Privacy Policy

 At The Healing Space, your privacy is of utmost importance. This policy outlines how we handle your personal information, our commitment to confidentiality, and the steps we take to ensure a secure experience while using our services. By using our services, you agree to the terms of this privacy policy.

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General Guidelines:

1. The Healing Space is an online mental health platform offering services provided by expert and well-trained mental health professionals. If you wish to learn more about the qualifications or training of any of our consultants, they are happy to provide further details upon request.

2. Our therapists strictly adhere to high standards of proficiency, professionalism, and ethics. To maintain these standards, they regularly attend clinical supervision sessions to ensure the quality of their work remains up to regulatory standards.

3. Your therapist may, from time to time, update your psychiatrist or referring physician about your psychotherapeutic progress to ensure better coordination of your care. This is done to facilitate an integrated approach to your treatment.

4. In some cases, it may be important for your other healthcare providers to be informed about your engagement in psychological therapy. If your therapist believes this is necessary, they will request your permission to send a brief progress update to your doctor. You are entitled to receive a copy of this letter upon request.

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Therapy Session Guidelines:

1. Therapy sessions at The Healing Space will begin with mutual agreement between you and your therapist regarding the rules of the therapy process. This includes agreeing on the date and time of each session.

2. Sessions will be conducted online via Google Meet or Zoom. Once your appointment is confirmed, which will occur only after payment is made, a session link will be shared with you.

3. For couples therapy, both partners must attend the session together unless the therapist specifically recommends that one partner attends individually. Similarly, for family therapy, all family members should attend the session together, unless the therapist decides that individual sessions are necessary.

4. For individual therapy with adult clients, communication with family members will only occur with the explicit consent of the client. Even if a family member reaches out to us directly, we will not disclose any confidential information shared by the client in therapy, nor will we discuss any aspects of the therapy process with the family member without the client’s informed consent. If the therapist believes it may be beneficial to involve a family member in the therapeutic process, they will always seek and obtain the client’s permission beforehand.

5. Recording of therapy sessions by either the client or therapist is strictly prohibited. If the therapist needs to record a session for supervision purposes, they will obtain your explicit informed consent in advance.

Informed Consent (for adults) and Parental Consent (for minors):

Informed Consent: Before beginning therapy, all clients are provided with clear and comprehensive information regarding the nature of the therapeutic process. This includes an explanation of the guidelines for therapy, limitations of confidentiality, and the specific steps involved in the treatment. Our informed-consent form not only involves obtaining explicit permission to engage in psychotherapy but also covers important policies such as our cancellation policy and payment policy. These policies will be clearly explained to you, and by providing your consent, you agree to abide by them throughout your therapy process.

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Parental Consent for Minors: For clients under the age of 18, we require parental consent to engage in therapy. A parent or legal guardian will be asked to review the details of the therapy process, including our cancellation and payment policies, and provide written consent on behalf of the minor. We ensure that both the minor and their parent(s) or guardian(s) fully understand and agree to the terms before beginning therapy.

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Confidentiality: 

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of the therapeutic process. All matters discussed during therapy will remain confidential. However, there are specific situations in which your therapist may need to break confidentiality:

1. Risk of Harm: If your therapist believes you may be at risk of harming yourself or others, they are obligated to inform your emergency contact, General Practitioner (GP) or relevant healthcare providers, such as your psychiatrist, to ensure you receive the necessary care.

2. Legal Requirements: Your therapist may also disclose confidential information if required by law (MHCA, 2017).

As far as possible, your therapist will discuss any necessary breach of confidentiality with you before taking further action.

Your therapist will maintain written records of all sessions, which include brief notes on what was discussed and their professional reflections. These records are kept confidential and will only be disclosed when required by law or with your explicit consent.

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Storage of Personal Data:

The Healing Space collects and stores basic demographic information, including your name, age, phone number, email address, gender, and emergency contact details. This information is stored securely in encrypted spreadsheets, and only the administrative staff and the founder have access to it.

We use Clinicea, a HIPAA-compliant clinic management software, to handle the appointments of our core team. All data stored in Clinicea is protected by high security standards, ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of your personal information.

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Emergency:

If you experience an emotional crisis or have thoughts of harming yourself or others (e.g., suicidal or homicidal ideation), you should immediately contact emergency psychiatric services or a healthcare professional for assistance.

The Healing Space cannot provide emergency interventions, and it is crucial that you seek help immediately from local emergency services or a mental health crisis helpline.

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