Last updated: August 2026
The Listening Room Counselling respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with me.
This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you:
• visit my website;
• contact me about counselling;
• complete an enquiry form;
• arrange or attend counselling sessions; or
• communicate with me as a client.
I handle personal information in accordance with applicable UK data-protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
I will keep this Privacy Notice under review and update it when necessary.
The data controller responsible for your personal information is:
Pauline Rouse MBACP
The Listening Room Counselling
Lanarkshire, UK
Email: prouse@live.co.uk
Telephone: 07472 875304
I am an independent counsellor and am responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is processed in connection with The Listening Room Counselling.
ICO registration number: [TO BE ADDED FOLLOWING REGISTRATION]
The information I collect depends on how you interact with me.
Website enquiries
The website enquiry form is intentionally kept as simple as possible.
I may collect:
• your name;
• your preferred method of contact;
• your email address or telephone number; and
• a brief description of what has brought you to counselling or what you would like to enquire about.
Please avoid including detailed or highly sensitive personal information in the website enquiry form. If you decide to proceed with counselling, there will be an opportunity to discuss your circumstances more fully through the appropriate intake process.
If you become a client
I may collect information needed to provide counselling safely and appropriately, including:
• your name and contact details;
• information about your circumstances and reasons for seeking counselling;
• relevant personal and health information;
• information discussed during counselling sessions;
• emergency contact details;
• GP details;
• appointment information;
• payment records; and
• other information you choose to share as part of counselling.
Some of this information may constitute special category data, particularly information relating to your physical or mental health.
Communications
I may process information contained in communications between us by email, telephone or WhatsApp where this is necessary to respond to your enquiry, arrange counselling or provide counselling services.
I do not routinely retain ordinary text-message conversations.
I may use your personal information to:
• respond to your enquiry;
• arrange an introductory telephone call;
• assess whether counselling with me may be appropriate;
• arrange and manage appointments;
• provide counselling;
• maintain appropriate counselling records;
• communicate with you about your sessions;
• manage payments and financial records;
• meet legal, professional and insurance obligations;
• respond to concerns or complaints;
• protect your safety or the safety of another person where necessary; and
• comply with legal obligations.
I do not use your information to send marketing emails or add you to a marketing mailing list.
I do not sell your personal information.
The UK GDPR requires me to have a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on:
• taking steps at your request before entering into an agreement for counselling and providing counselling services;
• performance of an agreement with you;
• compliance with legal obligations;
• legitimate interests, where appropriate; and
• consent, where consent is the appropriate lawful basis.
Where I process special category information, such as health information, I will also rely on an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR and any additional requirements under UK law.
Confidentiality is an important part of counselling.
Information you share with me will normally remain confidential and will not be shared with other people without your knowledge and, where appropriate, your consent.
There are circumstances where confidentiality may need to be limited. These may include situations where:
• I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person;
• I need to protect a child or vulnerable person;
• disclosure is required by law; or
• disclosure is otherwise necessary to meet a legal or professional obligation.
Where possible and appropriate, I would discuss this with you before information is shared.
I may also discuss aspects of my work with a professional supervisor as part of my professional practice. Any such arrangements will be handled in accordance with my professional and data-protection responsibilities.
Client records are stored electronically using Google Drive.
Access to my relevant accounts is protected by two-factor authentication.
I take reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.
This includes:
• restricting access to information;
• using appropriate account security;
• using two-factor authentication;
• only accessing information when necessary; and
• securely deleting or disposing of information when it is no longer required.
No method of electronic storage or communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but I take appropriate measures to reduce the risks involved.
I offer online counselling using Zoom and, where agreed with a client, WhatsApp video.
When you use these services, your personal information may also be processed by the relevant service provider under its own privacy policy and terms.
I will take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of online counselling sessions.
Some technology providers may process information outside the UK. Where this applies, I will ensure that applicable UK data-protection requirements relating to international transfers are followed.
I use the following email address for communication with clients and prospective clients:
prouse@live.co.uk
Email may contain personal information and is treated accordingly.
I use email where necessary for enquiries, appointment arrangements, counselling-related communication and other legitimate purposes connected with my practice.
WhatsApp may be used to communicate with clients where this is their preferred method of communication.
Using WhatsApp is optional and is not required in order to receive counselling.
If you choose to use WhatsApp, information relating to your communications may also be processed by WhatsApp and its service providers in accordance with their own privacy arrangements.
I do not use WhatsApp as a substitute for maintaining appropriate counselling records.
Payment for counselling may be made by:
• bank transfer;
• PayPal; or
• cash.
I keep appropriate payment and financial records where necessary for accounting, tax, legal, professional and insurance purposes.
Where you use PayPal, your payment information will also be processed by PayPal in accordance with its own privacy arrangements.
I do not receive or store your full payment-card details.
I do not routinely share your personal information with third parties.
Where necessary, information may be processed by organisations that provide services to my practice, including:
• Google, in connection with electronic storage;
• Microsoft/Outlook, for email communication;
• Zoom, for online counselling;
• WhatsApp, where you choose to use it;
• PayPal, where you choose to use it;
• my website and enquiry-form provider;
• professional or legal advisers, where necessary; and
• relevant authorities where I am legally required or permitted to disclose information.
I will only share information that is necessary for the particular purpose.
Some organisations whose services I use may process personal information outside the UK.
Where this occurs, I will take appropriate steps to ensure that any transfer is handled in accordance with UK data-protection law.
This may include relying on an adequacy regulation or other appropriate safeguards where required.
I will not keep personal information for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking into account my legal, professional, regulatory, insurance and accounting obligations.
My current intended retention period for counselling records is seven years, subject to my professional, legal and insurance requirements.
Different types of information may be retained for different periods.
When information is no longer required, I will take appropriate steps to securely delete or dispose of it.
My retention arrangements will be reviewed periodically.
Under UK data-protection law, you may have rights including:
• the right to be informed about how your information is used;
• the right to request access to the personal information I hold about you;
• the right to ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
• the right to request erasure in certain circumstances;
• the right to ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances;
• the right to object to certain processing; and
• the right to data portability in certain circumstances.
These rights are not absolute and some may not apply in every situation.
If you would like to exercise one of your rights, please contact me using the details below.
You can request access to the personal information I hold about you.
I may need to confirm your identity before providing information.
Requests will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable data-protection legislation and within the relevant statutory time limits.
If you have concerns about how I have collected, used or stored your personal information, I would encourage you to contact me first so that I have an opportunity to understand and address your concern.
You also have the right to complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The ICO is the UK’s independent supervisory authority for data protection.
Information about contacting the ICO is available at: https://ico.org.uk/
If you have a concern about how I have collected, used, stored or otherwise handled your personal information, you can make a data protection complaint by contacting me directly.
You can make a complaint by:
Email: prouse@live.co.uk
Telephone: 07472 875304
You do not need to use legal terminology or refer to specific data protection legislation when making a complaint.
I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days. I will then take appropriate steps to investigate your complaint, keep you informed of its progress and provide you with the outcome without undue delay.
If you remain dissatisfied with how I have handled your complaint, you can raise your concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Information about making a complaint to the ICO is available at: https://ico.org.uk/
My website may use cookies and similar technologies.
Some cookies may be necessary for the website to function, while others may be used for purposes such as website analytics or embedded services.
A separate Cookie Policy will explain which cookies and similar technologies are used, what they do and how you can manage your choices.
The final Cookie Policy will be completed once the website and its third-party services have been confirmed.
Website cookies and services: [TO BE CONFIRMED BY WEB DEVELOPER]
I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, technology, legal requirements or the way I process personal information.
The most recent version will always be available on this website.
Last updated: August 2026
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how I handle your personal information, please contact:
Pauline Rouse MBACP
The Listening Room Counselling
Email: prouse@live.co.uk
Telephone: 07472 875304
Lanarkshire, UK
© The Listening Room Counselling