Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters

Your privacy and confidentiality are very important to me. This privacy policy explains how your personal information is collected, used and stored when you contact or work with myself, Rhian Seymour, at Seymour Counselling.

I am committed to protecting your personal data and handling it responsibly, transparently and securely, in line with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and professional ethical standards. GDPR ensures that your information and data is stored safely and securely and is processed in a way that you are in agreement with.

If you have any questions in relation to this privacy policy, please feel free to contact me.

Get in touch

Who I am

I, Rhian Seymour, am the data controller at Seymour Counselling, based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire and I offer in-person and online counselling services. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with the BACP ethical framework. I am also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in relation to GDPR requirements.

Lawful basis for processing your data

Under UK GDPR, I am required to explain the lawful basis on which I process personal data. As counselling involves sensitive personal information (special category data), this is processed in line with UK GDPR requirements and my professional ethical responsibilities.

I process personal data under the following lawful basis:

Consent: when you contact me, you are choosing to engage in communication with me, whether this is for an initial enquiry or for counselling services should you wish to proceed
Contract: when we enter into a counselling agreement should you choose to proceed with counselling
Legitimate interests: for necessary administration related to my practice

Information I collect

I may collect and store personal information highlighted below. I only collect information that is necessary for the purpose of providing safe, compliant and professional counselling or responding to enquiries.

Information I may collect and store:

Your name, email address and contact details
Information you share when making an enquiry
Brief and factual notes from counselling sessions
Brief and factual notes from an initial introductory call
Relevant information needed to provide counselling services safely and ethically
If any GP details are stored, this will only be done so with your consent

How your information is used

Your information is used to:

Respond to enquiries sent
Arrange and manage counselling sessions
Provide counselling support
Meet legal, ethical and professional obligations
Brief and factual notes are kept to ensure I am providing a service that is of high quality and so that I can be equipped with knowledge of prior sessions to support continuity in our work together

How your data is stored

I will take every effort to ensure your data is safely and securely stored with the following steps. I also ensure that I regularly review my data handling practices to ensure your information remains protected.

How I securely store your data:

Digital records are password protected and stored on a password protected device
All my digital devices have anti-virus security software installed
Written notes and documents are stored securely in locked document containers
Only I have access to your personal data
If personal information needs to be sent to you, it will be password protected and sent via email

Confidentiality

What you say or share is held confidentially between you and I in the counselling relationship. However, I am required to work ethically and within the requirements of the law as a counsellor, so there may be some legal and ethical exceptions where I may need to breach confidentiality. For example, if I was concerned there was serious harm to yourself or others. If this was the case, I would aim to speak about this with you so we can navigate a way forwards. Some instances where I am required by law to disclose are under The Children's Act 1989, Serious Crimes Act 2015, Terrorism Act 2000 and Road Traffic Act 1991.

As part of my work, I may also discuss sessions with my supervisors, who are fully qualified and trained counselling professionals. Supervision is used to support my continued development and maintain safe practice. Information shared in supervision is anonymized and also held within confidentiality agreements.

Should we happen to see each other outside of sessions in public, I may smile but won't engage in further conversation, to ensure confidentiality is not breached. You are welcome to share with others about the counselling you are receiving but I am obliged by UK GDPR law to ensure your privacy is protected.

How long your information is kept

In line with requirements, I store data for 7 years. If you would like your data deleted sooner, under GDPR, you can inform me formally in writing for your data to be deleted and safely destroyed. If this is the case, I will action any requests within 28 days of receipt. This includes permanent deletion of any emails, documents, text or phone logs. I would need to store the formal request to delete this data, but would not store any further information about yourself. In certain situations, my insurance provider's legal team may want to verify information processed in these circumstances.

Third Party Providers & Online Platforms

I use third party providers to support the running of my counselling practice, such as Wix for my website provider, Microsoft 365 for business and email use and accountancy software such as Xero and Apron. All providers that I do use, comply with GDPR regulations and requirements and their privacy documents can be found on their websites.

For online counselling sessions, I use secure platforms such as Microsoft Teams and take reasonable steps to protect your privacy. I recommend that you also choose a private, quiet space where you feel safe and comfortable for online sessions and where you are not going to be disturbed.

If you contact me via email or through a website contact form, the information you provide will only be used to respond to your enquiry and will not be shared with third parties.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

Access the personal data I hold about you
Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
Request deletion of your data where appropriate
Ask questions about how your data is used

If you have any concerns about how your data is handled, I encourage you to raise them with me in the first instance. For further information, you can also access information via the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Website

Changes to this policy

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal, ethical or professional requirements. The most recent version will always be available on this website.