Email is not a secure way to share clinical files
Most therapists share files the same way: download the document, attach it to an email, send it, and hope it arrives. It’s familiar, but it has real problems - emails sit unencrypted in inboxes, attachments get forwarded without your knowledge, file size limits vary by provider and regularly cause failures, and there’s no record of whether the file was actually opened.
Counselling Buddy’s secure file sharing gives you a professional, auditable alternative. Share any file - or a selection of files - via a secure link, directly from the platform. The recipient accesses it through a verified flow. You retain full control.
Three ways to share - you choose the right one
Every sharing situation is different. Sending a worksheet to a client is different from forwarding a referral letter to a GP. Counselling Buddy gives you three access tiers to match the sensitivity of what you’re sharing:
Public link
Anyone with the link can access the files directly. No verification step. Useful for non-sensitive materials - a general information sheet, a directions document, a public resource you regularly send to new clients.
The link still expires on your configured schedule, and you can revoke it at any time.
Restricted link
The recipient receives the link, but to access the files they must first enter their email address. The platform sends them a 6-digit verification code. They enter the code, and only then can they see and download the files.
This means the link alone isn’t enough - only someone with access to the email inbox you specify can get in. Appropriate for clinical documents, consent forms, session notes, and anything you’d normally think twice about sending as an email attachment.
Auto-email invite
Enter one or more email addresses directly in the platform. Counselling Buddy sends each recipient a personalised invitation with their unique share link. They still go through the email verification flow - entering their address and confirming with a 6-digit code - but you don’t have to manually copy and paste a link anywhere.
The most hands-off option, and the right choice when you’re sharing with multiple people or want everything handled without leaving the platform.
How a recipient experiences it
For restricted and invited shares, the recipient flow is straightforward:
- They receive a link (either from you directly, or via the auto-email invite)
- They open it and are prompted to enter their email address
- The platform emails them a 6-digit verification code
- They enter the code and access the secure download page
- They see the file or files you shared, and can download them
No account required. No software to install. Just a verified, time-limited download page.
Link expiry and revocation
Every shared link has a configurable expiry - from 1 hour through to 30 days, with a recommended default of 1 week. Once expired, the link returns an access denied page. The files themselves remain safely in your account.
You can also manually revoke any active share link from your Files & Notes dashboard at any time. Useful if a file was shared in error, or if a client relationship has ended and you want to close off access.
No file size limits
Email attachments are capped - typically 10–25MB depending on the provider, and that limit applies to both sender and recipient. A short video resource, a detailed assessment PDF, or a bundle of session worksheets can easily exceed that.
Shared links have no such constraint. The file is already stored in Counselling Buddy - the recipient simply downloads it from there, at whatever size it is.
Your professional obligations, met
When you email a file, you have no way to know whether it was opened, forwarded, or saved somewhere outside your control. Counselling Buddy’s file sharing gives you a record of every share you create - who it was shared with, when it was created, when it expires, and when it was accessed.
That audit trail supports your GDPR obligations as a data controller and your professional accountability as a therapist.
- Files remain encrypted in Counselling Buddy’s UK-based storage throughout
- Verified access ensures only the intended recipient can download restricted files
- Time-limited links reduce the window of exposure automatically
- Revocable at any time - you stay in control after the share is sent
- Audit log available from your Files & Notes dashboard
How it fits into the rest of the platform
- Document Storage - share any file from your encrypted document library without downloading it first
- Client Management - send documents to a client directly from their profile
- Security & Compliance - file sharing inherits the platform’s full encryption and audit framework
Getting started
- Go to Files & Notes in your Counselling Buddy dashboard
- Select one or more files using the checkboxes
- Click the Share icon in the action bar that appears
- Choose your access method - public link, restricted link, or enter email addresses for auto-invite
- Set an expiry and send - the link is ready immediately