GDPR & Privacy Policy

Personal Information I Will Collect

I will collect both personal and sensitive data. The reason I collect your personal information is to enable me to deliver psychological therapy. I will collect information at the point of initial contact as well as during the initial assessment session and any subsequent therapy sessions. The information we collect may include the following:

•       Name

•       Address

•       Date of birth

•       Gender (or preferred identity)

•       Telephone/SMS/WhatsApp contact details

•       Email address

•       GP name and practice address

•       Occupation

•       Relationships

•       Psychological therapy history including any current or historical psychiatric diagnoses

•       Medical conditions relevant to psychological therapy

•       Prescribed medication

•       Current psychological difficulties

•       Historical psychological difficulties

•       Lifestyle and social circumstances

•       Risk information such as suicidal and self-harming history and alcohol and drug use.

Information Storage

I have implemented technical measures to help ensure your personal and sensitive data remains secure. Some clinical notes may be assisted by secure AI-supported documentation software designed to support clinical record-keeping. This software may temporarily process session information in order to generate a written clinical summary. Audio recordings and full transcripts are not routinely stored unless otherwise agreed. All AI-assisted documentation is reviewed by the treating psychologist before being added to the clinical record. Information processed through these systems is encrypted and handled in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection standards. Your information may be stored in other following ways:

•     Electronic clinical notes: brief session notes will be stored securely using encrypted, password-protected cloud-based systems. Identifying information is minimised in records.

•    Electronic correspondence: email, online calendar and messaging (SMS, WhatsApp) may be stored securely using encrypted, password-protected systems.

•    Electronic devices: electronic devices used to access or store information, including computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, are password protected and secured appropriately.

•    Website contact forms: information submitted through the Dr Victoria Ross website contact form is used solely for the purpose of responding to enquiries and initiating contact.

•    Shared documents: where appropriate, documents may be shared using secure cloud-based storage platforms.

•   Zoom session recordings: if online therapy sessions are recorded at your request so you can revisit the session, recordings will be stored securely and deleted once no longer required.

How We May Process and Share Your Personal Information

•   Supervision: I have regular supervision with other qualified psychologists and therapists. Supervision is for my practice to ensure I am adhering to professional standards and evidence-based ways of working. All supervisors adhere to appropriate confidentiality, privacy and data protection standards. Identifiable details are not shared in supervision.

•   Sharing information with your GP/other health professionals: Some clients like their GP (or other professionals involved in their mental health care such as a psychiatrist or the relevant mental health care team) to be kept informed of the work they are doing in psychological therapy. This might include sending assessment, progress or discharge reports, or having telephone conversations disclosing personal and sensitive information pertaining to you. We can discuss what and how much information is disclosed and you will be given an opportunity to make amendments before any letter/report is sent. We will only send reports or have telephone discussions of this kind if we have your permission to do so, and you can withdraw consent for any further

If you wish to assert any of these rights you should contact me. I reserve the right to make changes to this privacy policy at any time by sending a notice to you via our agreed method of contact.