Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Renate Walsh Counselling. I operate as a sole trader in the UK. I respect your privacy and am committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how I collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit my website, purchase my services or products, or interact with me.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number ZB927600.

2. Contact Details

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact me using the details below:

• Full Name of Business: Renate Walsh Counselling Dedicated Privacy Email Address: renate.walshcounsellor@gmail.com Postal Address: 12 Southdown Road, Shoreham by Sea, BN43 5AN

3. The Data I Collect About You

Personal data means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. I may collect, use, store, and transfer different kinds of personal data about you, which I have grouped together as follows:

• Identity Data: First name, last name, username, or title, your gender, date of birth

• Contact Data: Address, email address, and telephone numbers.

• Financial Data: Bank account and payment card details (processed securely via BACS - I do not store full card details).

• Technical & Usage Data: Internet protocol (IP) address, browser type,time zone setting, operating system, and how you use my website.

• Marketing and Communications Data: Your preferences in receiving marketing from me and your communication preferences.

• Sensitive Data: Because of the nature of my services, I may collect health information, counselling/psychotherapy history, mental health details, medical conditions, prescribed medications, next of kin contacts, GP details, outlines of the issues you bring to therapy, family make up, relationship status, support details, education history, ethnicity, race, religion, health status.

4. How I Collect Your Data

I use different methods to collect data from and about you, including:

• Direct Interactions: You give me your identity, contact, financial, or sensitive data by filling in forms on my website, signing up for my newsletter, or communicating with me by email or phone.

• Automated Technologies: As you interact with my website, I may automatically collect technical data about your equipment and browsing patterns. I collect this personal data by using cookies and other similar technologies (see Section 10).

5. How and Why I Use Your Personal Data

I respect your privacy and will not sell or disclose your personal data to third parties, except as follows:

• To Perform a Contract: To deliver counselling services.

• Clinical Supervision: I have regular clinical supervision with a professional counselling therapist and/or other clinicians or therapist including counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists. For my own professional development and to ensure quality ethical practice, I may on occasion share personal details within the supervision context. In such circumstances I take great care to preserve your anonymity and maintain confidentiality. The supervisory setting is bound by the same rules of confidentiality, code of ethics, and rules of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

• Consent for Marketing: I will only send you email marketing communications if you have actively opted in to receive them. You can unsubscribe at any exact moment by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email or by contacting me at renate.walshcounsellor@gmail.com.

• Breaking Confidentiality: If I have reason to believe that you intend to seriously harm yourself or another person, or I come to understand a child or vulnerable adult is harmed or at risk of harm, the law may require that I inform an authority. In such situations I will endeavour to discuss this with you first but there may be circumstances where the law requires me to share your personal information without your knowledge. There is also the law that a judge can subpoena (demand legally) the release of clinical notes without your permission. I would endeavour to discuss this with you should this occur. 

6. Data Sharing

I do not sell your personal data. I only share your data with trusted third parties who help me run my business, including:

Service Providers: IT, website hosting, and email marketing software providers 

Payment Processors: Secure third-party payment gateways

Professional Advisers: My accountant, lawyer, or insurance provider if strictly necessary.

Regulators: The ICO or other authorities if legally required to do so.All third parties are contractually required to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law.

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7. Data Retention

I will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes I collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Customer Records & Financial Data: Kept for 7 years after we have completed our work together. I regularly erase emails and text messages while transcribing significant details into your written record.  in which the transaction occurred to comply with UK tax law.

• Marketing Data: Kept until you withdraw your consent or unsubscribe.

• Sensitive Data: Once your data is no longer needed, we will then securely delete or anonymise it.

8. Data Security

I have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way. This includes encrypted storage, password-protected devices, and restricted access to your sensitive data.

In addition, I limit access to your personal data to those third parties who have a business need to know.

I keep paper notes in which I record an anonymised code reference for you only and the date and time of our session. I may maintain written notes including contact details, assessment/history taking notes, email correspondence and therapy session notes. All paper records are stored in a secured cabinet in a locked premises.

I keep an Excel spreadsheet which logs your sessions, session notes and payments. All electronic information is stored in a password protected computer on a locked premises.

I keep a smartphone which is password protected. I store your telephone number in my phone under the anonymous code I have allocated to you. All texts received to my smartphone would be deleted on deactivation of the device. 

9. Your Legal Rights

Under UK data protection laws, you have rights in relation to your personal data, including the right to:

Request access to your personal data (a Subject Access Request).Request correction of inaccurate personal data.Request erasure of your personal data (the right to be forgotten).Object to processing or request restriction of processing.Request the transfer of your personal data.Withdraw consent at any time where I am relying on consent to process your data.If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact me at renate.walshcounsellor@gmail.com. I legally have one calendar month to respond to your request, and I will do so free of charge.

Right to Complain

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). I would,however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact me directly first.

10. Cookies Policy

My website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users and track website analytics.

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the technical operation of my website.

• Non-Essential/Tracking Cookies: I use Google Analytics to track user behaviour and improve my marketing. These non-essential cookies are turned off by default. They will only deploy if you actively click "Accept All" on my website's cookie banner. You can change your preferences or revoke consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Settings link found in my website footer.