Privacy Policy

Website Privacy Policy

Who we are

Our website address is: https://uktherapyguild.co.uk.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Data Controller: Nichola Doyle

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Your privacy is of the utmost importance. As your therapist, I am committed to protecting your personal information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy explains what personal data I collect, why I collect it, how it is stored and protected, and your rights regarding your data.

By engaging in my services, you are consenting to the terms outlined in this policy.

2. What Personal Data I Collect

In order to provide a safe and effective therapeutic service, I will collect the following types of information:

Personal Details: Your full name, date of birth, address, and contact details (email address and phone number).
Next of Kin / Emergency Contact: Name and contact details for an emergency contact.
GP Details: The name and address of your General Practitioner.
Session Information (Special Category Data): Brief, anonymised notes from our sessions. These notes are for my professional use to support our work together and are a requirement of my professional insurance.
For Child Clients: I will also collect the details of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and relevant information from the school or other professionals where appropriate and with consent.

3. Why I Collect This Data (The Lawful Basis)

I collect and process your data based on the following legal grounds:

Contractual: To fulfil my therapeutic agreement with you. I need your contact details to arrange sessions and your GP/emergency contact details for safety reasons.
Legitimate Interest: It is in my legitimate interest as a professional therapist to keep brief session notes to maintain a high standard of care and for the purposes of my clinical supervision.
Special Category Data: The processing of your health information (session notes) is necessary for the provision of health and social care, as outlined under Article 9 of the GDPR.

4. How I Store Your Data and Keep it Safe

I take the security of your data very seriously.

Digital Data: Your contact details and any other personal information stored digitally are held on password-protected and encrypted devices.
Physical Data: Any handwritten session notes are anonymised (using a code system) and stored separately from your personal details in a locked, secure filing cabinet.
Communications: Emails and text messages will be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed for administrative purposes. I recommend that we avoid sharing sensitive personal information via these methods.

5. How Long I Keep Your Data (Data Retention)

In line with my professional insurance requirements and best practice, I am required to keep your session notes and basic contact information for seven years after our therapy has ended.

For adult clients, this is seven years from our last session.
For child clients, this is seven years after they reach the age of 18.

After this period, all data will be securely and permanently destroyed.

6. Sharing Your Data

Your privacy and confidentiality are central to my practice. I will not share your personal data with any third party without your explicit consent, except in the following limited and specific circumstances:

Clinical Supervision: As a requirement of my professional bodies NCIP and BACP, I attend regular clinical supervision to ensure my practice is safe and ethical. I will discuss our work with my supervisor, but I will always protect your identity by using a first name or code. My supervisor is bound by the same confidentiality and data protection rules.
Risk of Serious Harm: If I have reason to believe that you or someone else is at risk of serious harm, I have a professional and ethical duty to break confidentiality by contacting the relevant authorities (e.g., your GP, the police, or social services). I will always endeavour to discuss this with you first before taking any action.
Safeguarding: If I have a safeguarding concern regarding a child or vulnerable adult, I have a legal and ethical duty to report this to the relevant local authority safeguarding team (e.g., Merseyside or Lancashire Safeguarding Boards).
Legal Requirement: If I am compelled by a court of law to disclose information.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your data:

The Right to be Informed: You have the right to know how I collect and use your data, which is the purpose of this policy.
The Right of Access: You can request a copy of the data I hold about you.
The Right to Rectification: You can request that I correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
The Right to Erasure (The “Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that I delete your data. Please note that there may be legal and professional reasons (as outlined in Section 5) why I cannot erase all data immediately.
The Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that I limit the way I use your data.
The Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me directly at the details below.

8. How to Make a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how I have handled your data, please contact me first so we can try to resolve the issue. If you are not satisfied with the resolution, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection issues.

Website: www.ico.org.uk/concerns
Helpline: 0303 123 1113

9. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains up-to-date and compliant with data protection legislation.

Nichola Doyle
Bridge to the Other Side Counselling & Hypnotherapy
nicholadoyle@uktherapyguild.org
TL 07368363946

9th June 2025