As part of providing safe, ethical and effective psychotherapy, I maintain minimal clinical notes/records.  These are in line with Irish professional guidelines (IAHIP, PSI) and the Data Protection Acts 2018/GDPR[1][2][3] and support continuity of care, safeguarding, and professional accountability.

What I Record

• Basic session details: date, duration, and attendance.
• Key themes or issues discussed (factual, non-interpretive).
• Any safeguarding concerns, risk assessments, or actions taken(e.g. referrals to TUSLA).
• Treatment goals, progress summaries, and session plans.
• Administrative notes (e.g. cancellations, payments).
• Records are brief, contemporaneous, and factual – typically 3-5 bullet points per session.

What I Do Not Record

• Subjective opinions or emotional impressions.
• Unnecessary personal details beyond what’s needed for care.
• Anything that could identify clients in non-clinical contexts (e.g. supervision notes are anonymised).

This minimal approach reduces burden while meeting ethical standards[see 1].

Storage and Security

• Records are kept electronically in a GDPR-compliant, password-protected system (or locked paper files if applicable).
• Access is restricted to me only.
• Backups are encrypted and stored securely off-site
• All storage complies with Data Protection Acts 2018 and GDPR requirements[1].

Retention Periods

• Adults: 7 years after last session.
• Children/young people: Until age 25 (or 26 if 17 at end of
• therapy), or 8 years after death.
• Safeguarding records: Minimum 28 years or as per TUSLA guidance.
• Records are securely deleted at the end of retention[1].

Confidentiality and Disclosure

Your records are confidential. I will never share them without your explicit written consent, except:

• Where required by law (e.g. safeguarding report to TUSLA).
• Court order/subpoena (rare, but possible in criminal cases like
• sexual offences.

On Therapy Notes and Court:
Current Irish law allows courts to consider therapy notes in some trials, which professional bodies (IAHIP, PSI, ICP) strongly oppose as it deters people from seeking help[5][6][7]. I keep notes minimal partly to limit this risk, and I advocate for legal reform to protect therapy privacy. Keep an eye on the social media accounts Sexual Violence Centre Cork, CARI, and IAHIP, IACP and the PSI for updates and more information on how the professional bodies are working on the this very important, contentious issue in Ireland.

Client Agreement
By booking sessions, you consent to this policy. We can discuss it at intake, and I’ll adjust where possible to meet your needs.

Your Rights

See dataprotection.ie for more details on data and your rights.

References
[1] Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. (2021). IACP
Record Keeping and Retention Guidelines (Version 2.1).

[2] Psychological Society of Ireland. (2020). Guidelines for
Confidentiality and Record Keeping.

[3] CORU. (2025). Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board.

[5] IAHIP. (2024). IAHIP Statement on Therapy Notes. Irish Association
of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy.

[6] Psychological Society of Ireland. (2025). PSI Statement on Use of
Therapy Notes in Sexual Assault Cases.

[7] Irish Council for Psychotherapy. (2026). Therapy notes are private
and should never be used in court.

Most recent update: February 2026