during our initial consultation.

Why do you need this information?

It is helpful to know reasons why you have sought art therapy, if you have tried and/or found any other therapies helpful and to know if you are seeing any other professionals. 

I may need to speak with the other professional to ensure we are working collaboratively.

I also need your personal information if I need to contact you or in case of an emergency.

Who will see this information?

This information is private and confidential. This means no one will see it unless absolutely necessary. I may need to share your date of birth with any other professional I need to speak with to ensure we are talking about the correct person and as a therapist, I have professional monthly supervision where I discuss our work.

However, I do have a duty of care to yourself and others and if I am appropriately concerned, the law requires that art therapists disclose information in circumstances, where the safety of the client, the therapist, those caring for the client, or the public would be threatened by non-disclosure therefore this means speaking to someone else. In such cases disclosure will be made in the manner which best protects you/the client's interests.

Why do you need to know about my work, my lifestyle and overall health?

I may ask you about your physical health, your diet, your sleep, work/school, relationships, living situation and any other information that may help me build a holistic picture, a whole picture, about you and your life that may affect therapy.

Why do you ask for consent?

I ask for your informed consent to do art therapy for ethical reasons, to ensure you are attending under your own free will, you have full capacity to understand what you are about to undertake and also for insurance purposes.

What happens to my art work and personal information?

I store your artwork and personal data securely in line with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and art therapy guidelines. 

Can I take my artwork home?

Yes if you feel it safe and appropriate, otherwise I will store it securely.

How do you use my data?

I do not use your data for anything else other than what I have already stated. 

Do you take notes?

I occasionally take notes from our sessions to help me identify key areas of our ongoing work, what artwork you made, things I could research in relation to our session that may help you and also to jog my memory between us meeting.

These notes help me think about our work together and in supervision.

What is supervision?

Supervision is a bit like therapist therapy or brainstorming and is part of professional practice. This means I speak with another, often more qualified art therapist, confidentially about my work with you/my clients to explore how things are going and to see if I can help you in a better more effective way. Supervision is also private and confidential.

Can I see my data and notes?

Of course and I am happy to explain anything within them and answer any therapy related questions.

What are my rights?

You can request to see your data, request any corrections if I hold any inaccurate data on you. You can request deletion/erasure of your data and the destroying of your artwork. You can object to and restrict processing. This means you can suspend, halt or stop processing of your information in relation to particular rights and freedoms. You have the right to withdraw consent and stop therapy at any time.

What happens to my data when/after I finish therapy?

As a professional, I am obligated to store your data. After this time, your data will be deleted and your artwork destroyed.

It’s complicated legal stuff but if you have any other questions, concerns or complaints, please contact me to discuss and please see the ICO website for further information on General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 at https://ico.org.uk