Privacy Notice

Your privacy is important to me. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I need it, how I look after it and your rights in relation to that information.

Who I am

I am Pauline Rouse, a qualified counsellor and the owner of The Listening Room Counselling. I am the data controller for the personal information I collect and use within my counselling practice.

For privacy or data protection enquiries, please contact:

Email: prouse@live.co.uk

My business address is not published for privacy and security reasons.

The Listening Room Counselling is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). ICO number – ZC240893

Information I may collect

If you make an enquiry through my website, I may collect your name, email address, telephone number and any information you choose to provide about your reason for getting in touch.

If you decide to begin counselling, I will ask you to complete an intake form. This may include:

I also keep brief session notes during the course of our work together.

Some of the information discussed or recorded during counselling may be classed as special category data under UK data protection law. This can include information concerning physical or mental health and, depending upon what you choose to discuss, other sensitive personal information.

Why I use your information

I use personal information where necessary to:

My lawful basis for using your information

Under UK GDPR, I need a lawful basis for processing personal information.

For enquiries before counselling begins, I generally process your information because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a counselling agreement.

Once we agree to work together, I generally process ordinary personal information because it is necessary for the performance of our counselling agreement.

I may also process some information where this is necessary to comply with a legal obligation or where I have a legitimate interest in the safe and appropriate administration of my counselling practice, maintaining appropriate records and protecting my clients and my practice.

Counselling can involve information that is classed as special category data. Where I process this information, I will only do so where an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR applies. This may include your explicit consent and, where applicable, conditions relating to the provision of health or social care, safeguarding, vital interests or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Where I rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before consent was withdrawn. In some circumstances, withdrawing consent may mean that I am unable to continue providing a particular service.

Confidentiality

What you share with me during counselling is treated as confidential.

As part of ethical counselling practice, I attend professional supervision. I may discuss aspects of my client work with my supervisor, but I protect client anonymity and do not use identifying information wherever possible. My supervisor may make notes relating to my professional work but does not keep client records on my behalf.

There are limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken. For example, if I believe there is a serious or immediate risk of harm to you or another person, there is a safeguarding concern, or I am legally required to disclose information.

Wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, I would aim to discuss this with you first.

As part of the intake process, I collect GP and emergency-contact details. If a serious situation arises, I may, where appropriate, contact your emergency contact, GP, emergency services or another relevant professional.

How I communicate with you

I may communicate with clients by email, telephone, text message or WhatsApp.

Text messages and WhatsApp are used for practical matters such as arranging, confirming or changing appointments rather than for conducting counselling conversations.

Online counselling normally takes place using Zoom. WhatsApp video may be used as a backup where necessary.

Online counselling sessions are never recorded by me. Zoom sessions are protected using security measures including passcodes.

Please be aware that no electronic communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

How your information is stored

Client records are stored electronically in a password-protected personal Google Drive account protected by two-factor authentication.

No other person has routine access to my client records.

Website enquiries are sent to my Outlook email account and are also automatically stored within the website administration system.

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

Payments

Clients may pay by Monzo payment link, bank transfer, PayPal or cash.

I do not take card details directly and I do not store full payment-card information. Where you use a third-party payment provider, that provider will process information in accordance with its own privacy arrangements.

I do not routinely issue invoices or receipts.

Organisations and services I use

In running my practice I use a number of service providers, which may process limited personal information on my behalf or as separate data controllers. These include:

I do not sell personal information to anyone and I do not provide client information to third parties for marketing.

Some of these providers operate internationally and information may therefore be processed outside the UK. Where this happens, the provider is responsible for using appropriate safeguards for international transfers as required by applicable data protection law.

How long I keep information

If you make an enquiry but do not go on to become a client, I will retain your enquiry information for up to six months and then delete it.

Where you become a client, counselling records are retained for a minimum of seven years after counselling ends, in accordance with my professional and insurance record-keeping requirements. At the end of the appropriate retention period, records will be securely deleted or destroyed by me unless there is a lawful reason why they need to be kept for longer.

Payment and financial information may need to be retained for the period required by tax, accounting or other legal obligations.

Your rights

Depending upon the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, data protection law gives you a number of rights over your personal information. These may include the right to:

These rights are not absolute and some may not apply in every circumstance, particularly where I have a legal or professional reason to retain information.

To exercise your rights or ask a question about how I use your information, please contact me at prouse@live.co.uk.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how I have handled your personal information, I would welcome the opportunity to address it with you first.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection.

Further information is available from the ICO at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to this notice

I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time if my practice, the services I use or data protection requirements change. The latest version will always be available on my website.