Before we begin therapy, you have the right to know exactly how we work, what is recorded, how your data is protected, and what you can do if you wish to withdraw. This document gives you all that information transparently. Please read it carefully. If you have questions, we can discuss them before the first session.
I am Giancarlo Cristea, an integrative psychotherapist registered in the United Kingdom, MNCPS (Acc.) (National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society). I work with neurodivergent adults (ADHD, autism, AuDHD, PDA, OCD) and anyone who recognises themselves in experiences associated with neurodiversity. My approach is grounded in Person Centred therapy as its foundation, and integrates IFS, Schema Therapy, somatic therapy, Polyvagal theory and trauma-informed work, adapted to each client's needs.
Everything we discuss in sessions is strictly confidential. I will not disclose any information about you without your explicit consent, with three exceptions provided for by NCPS ethical standards and law: (1) Imminent risk to yourself or others — if you disclose serious intentions to harm yourself or someone else, I may be required to take protective action. (2) Protection of a minor — if there are indications that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. (3) Court order — if a court lawfully requires information. I will discuss any such situation with you before acting, wherever possible.
What I record: session notes — summaries written by me after each session. I also keep communication via WhatsApp or email related to appointments. Where it is stored: all therapy data is stored in Google Firestore, region europe-west2 (London, UK) — encrypted at rest and in transit. It does not leave the UK without pseudonymisation. Access is strictly limited to me as your therapist. Who else sees your data: no one in clear. I work regularly with a professional supervisor — in the United Kingdom, the mandatory professional and ethical standards of the NCPS (National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society) require therapists and counsellors on the Accredited Register to remain in ongoing supervision throughout their entire career, with a recommended minimum of 1.5 hours of supervision per month. Importantly: my supervisor has no access to your data — they do not see session notes, they do not see the platform, dashboard or any results stored in the database, and they receive no information that could identify you. In supervision I discuss only aspects of the therapeutic work, using first names or anonymised details only, and my supervisor is also bound by confidentiality. Separately from supervision, I may choose — as needed — to be in personal therapy myself, a practice encouraged in the profession to support the quality of the work. No other third party receives your data in clear.
Under UK law and NCPS ethical standards, therapeutic records are kept for 7 years after therapy ends (or 7 years from the age of 18 if therapy began as a minor). After this period, data is securely deleted.
Email: used for appointments and administrative information. Standard email is not end-to-end encrypted — please do not send sensitive clinical content via unprotected email. WhatsApp: available for contact in emergencies or rescheduling. It is not a therapeutic channel — if you need support between sessions, we discuss how to manage that together. Client Area (giancarlocristea.com/client-area): a secure space for homework, resources and asynchronous communication. All platform data is stored in Firestore London.
Online sessions take place on the agreed platform (usually Google Meet). I do not record video sessions without your explicit consent. If you wish to record for your own use, we discuss this in advance.
You may withdraw consent and end therapy at any time, without giving a reason. If you decide to stop, I ask that you let me know one session in advance (if possible) — this allows us to close the therapeutic process in a healthy way. You are not obligated to do this; it is a clinical recommendation, not a condition. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
You have the right to access your data, rectification, erasure (subject to legal obligations for medical records), portability and objection. Contact me at contact@giancarlocristea.com — I will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may lodge a complaint with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) — ico.org.uk · 0303 123 1113.
The session fee and cancellation policy are communicated separately at the first session. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice may incur the full fee — the exact policy is agreed between us.
If you have a concern about my conduct as a therapist, please contact me directly first — I will do everything possible to resolve the matter. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, you may lodge a formal complaint with NCPS via their complaints procedure: ncps.com.
If you have read this document and agree to proceed on these terms, please confirm verbally or in writing at our first session.
June 2026 · Giancarlo Cristea · contact@giancarlocristea.com