Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Adults

Last updated: September 2026

Matt Kelly Psychotherapy takes your privacy seriously. This notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you make an enquiry or undertake psychotherapy with me.

I, Matt Kelly, am the data controller for the personal information I hold about you. If you have any questions about this notice or about how your information is used, you can contact me at mattkellypsychotherapy@gmail.com.

Information I may collect

When you contact me or undertake therapy with me, I may collect and hold your name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address.

During assessment and therapy I may also keep assessment information, brief session notes, clinical formulations, therapy contracts, attendance records, relevant correspondence, invoices and payment records. This may include correspondence with your GP or another healthcare professional and, where appropriate, an end-of-therapy summary.

Because of the nature of psychotherapy, some information you share with me may concern your mental or physical health, relationships and other aspects of your personal life. Some of this is classed as special-category personal data under UK data-protection law.

Why I use your information

I use your information to respond to enquiries, assess whether I can offer an appropriate service, provide and manage psychotherapy, maintain appropriate clinical records, arrange appointments, communicate with you, issue invoices, undertake professional supervision and meet my professional, safeguarding, accounting and legal responsibilities.

I process personal information where it is necessary to take steps towards, and to provide, our therapeutic work. After therapy ends, I may retain appropriate records where this is necessary for legitimate professional interests, including responding to questions, complaints or legal claims. Where special-category information is processed, an additional lawful condition is also required. 

Confidentiality and supervision

Psychotherapy is confidential, although confidentiality is not absolute.

I undertake regular clinical supervision as part of safe and ethical practice. I may discuss clients by name with my clinical supervisor. My supervisor is required to maintain confidentiality.

In other professional communications, I minimise identifying information wherever possible.

Sharing information

With your agreement, I may sometimes communicate with your GP, mental-health service or another healthcare professional where this is relevant to your care. I would normally discuss this with you beforehand and record your agreement.

There may be exceptional circumstances in which I need to share information without prior agreement, for example where there is a serious risk of harm, a safeguarding concern, or where disclosure is required or authorised by law. Where appropriate and safe, I would aim to discuss this with you first.

Storage and security

Records may be held in both paper and electronic form.

Paper records are kept securely in private storage. Electronic records are held on password-protected devices and may also be stored using Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

I use Google/Gmail for email, QuickBooks for invoicing and accounting, and GoDaddy in connection with this website and its contact facilities. These organisations may process limited personal information in providing their services.

How long I keep information

If you make an enquiry but do not begin therapy with me, I will normally delete your enquiry and associated personal information within one year, unless there is a particular reason to keep it longer.

If you undertake therapy with me, clinical and associated records are normally retained for seven years after the end of therapy. After that period, paper records are securely destroyed and electronic records deleted unless there is a lawful reason to retain particular information for longer.

Financial records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.

Your rights

You have rights under data-protection law in relation to your personal information. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to request access to your information, have inaccurate information corrected, request erasure or restriction in certain circumstances, object to certain processing, and withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis being used. The ICO requires privacy information to explain purposes, retention and sharing clearly and in plain language.

To exercise your rights, contact me at mattkellypsychotherapy@gmail.com.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how I have handled your personal information, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss them with you first.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Changes to this notice

I may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, professional guidance or data-protection law. The current version will be available on this website.