Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

In the course of providing counselling services, we may collect and process the following types of personal information:

1.1 Contact Information

• Your name
• Phone number (for WhatsApp and phone contact)
• Email address
• Preferred method of contact

1.2 Therapy-Related Information

• Initial enquiry details
• Assessment information
• Session notes and records
• Information about your mental health and wellbeing
• Relevant medical history
• Emergency contact details (where provided)

1.3 Administrative Information

• Appointment dates and times
• Payment records
• Correspondence between us

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• Providing counselling services: To deliver effective therapeutic support tailored to your needs
• Communication: To respond to enquiries, schedule appointments, and maintain contact
• Professional obligations: To comply with our ethical and legal obligations as a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Safeguarding: To protect you or others from harm where required by law
• Administration: To manage appointments, payments, and maintain accurate records
• Supervision: Anonymous case material may be discussed in professional supervision to ensure quality of service

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: For initial enquiries and ongoing therapeutic work
• Legitimate interests: For maintaining professional standards and service quality
• Legal obligation: Where we are required by law to process or disclose information
• Vital interests: In emergency situations where there is risk of serious harm

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information in accordance with professional guidelines:

• Adult client records: Retained for 7 years from the end of therapy
• Records relating to children: Retained until the person's 25th birthday, or 7 years after therapy ends, whichever is longer
• Financial records: Retained for 6 years as required by HMRC
• Enquiries that don't proceed: Deleted after 1 year

After these periods, records are securely destroyed.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services in our operations:

• CloudFlare: Website hosting and analytics (processes visitor data)
• Gmail (Google): Email communications
• WhatsApp (Meta): Messaging service for client communication

These services have their own privacy policies and data protection measures. We only use services that provide adequate data protection standards.

6. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Right to object: Object to certain types of processing
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

7. Confidentiality and Professional Standards

As a Member of BACP (#1023842), I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. This means:

• All information shared in therapy is treated as confidential
• Confidentiality may only be broken in exceptional circumstances, such as:
  • Risk of serious harm to yourself or others
  • Legal requirements to disclose information
  • Safeguarding concerns involving children or vulnerable adults
• Any limits to confidentiality will be discussed with you at the start of therapy
• Case material may be discussed in supervision, but your identity will be protected

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Secure storage of paper records in locked filing systems
• Password protection for all electronic devices and files
• Encryption of sensitive electronic data
• Regular review of security measures
• Secure disposal of records when no longer required
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

9. Website Analytics

Our website uses CloudFlare analytics to understand website usage and improve our online presence. This service collects:

• Anonymous visitor statistics
• Page view information
• General geographic location (country/region level)
• Device and browser types

This data is aggregated and does not identify individual visitors. We do not use marketing cookies or tracking for advertising purposes.

10. Children and Young People

When working with clients under 18, we will:

• Obtain appropriate consent from parents or guardians where required
• Explain confidentiality and its limits in age-appropriate ways
• Follow specific safeguarding procedures for children and young people
• Maintain records in accordance with child protection guidelines

11. International Transfers

Some of our third-party services (such as WhatsApp and Gmail) may transfer data internationally. We only use services that provide appropriate safeguards for international data transfers in compliance with UK GDPR requirements.

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information:

1. First, please contact us directly so we can address your concerns
2. You may also raise concerns with the BACP if they relate to professional conduct
3. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
   • Website: ico.org.uk
   • Helpline: 0303 123 1113

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any significant changes will be communicated to current clients. The latest version will always be available on our website.

Last updated: 2nd September 2025