Privacy Policy

As a BACP registered counsellor, I am committed to protecting your personal information and maintaining confidentiality in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, as well as the BACP ethical guidelines.

This privacy policy explains how I collect, use, and protect your information during and after the course of our work together.

1. What Information is Collected?

To provide effective counselling, I may collect and store:

  • Your name, contact information, and emergency contact details.

  • Date of birth and GP details (only if necessary and with consent).

  • Brief anonymised session notes.

  • Any relevant medical or mental health information you choose to share.

  • Email or Phone number, communication relevant.

2. Why Is This Information Needed?

This information helps me:

  • Arrange and manage counselling sessions.

  • Deliver safe, ethical, and personalised support.

  • Monitor progress and continuity of care.

  • Respond appropriately in case of emergency or safeguarding concerns.

3. Confidentiality

Everything discussed in the counselling session is confidential, however there are some exceptions to this, which are outlined below -

·       If you give consent for information to be shared to a third named party.

·       If there is a court order for disclosure of information.

·       If there is a child or young person at risk of harm.

·       If there is a risk of harm to yourself or others (e.g, suicide, self-harm or violence)

·       Disclosure of terrorism, Drug trafficking or money laundering.

Where possible, I will always discuss this with you before any information is shared.

4. How Is Your Information Stored?

  • Notes are kept to a minimum, anonymised, and securely stored (either digitally in an encrypted format or in a locked physical location).

  • Contact details are stored separately from session notes.

  • Any electronic communications are stored securely and deleted when no longer needed.

  • I do not record sessions.

5. How Long Is Data Kept?

In line with professional and legal requirements, your data may be retained for up to 7 years after our work ends. After this period, it will be securely destroyed or deleted.

6. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal data I hold about you.

  • Request corrections to inaccurate information.

  • Request erasure of your data (in certain circumstances).

  • Withdraw consent for data processing.

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data is being mishandled.

7. Use of Third-Party Services

I use secure online platforms for video sessions, note-taking, or messaging (e.g., Zoom, Google meets, encrypted email) these are chosen because they are GDPR-compliant.

8. Contact Details

If you have questions about how your data is used, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact me directly: info@emilygingellcounselling.co.uk

You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): 0303 123 1113