Privacy Policy

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY. 

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Clients are responsible for the maintenance and protection of their own computers and for regularly updating their security software.

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Clients are responsible for making the necessary arrangements to ensure confidentiality from their end during any online therapy session and afterward where computers may be shared.

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Limited Personal data is required for our records and will be stored securely and will not be released to a third party except under court order.

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Clients accept that there are limits to confidentiality. While information received from the client is treated with the strictest confidence, this may cease should the client disclose criminal activity, child sexual abuse, or material that leads Michaela Benson to believe poses a threat to the safety of themselves or others or where the safety of a minor is threatened. 

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In all instances where it may be necessary to break confidentiality, the client will be informed prior to any action being taken. 

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Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided was correct at the time, Michaela Benson does not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

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All records and data relating to the therapy program remain the property of Michaela Benson and no part of any content may be used by any other party for publication in any form, or use in a study without the written consent of Michaela Benson.

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The contract of engagement in this online therapy is subject to acceptance by the client that the terms of use and the confidentiality and security policy have been accepted and understood. 

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By accepting the terms of use clients permanently agree to release and indemnify Michaela Benson from all actions, suits, lawsuits, and claims originating from the information provided by Michaela Benson. 

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Michaela Benson accepts no responsibility for the client’s telephone or computer systems, nor any technical difficulties occurring in connection with online therapy.

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Michaela Benson complies with the obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by keeping personal data up to date; by storing (and destroying it) securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data. 

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We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To deliver the services that clients have requested; 

To contact those clients as necessary in accordance with the services they have requested;

To contact clients via surveys to ascertain their opinions on the service they received from us;

To maintain our own accounts and records.

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N.B. In the event that our recorded data is utilized for research purposes, our own supervision, or for the instruction or tuition of students, all such data will be sufficiently anonymized to the extent that individual clients cannot be identified.

Should a client indicate that their data should not be used for these purposes, we would refrain from using that data. 

Individual client data will never be passed to a third party without the express consent of the respective client, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the safety of the client, the client’s family members, or other members of the public nor in contravention of any legal action or legal requirement.

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In accordance with our need to maintain the possibility of access to client data as a result of returning clients or those who may wish to lodge a complaint in respect of our services to either our professional body or our insurers (i.e. in all cases perhaps after a long period of time has elapsed), we retain client data for a minimum period of 7 years. For clients under the age of 18, data will be retained until their 25th birthday.

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Your rights and your personal data 

Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

The right to request a copy of your personal data which Michaela Benson holds about you; 

The right to request that Michaela Benson corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date; 

The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for Michaela Benson to retain such data; 

The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time; 

The right to request that the data controller provide the data subject with his/her personal data and where possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller, (known as the right to data portability), (where applicable).

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The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing; 

The right to object to the processing of personal data, (where applicable) [N.B. This only applies where processing is based on legitimate interests (or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority); direct marketing and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics]

The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office. (See below).

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Complaints Notice

The client has the right to complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Ireland), or Independent Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if they think there is a problem with the way we are handling their data.

By accepting the terms of use and proceeding to the course content clients agree to comply with the following:

Clients must be over 18.

Clients accept responsibility for checking that the laws in their country of residence permit their use of this service.

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Clients have read this policy on confidentiality, security, and the terms of use and understand their implications.

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Clients agree that the use of the service is for self-use and not part of any academic study.

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Clients accept that the publication of details pertaining to this online therapy must not be undertaken without the prior written consent of Michaela Benson.