​Privacy Policy and GDPR

Website Terms, Privacy & Therapeutic Agreement

1. Website Disclaimer & Professional Boundaries

Information, Not Advice: The content on Jill Abernethy Therapy is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for personal therapy or medical advice. Accessing this content does not establish a therapist/coach-client relationship.

Crisis Communication: This website and my email are not monitored 24/7. In an emergency, do not wait for a reply. Please contact NHS 111, the Samaritans at 116 123, or attend your nearest A&E.

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Social Media Policy: I maintain a strict separation between my private life and clinical practice. I do not accept “friend” requests from current or past clients on personal platforms.

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2. GDPR Privacy Policy

I am Jill Abernethy, an NCPS Registrant and ICO registered. I am committed to protecting your privacy under UK GDPR and NCPS ethical guidelines.

Information Collected: I collect contact details, health history, intake forms, and minimal clinical notes necessary for safe treatment.

AI Transparency: I do not use AI-tools to write my clinical notes, or record sessions. To operate professionally , I need to use some third-party providers, that use AI tools but are secure and GDPR-compliant.

Third-Party Services: I use secure, GDPR-compliant professional industry-standard providers including Teamup and Google Calendar (Practice Management), Starling (Payments), Zoom PRO (video conferencing), Gmail, and Hotmail (Encrypted Email) and HMRC tax and accountancy services, as needed.

Data Retention: Notes are kept for 7 years after your last session, in accordance with insurance requirements, then securely destroyed. You have the right to access your data via jillabernethy@hotmail.co.uk

3. Therapeutic Agreement & Logistics

Secure Video Sessions: We meet via Zoom. To ensure maximum confidentiality, I use unique, password-protected meeting links for every client and a secure Virtual Waiting Room. I will admit you to the session at our scheduled time.

Jurisdiction: All services are provided under UK jurisdiction.

Fees & Payments: All private session payments are processed securely via Starling Business. For insurance-funded sessions (eg. Aviva/WPA), please provide your authorization code and membership number during booking.

Cancellations: I require 48 hours’ notice to cancel or rearrange. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, or missed sessions, remain payable at the full fee.

Public Encounters: If we meet in a physical public or online space, I will not initiate contact to protect your anonymity. You are welcome to say hello, but I will follow your lead.

4. Client Consent & Signature

By using this website or booking a session, you confirm:

I have read and understood the Privacy Policy and Therapeutic Agreement.

I consent to the use of secure, unique Zoom links and understand the 48-hour cancellation policy.

I understand that website communication is not a crisis service.

Last Updated: June 2026 No part of this website’s content may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.

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GDPR Opt-in Policy

Last Updated: 17th June 2026

Disclaimer:

This website does not substitute for any personal therapy or medical advice. It only provides general information for educational purposes. It does not establish a therapist/coach and client relationship or assumes any liability.

GDPR Privacy Policy:

I’m committed to protecting your privacy. I work under UK jurisdiction and adhere to the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) Ethical Framework, complying with UK GDPR and other relevant data protection laws. This policy explains how I handle your personal information in online therapy. By using my services, you opt in to consent.

Who I Am

Name: Jill Abernethy, NCPS registrant therapist.

Email: jillabernethy@hotmail.co.uk 

Information I Collect

I collect information necessary to provide safe and effective therapy:

Directly from you: Contact details, initial enquiry info, intake information, sensitive therapeutic data (e.g., health, personal history), emergency contact, GP details, and payment information.

Automatically (website use): Standard, anonymised browsing data (e.g., IP address, pages visited) for website improvement, via tools like Google Analytics.

How I Use Your Information

I use your data for:

Providing therapy: Based on our contract and legitimate interests. For sensitive health data, I rely on “provision of health or social care” and/or your explicit consent.

Managing sessions: Scheduling, communication, and maintaining minimal clinical records.

Professional supervision: Anonymous case discussion with my supervisor, as required by NCPS.

Legal/ethical duties: Compliance with tax, safeguarding, and NCPS guidelines.

Emergency protocols: Managing serious risk of harm, potentially involving emergency services or trusted contacts, with prior discussion where possible.

Service improvement: Analysing anonymised website data.

Confidentiality & Sharing

Your sessions are confidential. I do not share your personal information without your explicit consent, except when:

There’s a serious risk of harm to you or others (I’ll try to discuss this with you first).

Legally required by a UK court.

For anonymous professional supervision.

Using secure, GDPR-compliant third-party services for video calls (e.g., Zoom Pro) booking, email, payments, and accounting. I have data processing agreements with these providers.

Data Security

I use secure systems (password protection, encryption) to protect your data. Electronic records are stored securely, often on servers within GDPR-compliant regions. While I strive for maximum security, no online transmission is 100% risk-free.

Data Retention

Therapeutic notes and contact details: Retained for 7 years after your last session, in line with professional and insurance guidelines.

Initial enquiry data: Deleted within 6 months if therapy doesn’t proceed.

Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

Access your data (response within one calendar month; a charge may apply)

Correct inaccurate information

Request deletion (Right to be Forgotten), unless legal/ethical reasons require retention.

Contact & Complaints Procedure

If you have any concerns or complaints about how I handle your personal data, you have the statutory right to raise a formal data protection complaint directly with me.

Please submit your complaint in writing to jillabernethy@hotmail.co.uk 

I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days. 

I will investigate the matter and provide a full outcome response without undue delay, keeping you informed of my progress, if the investigation requires extended enquiries. 

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of my internal investigation, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

www.ico.org.uk

Clients outside the UK may contact their local data protection authority.

☑️ Consent Checkbox

 

[ ] I have read and understood the Privacy Policy and consent to the use of my personal data for therapeutic purposes.

Policy Changes

I may update this policy. The “Last Updated” date above reflects the latest version.

 

 

 

 

 

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