Ethics, Privacy & Practice Policy
Ethics, Privacy and Practice Policy
Last updated: July 2026
At The Creative Therapy Hub, I aim to provide creative psychotherapy in a safe, respectful, confidential and ethically responsible way.
This page explains the principles that guide my practice, including confidentiality, safeguarding, professional boundaries, creative work, data protection and complaints.
Professional and Ethical Practice
I am Aisling Sherry, a Creative Art Psychotherapist.
My qualifications are:
BA (Hons) Creative Arts Therapies [2:1]
MSc Art Pschotherapy [1st Class Hons]
Clinical Supervision for Creative Therapists
PG Systemic Practice & Family Therapy
I am registerd with HCPC, AS16888.
I work in accordance with the ethical and professional standards of HCPC, BAAT, alongside relevant UK legislation and professional guidance.
I undertake regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development to support safe, reflective and competent practice.
I work within the limits of my professional training, experience and competence. Where another service or practitioner may be more appropriate for a client’s needs, I may discuss this with the client and, where appropriate, recommend or facilitate a referral.
Respect, Equality and Inclusion
I aim to provide a respectful and inclusive therapeutic environment.
Clients are welcomed regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or other aspects of identity, background or lived experience.
I recognise that identity, culture, relationships, discrimination, inequality, power and social circumstances can influence a person’s experience and may form an important part of therapy.
Where possible, reasonable adjustments can be discussed to support accessibility and participation in therapy.
Informed Consent
Therapy is entered into voluntarily.
Before therapy begins, I will provide information about how I work so that clients can make an informed decision about whether the service is suitable for them.
This will normally include information about:
● the nature of the therapy offered;
● session length and frequency;
● fees and payment arrangements;
● cancellations;
● confidentiality and its limitations;
● record keeping;
● use and storage of creative work;
● online or remote sessions, where applicable;
● communication between sessions;
● endings and breaks;
● complaints; and
● data protection.
Clients are encouraged to ask questions about any aspect of the therapeutic process.
Consent is an ongoing process and clients may raise concerns, ask questions or reconsider aspects of our agreement during therapy.
Confidentiality
What is discussed in therapy is treated as confidential.
However, confidentiality is not absolute.
There may be circumstances in which I need to disclose information without a client’s consent. These may include situations where:
● I believe there is a serious risk of harm to the client or another person;
● there is a safeguarding concern involving a child or an adult at risk;
● disclosure is required or permitted by law;
● I am required to comply with a court order or other legal obligation; or
● another exceptional public-interest reason makes disclosure necessary.
Where it is safe, appropriate and legally possible, I would normally seek to discuss a proposed disclosure with the client before taking action.
Any information disclosed would normally be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the purpose concerned.
Safeguarding
I have a professional responsibility to consider the safety and welfare of clients and others.
If information arises that causes significant concern about the safety or welfare of a child, an adult at risk, the client or another person, I may need to consult appropriate safeguarding or professional services.
Where appropriate, I may consult my clinical supervisor or seek professional or legal guidance before deciding what action is required.
Where there is an immediate risk of serious harm, urgent action may be necessary.
Clinical Supervision
Regular clinical supervision is an important part of ethical psychotherapy practice.
I discuss aspects of my clinical work with a suitably qualified supervisor to support safe and effective practice.
Wherever practicable, identifying details are minimised or anonymised. My supervisor is also professionally bound by confidentiality.
Creative Work and Therapeutic Materials
Creative psychotherapy may involve materials such as drawings, paintings, images, objects, photographs, writing, journals, collage, clay, movement, sound or other forms of creative expression.
Creative work produced during therapy is treated with the same respect for privacy and confidentiality as verbal material.
Before beginning creative work, we can discuss practical arrangements concerning:
● whether work remains in the therapy space or is taken away by the client;
● how physical work will be stored;
● how digital creative material will be stored;
● what happens to work when therapy ends;
● whether work may be photographed or digitally recorded; and
● whether work that has not been collected will eventually be securely disposed of.
Artwork normally remains in the therapy room for the duration of therapy and is returned to the client at the end of our work together.
I will not knowingly use identifiable client artwork, writing, photographs, recordings or other therapeutic material for publicity, social media, exhibitions, teaching, research, publication or promotional purposes without appropriate prior consent and ethical consideration.
Where consent is requested for a use outside therapy, the purpose and intended use will be explained. A client’s decision about such consent will not affect their access to therapy.
Photography, Recording and Digital Images
Therapy sessions will not normally be photographed, audio-recorded or video-recorded unless this has been specifically discussed and agreed in advance.
Clients are also asked not to record sessions without prior agreement.
Any agreed recording or photography will be subject to appropriate confidentiality, consent, data protection, storage and deletion arrangements.
Professional Boundaries
The therapeutic relationship is a professional relationship.
I aim to maintain clear and appropriate boundaries regarding contact, communication, social relationships, gifts, physical contact, social media and other interactions outside therapy.
If we encounter one another unexpectedly outside the therapy setting, I will normally allow the client to decide whether they wish to acknowledge me in order to protect their privacy.
I do not normally connect with current clients through personal social-media accounts.
Online and Remote Therapy
Where therapy takes place online, I take reasonable steps to use appropriate and secure technology.
Clients are encouraged to participate from a private space where they feel able to speak freely.
No online platform can be guaranteed to be completely free from technical or security risks. Relevant arrangements, including what happens if the connection fails, will be discussed as part of our therapeutic agreement.
Clients should inform me if they are participating in an online session from a location different from the one we have previously agreed, particularly where this may affect emergency or safeguarding arrangements.
Records and Notes
I keep records that are appropriate for the provision of psychotherapy and the administration of my practice.
Records may include:
● contact information;
● assessment or referral information;
● appointment and payment records;
● therapeutic or clinical notes;
● correspondence;
● consent information;
● safeguarding or risk-related information; and
● other information necessary for the provision of the service.
Records are kept securely and access is restricted appropriately.
Records are retained and securely destroyed when they are no longer required, subject to legal, regulatory, insurance and professional obligations.
Data Protection and Privacy
I process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data-protection requirements, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
Because psychotherapy can involve information concerning health, wellbeing and other sensitive aspects of a person’s life, additional protections may apply to some of the information I process.
My full Privacy Notice explains:
● what personal information I collect;
● why I collect and use it;
● the lawful basis on which information is processed;
● how sensitive or special-category information is handled;
● who information may be shared with;
● how information is stored;
● how long information is retained;
● any relevant international data transfers;
● individual data-protection rights; and
● how to raise a concern about the use of personal information.
For data-protection purposes, the data controller is:
Aisling Sherry
Email: Creativetherapy_as@outlook.com
Website Enquiries
Information submitted through this website, email or an enquiry form will be used for the purpose of responding to the enquiry and, where appropriate, arranging therapy.
Please avoid providing more sensitive personal or clinical information through an initial website enquiry than is necessary.
Email communication cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Cookies and Website Analytics
This website may use cookies and similar technologies.
Essential cookies may be necessary for the website to function. Where non-essential cookies or analytics technologies require consent, they will only be used in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.
Fees, Cancellations and Practical Arrangements
Fees, session arrangements, cancellations, breaks and other practical terms are explained before therapy begins and are set out in my Therapeutic Agreement & Client Contract.
Current fee: [£65] per session.
Cancellation policy: 24hrs prior to session, DNA [Did not Attend without 24 hr notice]: £65
Any proposed changes to fees or regular arrangements will normally be communicated in advance.
Contact Between Sessions
Contact outside sessions should normally be limited to practical matters such as appointments, cancellations or agreed arrangements.
Messaging and email should not be relied upon for urgent or emergency support.
Crisis and Emergency Support
My psychotherapy practice is not an emergency or crisis service and I cannot guarantee that I will be available outside agreed appointments.
If you believe that you or another person is in immediate danger, contact the appropriate emergency services or attend your nearest emergency department.
If you need urgent mental-health support between sessions, please use an appropriate NHS, crisis or emergency service available in your area.
Ending Therapy
Clients are free to end therapy.
Where possible, I encourage clients to discuss their wish to finish so that we can consider the ending together and bring the therapeutic relationship to an appropriate close.
There may also be circumstances in which I recommend pausing or ending therapy, for example where I believe that the service is no longer appropriate, safe or within my professional competence. Where possible, this would be discussed openly and alternative support considered.
Complaints and Concerns
I welcome clients raising concerns about any aspect of my work.
Where appropriate, I encourage concerns to be discussed with me first so that I have an opportunity to understand and respond to them.
You can contact me at:
Aisling Sherry
Email: Creativetherapy_as@outlook.com
I aim to acknowledge a formal complaint within 7 working days and provide information about how it will be considered.
If I am registered with or accountable to a professional body, clients may also be able to use that organisation’s complaints or professional-conduct procedure.
My professional body is:
Health Care & Professions Council
Nothing in this policy prevents a person from approaching an appropriate regulator, professional body, statutory authority or other organisation where they have the right to do so.
Insurance
I maintain appropriate professional indemnity insurance for the work I undertake.
My insurer is: Holistic Insurance Services
Changes to This Policy
This policy may be reviewed and updated to reflect changes in my practice, professional guidance, regulation or the law.
The most recent version will be published on this website.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Next review due: July 2027