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Is it possible to get your notes or recordings from mickel therapy?

Messages
63
I tried mickel therapy for years and it didn't help at all but I'm worried about what records they keep about me

To be honest I don't really trust a business like that to keep information on me

It was done on Skype and on the phone and I'm pretty sure they record it, this is something I felt uneasy about but I didn't say at the time as I was convinced by them I was going to get better

When it did t work my therapist went a bit cold on me and dr mickel is too unappraochable to ask so I've no idea who to ask

Does anyone know if they keep their recordings and if so for how long? Is it legal for them to do this?

I shared a lot of personal info that I regret doing but I only did so because they encouraged me to do so and I naively went along with it thinking it would help me

Can anyone help?

Thanks
 

GreyOwl

Dx: strong belief system, avoidance, hypervigilant
Messages
266
Hi, the laws on what information can be kept and under what conditions most likely depend on what country you're in and whether the therapy you mentioned is considered a medical or a CAM treatment, delivered by a registered or non-registered professional. Then even if you live in a country with very strict privacy laws and see a registered specialist medical professional there is still nothing to stop them covertly recording you and then denying it, or deleting the recording before being asked for it, if that is justified by their psychopathic moral code. Patients in Australia have a right to ask for their medical records, but AFAIK that is only from registered medical professionals. I don't know whether there is any obligation on fish slappers to give up their notes.
 
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1,446
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Hi @12009,

Thank you for posting your concerns here, as other ME patients are tempted to try these so called 'treatments' (MIckel, Reverse, Lightning, etc)

Mickel is a poor/rubbishkind of psychotherapy, by people who have not trained in psychotherapy, who claim ME can be 'treated' with it and recover.. Mickel ideology says we are ill because we are not dealing wth emotions .... utter crap, but the Mickel therapists can be persistent in their beliefs.. and persuasive when people are ill and desperate


On the main Mickel site under FAQ there is a statement on confidentiality (basically cribbed from the Scottish Executive NHS Code).

Its perfectly understandable that you would want your notes and recordings returned. Its likely that you had not anticipated the intrusive nature of Mickel before doing it, and were told to keep going in order to get results/recover from a serious physical disease.. If you are uncomfortable about the therapist keeping confidential information about you, which you probably had not anticipated being encouraged to divulge when you started Mickel Therapy, that indicates a result from Mickel of harm, and ongoing distress which would not be there if you had not done Mickel. Thats just my take on the matter.



There is no reason why you shouldn't write to the therapist with a copy of the letter/email to Dr Mickel (who is a UK GP) to request return to you of all your notes and recordings. Dr Mickel should not be so 'above' things that he cannot address concerns from current or former Mickel clients. You could make it fully clear that you want the therapist to return all your confidential information, recordings etc ... not to be given copies.


If you are in the UK: .... I don't know if your Mickel therapists was actually registered with the British Association on Counselling and Psychotherapy, which has a register: If so you could contact those orgs with your concerns ..... though it may or may not be helpful.
http://www.bacpregister.org.uk/check_register/

or with the UK Council for Psychotherapy which also has a register
http://www.bacpregister.org.uk/check_register/



If the therapist is not with either the BACP or the UKCP, they would have to be registered with some other regulatory organisation, as they must have insurance to practice. There is no reason why you should not ask (preferably by letter/email, then you won't get fobbed off on the phone) the therapist what her/his regulatory body is. Then you could write to the regulatory body with your concerns if the Mickel Therapist/Dr Mickel does not agree to returning your 'therapy' sessions recordings.

I don't know if that is any help. But you shouldn't be left feeling uncomfortable, when you did Mickel to help you recover from an illness, because thats what they told you it would do, when you probably didn't anticipate how intrusive the Mickel scam actually is..

You are not the only person who was left feeling 'done over' after doing Mickel. I have read a few reports of people with ME being left feeling pretty upset/disillusioned after paying out a lot of money, some ended up more physically ill than they were to begin with.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.mickeltherapy.com/what-is-mickel-therapy/questions/
Confidentiality
All cases receiving Mickel Therapy® are protected by confidentiality. Please read our Confidentiality statement:
At Mickel Health Initiatives we hold a general principle that information should be kept strictly confidential unless sharing that information is necessary for someone’s safety.

In terms of how this is put into practise:

  • Every discretion will be offered to clients regarding the fact that they are enquiring about, or embarking on, a course of Mickel Therapy treatment.
  • As part of our commitment towards clients to offer a consistently high level of service, our therapists receive regular sessions with their Clinical Advisors.
  • Clients, where possible, will only be referred to by their initials.
  • Clients can request a copy of their notes.
  • Information shared with your therapist will remain fully confidential. It is our experience that only on rare occasions does this need to be over-ridden, and this is when the information is:
    • In the public interest
    • Is necessary to prevent serious injury or damage to a third party
    • or is in the best interests of the client
Sources: Scottish Executive, NHS Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality 2003



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


 
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Dr David Mickel is in the UK General Practitioner Register. Just key in his given name and surname, and gender.
http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/register/LRMP.asp



According to the UK GMC GP Register, Dr Mickel is 'in Undertakings' from the 9th October 2015. You can read the conditions of the 'Undertakings' by clicking the link on his GMC page.
I have a vague memory of reading that Dr Mickel is currently ill, which can be a reason for 'Undertakings', but I can't confirm that. Or the Undertakings may be due to concern about his practice.


This is what 'Undertakings' means:

http://www.gmc-uk.org/concerns/doctors_under_investigation/undertakings.asp

'Doctors under investigation - undertakings


This page provides information about 'undertakings' in the context of the GMC's Fitness to Practise procedures.


What are 'undertakings'?

Undertakings are an agreement between the GMC and the doctor about the doctor's future practice.

Such undertakings might include

  • restrictions on the practitioner's practice
  • restrictions to the practitioner's behaviour
  • commitments to practise under medical supervision
  • commitments to undergo re-training.
Undertakings allow the GMC to deal effectively with certain types of case without having to refer the matter for a medical practitioners tribunal hearing with the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). Read our information for doctors who have undertakings or conditions that affect their practice.

(continued on the link)
.

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63
I tried, I sent an email just generally to Mickel therapy and there was no reply, I could send a private email to the therapist but I'd be even less likely to get a reply there, it's pretty much a wall of silence from therapists after 6 sessions, what a horrible organisation, I think a bit like the lightning process they don't do negativity so it's not possible for them to deal with it
 
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You could also request details of the mickel therapist's regulatory body. Mickel is a GMC registered doctor, albeit under current GMC 'Undertakings'/, possible investigation. , so he is stepping on thin ice by allowing his therapists to stonewall reasonable requests from former clients, let alone refusing to answer emails.
 
Messages
2
I tried mickel therapy for years and it didn't help at all but I'm worried about what records they keep about me

To be honest I don't really trust a business like that to keep information on me

It was done on Skype and on the phone and I'm pretty sure they record it, this is something I felt uneasy about but I didn't say at the time as I was convinced by them I was going to get better

When it did t work my therapist went a bit cold on me and dr mickel is too unappraochable to ask so I've no idea who to ask

Does anyone know if they keep their recordings and if so for how long? Is it legal for them to do this?

I shared a lot of personal info that I regret doing but I only did so because they encouraged me to do so and I naively went along with it thinking it would help me

Can anyone help?

Thanks
I am trying desperately to make a complaint around these guys and they have closed ranks. My personal information from counselling sessions is being leaked in my home village. I am completely distraught
 

charles shepherd

Senior Member
Messages
2,239
As people have already pointed out, you need to write to both the practitioner involved and to Dr Mickel to ask whether any confidental medical information about you is still being held

If you do not receive a satisfactory reply, or no reply at all, you could contact the GMC

Holding confidential medical information is obviously covered by the Data Protection Act

So you could also contact the Information Commissioner if you receive an unsatisfactory reply, or no reply at all

Information Commissioner: https://ico.org.uk

Incidentally, Mickel Therapy is a fairly expensive unproven form of treatment that the MEA does not endorse or recommend

BBC Scotland TV programme involving Mickel Therapy that I advised on and contributed to:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...ss-programme-link-to-watch-it-again-facility/
 
Messages
63
I am trying desperately to make a complaint around these guys and they have closed ranks. My personal information from counselling sessions is being leaked in my home village. I am completely distraught

What happened?

I'm on your side but how do you know?