Privacy Policy

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Updated 17 September 2020 (This policy will be updated periodically and in line with current legislation).

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Due to the nature of our work privacy is a key priority. We (Malcolm Struthers Hypnotherapy) are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice, or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us at info@malcolmstruthers.com.

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When you visit our website www.malcolmstruthers.com, and more generally, use any of our services, we appreciate that you are trusting us with your personal information. We take your privacy very seriously. In this privacy notice, we seek to explain to you in the clearest way possible what information we collect, how we use it and what rights you have in relation to it. We hope you take some time to read through it carefully, as it is important. If there are any terms in this privacy notice that you do not agree with, please discontinue use of our services immediately.

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This privacy notice applies to all information collected through our website, as well as, any related services, sales, marketing or events.

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This policy sets out how Malcolm Struthers Hypnotherapy uses and protects the information you provide when using our services and accessing this website (www.malcolmstruthers.com).

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Your information

 

We will ensure any data provided is kept secure, managed respectfully and only used for the purposes for which it has been provided. When you contact us via my website contact form, phone or email we will collect your:

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• Name,

• Email address,

• Telephone number,

• Any information you choose to supply regarding the purpose of your enquiry.

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How is this information used?

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• To make contact with you to discuss your enquiry.

• We may also use this information so that we may improve my services.

• Send you relevant email communications and articles

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If you choose to proceed with making an appointment, we will send you a link to this Privacy Policy and ask that you familiarise yourself with it.

We will provide you with a simple form to complete and return. This will include your GP contact details and some basic health information. This is important to determine which, if any, therapeutic approach is right for you.

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We may ask you for details of your next of kin: this is used very rarely and only in emergency situations.

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You do not have provide this information, however we may not be able to work with you without it.

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During and after our sessions:

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• We may use your email address to send you a recording to listen to as part of the therapy. It may also be necessary to send emails to confirm or rearrange appointments.

• We will make notes during our sessions in order that we can plan bespoke therapeutic approaches.

• We have a legal requirement to keep case notes and client communications for a certain period of time. Therefor we are unable to comply with requests to be forgotten. After this time period has elapsed your records are disposed of in a secure manner.

• You do have a right to object to receiving my emails and other communications, and a right to ‘opt-out’ at any time which you can exercise by clicking the ‘unsubscribe’ link in the email.

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For the purposes of clarity, we do not receive or retain your bank details.

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Under the General Data Protection Regulations (effective from May 2018) you have the following rights:

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• The right to be informed (which is why we have produced this policy)

• The right of access: if you wish to see your file then please make a request in writing to Malcolm Struthers, the Data Processor. We will provide you with the information within 30 days of your request.

• The right to rectification: this is your right to request changes to any information we hold that is factually inaccurate. If you believe any of the information we hold on you is incorrect then please let us know as soon as possible and we will make the relevant changes.

• The right to erasure: given the nature of our work we am required to hold your details for a period of seven years, after this your information will be securely disposed of.

• The right to restrict processing: We will only use the information for the purposes stated in this policy. We uphold the common law principles of confidentiality where the duty to keep confidence is measured against the concept of ‘greater good’. If in my opinion as a therapist there is good reason to believe not to disclose would cause danger or serious harm to self, the therapist or others then your GP or other appropriate agencies may be contacted. Only information required to ensure safety of relevant parties would be disclosed. Information may have to be disclosed without consent for the prevention, detection or prosecution of a crime. The sharing of anonymous case histories with supervisors and peer support groups is not a breach of professional confidentiality.

• The right to data portability: this right is more relevant to IT companies e.g. the sharing of information when moving from one utility provider to another. we will not share your information without your specific consent, other than in the situations described above.

• The right to object: we will not contact you for marketing purposes unless you have given us specific consent to do so.

• The right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling: We will not use your information for profiling purposes.

 

Cookies

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Cookies are small files which ask your permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive so that it can analyse web traffic to my website. Through this we can see which of my website’s pages are being viewed. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can modify your setting to decline them if you prefer. If you choose to do this you may find that you cannot make full use of the website.

 

More information about cookies

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• You can learn more about cookies and the following third-party websites:

  • AllAboutCookies: www.allaboutcookies.org

  • Network Advertising Initiative: www.networkadvertising.org

 

Links to other websites

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This website may contain links to other websites that may be of interest. However, once you use these links please be aware that you have left my website and we do not have any control over other websites. We cannot be held responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide when visiting such sites and these sites are not governed by my privacy policy. Please exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website you are visiting.

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Further resources

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• UK Data Protection Act 1988 (DPA)

• EU Data Protection Directive 1995 (DPD)

• EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR)

• Overview of the GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation

• Data Protection Act 1998

• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003

• The Guide to the PECR 2003

• 1and1 Privacy Policy

• Mailchimp Privacy Policy

• Facebook Privacy Policy

• Google Privacy Policy

 

Additional information 

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How I protect your data

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Your data is securely stored on encrypted laptops and phones. All devices are regularly backed up onto an encrypted media storage system.

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Data breach procedures

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If a data breach is detected I will follow the steps outlined in the GDPR to inform people affected and the ICO as quickly as possible. I will take all steps I can to investigate and rectify the breach.

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Complaints

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If you feel you would like to make a complaint about how your personal data is handled by Malcolm Struthers Hypnotherapy you can contact us directly by email (info@malcolmstruthers.com). In the event that Malcolm Struthers Hypnotherapy cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction you can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113.

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Disclaimer

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This site does not provide medical advice. The content is for informational purposes only. Consult with your doctor on all medical issues regarding your condition and its treatment.

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Any content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for a medical exam, nor does it replace the need for services provided by medical professional. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment. Any medical questions should be directed to your doctor.

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There are no guarantees that any of these courses of action will solve your issues. It is our intention to help you to help yourself. We can make no promises that we can help you, however, we can promise to do our best to help you.

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You are paying for our professional time.

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