Confidentiality

Confidentiality is fundamental to the work of Carbon Sun. It provides the trust and psychological safety needed to speak openly, explore uncertainty and reflect without performance or judgement.

What confidentiality means

Information shared during executive psychotherapy and individual reflective practice is treated as confidential. Carbon Sun will not normally disclose what you discuss, or confirm that you are a client, without your knowledge and appropriate consent.

The confidentiality arrangements that apply to organisational work, including who knows about an engagement and whether any information will be reported, will be agreed before the work begins.

Professional supervision

Psychotherapists use professional supervision to support safe, ethical and effective practice. Aspects of the work may be discussed with a qualified supervisor. Identifying information is limited as far as reasonably possible, and the supervisor is bound by professional confidentiality.

Clinical records

Brief and appropriate records may be kept to support continuity, professional accountability and safe practice. Records are stored securely, access is restricted and they are retained in accordance with the Carbon Sun Privacy Policy and applicable professional, legal and insurance requirements.

Limits to confidentiality

Confidentiality is not absolute. Information may need to be shared where:

• you give informed consent for a specific disclosure;
• there is a serious and immediate concern about your safety or another person’s safety;
• there is a safeguarding concern involving a child or an adult at risk;
• disclosure is required by law, a court order or another binding legal obligation;
• information is needed to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim; or
• another ethical or legal duty clearly outweighs the duty of confidentiality.

Any decision to disclose information will be considered carefully and limited to what is necessary and proportionate. Wherever it is safe and lawful to do so, the concern and proposed disclosure will normally be discussed with you first.

Organisationally funded work

Where an employer or another organisation funds the work, the organisation does not automatically receive information about the content of sessions. Before the work begins, the parties should agree:

• who will know that the engagement is taking place;
• whether attendance or administrative information will be shared;
• whether there will be review conversations and what they may cover; and
• the circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken.

Carbon Sun will not provide an undisclosed assessment of an individual for the benefit of an organisational sponsor. Any agreed feedback should be transparent to the individual concerned.

Online and telephone work

Reasonable steps are taken to provide online and telephone appointments through appropriate systems and from a private environment. You are asked to join from a place where you can speak privately and safely. Sessions must not be recorded by either party without explicit prior agreement.

Electronic communication carries inherent risks. Avoid sending detailed clinical information through ordinary email or website forms unless necessary and agreed.

Contact outside sessions

Email, telephone and the booking system should normally be used for practical arrangements rather than therapeutic work. Carbon Sun is not an emergency service and cannot guarantee that messages will be seen immediately.

Your privacy rights

The handling of personal information, including access rights and retention, is explained in the Privacy Policy. Questions about confidentiality can be raised at any time.

Contact

If you would like to discuss any aspect of confidentiality, contact Chris Woodruff at chriswoodruff@carbon-sun.com.