Social Media, Communication & Complaints Policy

Keeping you informed about your rights so you can feel confident we care.

Towards Tranquility Therapists
Liz Maskew – NCPS Accredited Counsellor, BACP Member

Rachel Tandy - NCPS Accredited Counsellor

Introduction

This policy explains how Towards Tranquility Therapy approaches communication, social media and digital boundaries.

Its purpose is to help protect your privacy, maintain clear therapeutic boundaries, and support a safe and professional working relationship.

If you have any questions about anything contained within this policy, please feel free to discuss them with me.

Professional Boundaries

The relationship between therapist and client is a professional therapeutic relationship.

To protect the integrity of our work together, I maintain clear boundaries both within and outside of therapy sessions.

These boundaries are intended to support your wellbeing, preserve confidentiality and create a safe therapeutic space.

Social Media Friend and Follow Requests

I do not accept friend requests, follow requests or connection invitations from current or former clients on my personal social media accounts.

This includes platforms such as:

Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Snapchat
LinkedIn
X (formerly Twitter)
Other personal networking sites

Maintaining these boundaries helps to:

Protect your confidentiality.
Avoid dual relationships.
Preserve the therapeutic relationship.

Please do not interpret this boundary as a rejection. It is a standard part of ethical practice.

Professional Social Media Presence

You may come across professional pages relating to Towards Tranquility Therapy.

You are under no obligation to engage with these accounts.

Please be aware that if you choose to comment, follow or interact publicly, others may infer that you are connected to my practice.

I will never acknowledge or disclose that someone is my client through social media.

Contact Through Social Media

Please do not use social media messaging services to contact me regarding therapeutic matters.

This includes:

Facebook Messenger
Instagram Direct Messages
TikTok Messages
X Direct Messages
LinkedIn Messaging
YouTube

These platforms are not considered appropriate or secure for clinical communication.

Messages received through these channels may not be monitored or responded to.

Appropriate Methods of Contact

Clients are welcome to contact Towards Tranquility Therapy using the agreed communication methods.

These include:

Email
Telephone
Business WhatsApp
Administrative messaging relating to appointments

These methods may be used for:

Rearranging appointments.
Cancelling appointments.
Brief practical enquiries.
Seeking guidance regarding appropriate support options during periods of significant distress.

Response Times

I aim to respond to emails and messages as promptly as possible and within:

48 working hours.

Responses may occasionally take longer during periods of annual leave, illness or unforeseen circumstances.

I cannot guarantee immediate responses.

Support Between Sessions

I recognise that there may be occasions when clients experience significant distress between appointments.

If you contact me during my usual working hours and I am available and able to do so, I will endeavour to offer some time to help you explore appropriate support options and consider what may be most helpful.

Wherever possible, this will be approached collaboratively and with your wellbeing in mind.

Please note that this does not constitute an emergency service or crisis intervention.

Crisis Information

Towards Tranquility Therapy is not an emergency service.

If you are in immediate danger or require urgent support, please contact:

999
NHS 111
Your GP
Your local Crisis Team (if applicable)
Samaritans on 116 123

If you are unsure what support is appropriate, NHS 111 can advise you.

Reviews and Testimonials

To maintain professional boundaries and protect confidentiality:

I do not request testimonials from clients.
I do not solicit reviews from clients.
I will not respond to public reviews posted by current or former clients.

Even acknowledging a review could compromise your confidentiality and the therapeutic relationship.

Viewing Client Social Media

I will not routinely search for, monitor or review clients' social media accounts or online activity.

I respect your privacy outside of our therapeutic work together.

In exceptional circumstances involving serious concerns about safety, I may consider whether viewing publicly available information is necessary. Wherever possible, I would seek to discuss this with you first.

Recording Sessions

Confidentiality and trust are central to therapy.

Sessions should not be audio recorded, video recorded, photographed or otherwise captured without prior discussion and written agreement from both parties.

If recordings are agreed for any reason, clear arrangements regarding storage, access and deletion will be discussed in advance.

Online Safety and Confidentiality

Towards Tranquility Therapy offers remote support through:

Doxy.me
Google Meet
Business WhatsApp (where appropriate)
Telephone
Email Counselling

When engaging in remote work, clients are encouraged to:

Access sessions from a private space.
Use secure and password-protected devices where possible.
Ensure others cannot overhear conversations.
Inform me if confidentiality may be compromised.

Whilst every effort is made to use secure systems, no online communication can be guaranteed to be entirely risk free.

Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains how Towards Tranquility Therapy collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

Please read this document carefully and ask any questions you may have.

Newsletter Privacy Notice

When you sign up to our newsletter, we will ask for your name and email address so we can send you the information, resources, updates and wellbeing content you have requested.

Your personal information will only be used for this purpose. We will never sell your information or share it with other organisations for marketing purposes.

Our newsletter is sent using a secure email marketing platform, which stores your information safely and in line with UK data protection legislation. We will keep your details until you choose to unsubscribe, after which your information will be removed from our mailing list within a reasonable period, unless we are required by law to keep it.

You are in control of your information. Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

know what personal information we hold about you;
request that we correct any inaccurate information;
ask us to delete your information where appropriate;
restrict or object to how we use your information in certain circumstances;
withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you unsubscribed.

If you have any questions about how your information is used, or you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact us. If you remain unhappy with how your information has been handled, you also have the right to make a complaint to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

By subscribing to our newsletter, you are confirming that you have read and understood this privacy information and that you consent to receiving emails from Towards Tranquility.

Data Controller

Data Controller: Liz Maskew
Practice Name: Towards Tranquility Therapy

ICO Registration Number: ZB5559361

Contact Details:

Email: info@towardstranquility.com

Telephone: 07882 851 013

Data Controller: Rachel Tandy
Practice Name: Towards Tranquility Therapy

ICO Registration Number: ZA878887

Contact Details:

Email: info@towardstranquility.com

Telephone: 07933 868 828

Information Collected

In order to provide counselling and supervision services, we may collect and process the following information:

Personal Information

Name
Date of birth
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Preferred contact method

Health and Therapy Information

GP details
Emergency contact information
Presenting concerns
Relevant medical history
Medication information (where relevant)
Risk-related information
Session notes

Administrative Information

Appointment records
Correspondence relating to appointments
Payment records and invoices

Why Towards Tranquility Collect Your Information

we collect information to:

Provide counselling and supervision services.
Maintain appropriate clinical records.
Communicate with you regarding appointments.
Support safe and ethical practice.
Meet legal, professional and insurance obligations.
Respond appropriately in situations involving serious risk.

we do not use your information for marketing purposes without your consent.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, the lawful basis relied upon include:

Contract

Processing is necessary to provide the support and counselling or supervision services you have requested.

Legitimate Interests

Processing may be necessary to maintain records, manage appointments, and support the safe delivery of services.

Special Category Data

Health-related information is processed for the provision of therapeutic care and support.

How Your Information Is Stored

Your information is stored securely.

This may include:

Password-protected electronic systems.
Secure email accounts.
Locked storage for any paper records.
Appropriate security measures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access.

We take reasonable steps to ensure your information remains confidential and protected.

Online Working

Towards Tranquility Therapy may use:

Doxy.me
Google Meet
Zoom
Business WhatsApp
Telephone
Email counselling

Whilst every effort is made to use secure methods of communication, no electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Clients are encouraged to:

Access sessions from a private location.
Use password-protected devices where possible.
Inform me if they have concerns about confidentiality when working online.

Sharing Information

Your information will not normally be shared without your knowledge and consent.

However, information may be shared where:

There is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
There are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult.
Disclosure is required by law or court order.
It is necessary to protect someone's vital interests.

Wherever possible, I aim to work collaboratively with you and discuss any proposed disclosure before taking action.

Clinical Supervision

Rachel and Liz undertake regular clinical supervision.

To support safe and ethical practice, aspects of our work may be discussed anonymously within supervision.

No identifying information is shared unnecessarily, and supervisors are also bound by confidentiality.

Record Retention

Your records will be retained in accordance with professional guidance and insurance requirements.

Adults

Records will normally be retained for:

7 years after the end of therapy.

Children and Young People

Records will normally be retained until:

The client's 25th birthday.

After the relevant retention period, records will be securely destroyed.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have rights relating to your personal information.

These include the right to:

Access the information held about you.
Request correction of inaccurate information.
Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
Object to processing in certain circumstances.
Request erasure where appropriate.
Request information about how your data is used.

Some rights may be subject to legal or professional limitations.

Data Breaches

If a significant personal data breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, appropriate action will be taken in accordance with legal requirements.

This may include notifying the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and, where appropriate, informing you.

Concerns and Complaints

If you have concerns about how your information has been handled, please raise them with me in the first instance.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Address:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Questions and Concerns

If you have any concerns about communication, boundaries or this policy, I encourage you to discuss them with either Liz or Rachel first before potentially escalating your concern to either their membership body or the ICO.

Open and collaborative conversations about the therapeutic relationships are welcomed and can often strengthen the work we do together. Your thoughts and concerns are important to us and we are happy to respond and take accountability where needed.

Email Towards Tranquility Therapy