Frequently asked questions

Here you will find answers to questions clients often ask. If you can’t find the answer you are looking for, please drop me an email at alex@sagetherapyroom.co.uk

Therapy

  • In therapy, you’ll have a safe and confidential space to talk about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Through these conversations, you can begin to understand yourself more deeply and make sense of what’s happening for you. As your therapist, I’ll listen with compassion and without judgement, working alongside you as we explore together.

  • Your therapy journey will be unique to you, following this rough structure:

    1. Initial consultation: In this free 15-minute call, we will discuss what has brought you to therapy and what you can share in therapy.

    2. Therapy: Each session we will go where we need to go. At the start of therapy, you may identify a desired outcome or we may explore each session dependent on what needs attention. 

    3. Ending: When you feel ready, we will bring our therapeutic relationship to an end. This may be because you have achieved the outcome you set out to achieve, or you may feel like you want a break. I would ask that you give notice where possible so we can bring our work together to a safe close.

  • Because something doesn’t feel right. You don’t need to have an official diagnosis to come to therapy, and if you do, that’s completely okay too. You deserve to love the life you live, and together we can work towards building that love.

    When you begin to feel more at home in your life, it shows: in your relationships with others, in how you relate to yourself, in your community, and in every part of your experience.

    Still not sure? Please reach out for a free 15 minute consultation. There is no obligation to continue and we can get an idea of if therapy is the right path for you.

  • My goal is to get you to where you want to be as quickly as possible. That said, it will take as long as it takes. No one has ever experienced your unique situation and so we can’t know how long it will take to get you to where you want to be.

  • You won’t find client testimonials published here for a few reasons:

    • I abide to the UKCP and NSTT ethical guidelines that prohibit the use of client testimonials.

    • My clients’ confidentiality is very important to me and to abide by UK advertising standards, testimonials must be able to be verified with the individual.

    • Each client’s therapy is unique and no two experiences will be the same. Our work together will hold your individuality at the centre. If you would be interested in working together, please reach out.

Logistics

  • I provide online and in-person therapy.

    My private therapy room is based in my home in Macclesfield (SK11) within close proximity to transport links from Stockport, Manchester, and Stoke.

    Online therapy is provided through Zoom.

  • Yes, free parking is available on the street outside.

  • Payment will be requested one week before each session and can be made via bank transfer.

  • Life happens, and sometimes plans change. I ask for at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your session. This allows me to offer the time to another client. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice, or missed sessions without notice, will be charged at the full session fee.

  • I would love to help. Please drop me an email with your questions at alex@sagetherapyroom.co.uk.

Policies

  • I, Alex Glover, am the data controller and processor for Sage Therapy Room.

    The basis on which I keep client data is that of “Legitimate Interests”. This means that the data is necessary for me to fulfil the contract that we have together (i.e. to provide therapy) and that it is data that you would reasonably expect me to hold and use. 

    For those who enquire about therapy, the data I hold includes any information you have sent me by email/text/message. 

    For those who book and attend at least one session, the data I hold includes:

    • Basic information such as name, email address, phone number

    • Information that you give me as part of the work we do together

    • Audio recordings of each session

    • Records of the interventions that I use (or potentially do not use) in our sessions

    • Emails, texts and/or messages that are sent between us 

    • Information sent from any third party, e.g. GP, insurance company, EAP

    Some of the information that you give me may fall under the definition of special category of data as defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

    Data is not shared with anyone, except possibly your GP, and for any reasons covered by the Requirements for Disclosure which are detailed and discussed when we first meet.  

    The data is primarily used to enable me to provide therapy for you and for my capacity as a therapist to be assessed. It may also be used for scientific research purposes and statistical purposes.

    Details of where data is held:

    • Any emails sent between us are held on Microsoft Outlook’s data server.

    • Any texts/WhatsApp messages sent between us are held on my phone which is locked with a 6-digit passcode.  

    • Your notes are written down on paper and are held in a locked compartment in my home. 

    Your data is kept for 7 years. The length of time is based on the requirements of my insurance company. After this time any paper records are shredded and computer records permanently deleted.  

    I take the security of data seriously and as such all data is held behind passcode protected systems (as described above).

    If there is any breach of data security I will give full details to the Information Commissioner's Office and any person affected within 72 hours of the breach and do all possible to minimise any potential impact.

    You have rights with regards to the data held:

    • The right of access. I will provide you with all data I hold on you as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness).

    • The right to rectification. If any data I hold is incorrect, let me know and I will correct it as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness).

    • The right to erasure. If you wish me to erase your data just let me know and I will delete any computer records and shred any paper records as soon as I can following a request (and definitely within 30 days, unless this is impossible due to holidays or illness). NB: data may be retained for scientific research, historical research or statistical purposes where erasure is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of that processing but this would never include case notes or data such as address/email/phone.

    • The right to restrict processing. This would usually be a stop-gap measure before correction of any errors or before erasure.

    • The right to data portability. This might apply if you want your notes sent to another therapist for example, but it is likely that the easiest solution would come under the right to access, i.e. I would send the data to you.

    • The right to object to:

      • Processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority (including profiling). I do not engage in these things:

        • Direct marketing. 

        • Processing for purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics. For this, you must provide grounds for your objection.

        • Automated decision making and profiling. I do not engage in automated decision making or profiling. 

    I am fully insured through BALENS Ltd.

  • This section outlines the policy of Sage Therapy Room with regard to the use of social media and electronic information. If you, as a client, have questions about any aspect please reach out. As the world of technology is constantly changing this document is likely to be updated regularly and the latest version will always be available on my website.

    Friending

    I do not accept friend or contact requests from former or current clients on any social networking site as this can not only compromise your confidentiality (for example, if another of my friends saw that you were a friend they may wonder how we know each other) and this would also blur the boundary of the therapeutic relationship.

    Following

    I post on Instagram and write on Substack as a business; whilst you are of course free to follow my business accounts, I do not reply to comments, and I do not respond to direct messaging for security purposes.

    Interacting

    Please do not use public ways of contact (e.g. @replies or tagging) again because of the potential for this to compromise your confidentiality. You may use WhatsApp or text to discuss appointment times or other logistics but not therapeutic issues for security reasons.

    Use of search engines

    I do not routinely Google my clients but may very occasionally in a time of crisis. For example, if you had failed to attend a session and there was a reason for me to be concerned for your safety, I may try to find out about you this way. If I did so, I would tell you about it the next time we met.

    Business review sites

    You may find my name on business review sites, but I have not asked to be on these. Businesses do not get a choice. Clients are free to post whatever they choose and due to confidentiality, I cannot comment on anything that is posted. Indeed, anyone (including a competitor) can post anything so it is advisable to be aware that reviews (good or bad) may not be representative of the views of real clients.

    It is considered unethical by some of my professional bodies (NSTT and UKCP) to publish testimonials and so you will not find any testimonials posted by me, nor will I ever ask you for one.

    Location-based services

    If you use location-based services on your phone, you should be aware that others may surmise that you are a therapy client if you are seen as “checking in” at my address.

    Email

    It is preferable to use email only for logistical contact (e.g. to get a reminder of an appointment time) due to the inherent insecurity of email. If you wish to engage in “email therapy” then please use a password protected word document to contain what you wish to say. Please let me know if you would like further information about this.

    Phone

    Texting may be used for contact about appointment times. This is preferable to making a phone call as it is easier to respond as I cannot answer the phone if I am with another client. Whether phoning or texting, I will only respond between the hours of 8am and 7pm.