Oonagh Ryan Family Therapy Practice is a professional and confidential service. It adheres to a strict code of ethics and ethical practice as outlined by the FTAI ( Family Therapy Association Of Ireland ) and the IPC ( Irish Psychotherapy Council) and other professional bodies that Family and Systemic Therapists are associated with. 

Service Agreement 

This policy outlines the principles of confidentiality as they apply to the Therapeutic Service, the terms and conditions of attending the Service and our privacy policy. Please read and sign the policy before engaging with the Service. Any queries arising can be discussed with the therapist.

Principles of Confidentiality  

Confidentiality is a central and integral part of the therapeutic process. This means that what you disclose to us in confidence will not be shared with others without your explicit written permission. This in turn offers safety and privacy to you to discuss personal and private concerns. Information, written or verbal, given to the Service will be held in the strictest confidence as will all information about your engagement with our Service. On occasion and in exceptional circumstances counsellors may be professionally obliged to break confidentiality. 

 Limits to Confidentiality 

Circumstances that may necessitate the disclosure of your personal information without your consent occur when:

1. There is a strong belief or evidence that a serious risk or danger exists for you or another individual. This may relate to issues surrounding sexual /physical /emotional abuse; rape; self harm; suicidal intent; violence or criminal activity.

 2. Therapists working in the Family therapy practice are mandated by law and obliged to report any disclosures of child sexual abuse, assault, ill-treatment or neglect of children to the Child & Family Agency TULSA under the reporting responsibilities of the Children First Guidelines (2015) and the FTAI’s policy on Child Protection 2017. 

3.   There is a formal legal requirement to share information as part of a statutory duty, legal process, or a court order.

 In these instances, information may be disclosed to significant others or appropriate third parties without your permission being sought. Where possible a full explanation will be given to you regarding the necessary procedures and intended actions that need to be taken.

 Sharing of Information

On occasion it is beneficial to share information with a a third party for the purpose of sharing relevant information pertaining to your well-being or as part of a mitigating circumstance (GP for example). 

Apart from the exceptions previously mentioned, sharing of information is always conducted in collaboration with you. A signed consent form must be completed prior to any information being shared or passed on. Written permission involves signing the practice consent form which will include your name, the defined purpose for the release of information, a named person to whom the information is directed to, and relevant dates of attendance.   

Terms and Conditions of Attending the Family Therapy Practice

Signed Consent 

Prior to attending your first appointment you are required to read and sign the Confidentiality Policy and agree to the terms and conditions of attending the Service as outlined.

You have the right to refuse consent. In this case it will not be possible to proceed with therapy as giving consent is part of the counselling agreement with you. You are free to change your mind regarding consent at any given time irrespective of any initial decision taken. 

Service Contact

Contact from the practice will specified by the client on the intake form choosing whether to be contacted by email address or mobile number. Permission to send SMS messages and emails will also be requested on the intake form. A contact number for a next of kin /emergency contact person is requested, as is the name of your GP. Neither will be contacted without your permission / knowledge except as outlined above. 

Therapeutic Records

The family therapy practice records hold personal data provided by you on registering with the Service. All information provided, questionnaires completed, documentation received on your behalf, case notes and administrative notes as recorded by the therapist will also be included on your record. 

Records and data are kept as electronic files held on a secure practice management system , which is an encrypted, dual authentication, password protected database.  Access to records is limited to the therapist.

Records are held securely and confidentially within the Service for a maximum of seven years. Following this period records are removed and securely destroyed.

 Scheduling of Appointments

Appointments can be scheduled online by the client. Prior to attending the first appointment all relevant intake forms should be completed and submitted to the practice. Intake and consent forms will be sent by secure link to  the clients email address and returned via this same link. Clients can elect to receive email or text reminders the day before their appointments should this be helpful. The practice requires 48 hours notice for cancellation of any appointment. Should the client not attend the scheduled appointment without due notice, the client will charged the full fee for the session.

Should the client/s arrive late to their scheduled appointment it will not be possible to extend the session to make up time.

Scheduling appointments including or for children under 18 years of age will require that consent for attendance is given by the legal guardians. In most cases the consent of both parents is required unless the child has only one legal guardian. Children must also consent to participating in therapy.

The client and the therapist will review the therapeutic process at 6 week intervals, and parents of children who are attending on their own are required to commit to regularly scheduled meetings ( 6-8 week intervals) to discuss progress.

Clinical Supervision 

To ensure best practice in line with professional and ethical guidelines the Therapist must attend regular supervision. The purpose of supervision is to assist therapists to reflect on and receive guidance in relation to their professional work. Client confidentiality is strictly preserved during supervision. 

Privacy Policy

Any personal data provided by you while availing of the Family Therapy Practice will be processed fairly and lawfully. Personal data obtained by the Service is processed and retained only for the purposes that are directly connected with the provision of counselling services and related administrative purposes.

You have a right of access to the notes held in your record.  If you wish to withdraw your consent for the Family Therapy Practice to hold your personal data please contact Oonagh Ryan and make a request to have your data removed and securely destroyed.  

Your personal data is held in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) the Data Protection Policy (2018).  Oonagh Ryan Family Therapy Practice & Privacy Policy is in keeping with these polices. 

Your rights include: 

•        The right of access to the personal data that the Practice holds about you;

•        The right to have your personal data rectified; 

•        The right to be forgotten (erasure); 

•        The right to restrict the processing of your personal data; 

•        The right to data portability.

If you have any concerns regarding any of the information in this statement please do not hesitate to contact Oonagh Ryan for clarification.