Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 19/05/2024

1. Introduction

At Inspire Counselling & Psychotherapy I, Elaine Allsopp am committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit my website www.inspirepsychotherapy.co.uk, use my services, or otherwise engage with me. Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or use my services.

2. Information I Collect

I may collect and process the following types of information about you:

Personal Information:

• Name
• Contact information (email address, phone number, postal address)
• Date of birth
• Emergency contact information
• Health information relevant to your counselling sessions
• Anonymised client session notes, risk assessments and/or safety plans

Usage Data:

• Information about your interaction with my website (e.g., pages visited, time spent on pages)
• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system

3. How I Use Your Information

I only use the information I collect in the following ways:

• To provide, operate, and maintain my services
• To improve, personalize, and expand my services
• To understand and analyse how you use my website and services
• To communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for marketing and promotional purposes
• To process your transactions and manage your appointments
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights

4. Legal Basis for Processing Your Information

The GDPR states that I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. There are different lawful bases depending on the stage at which I am processing your data. I have explained these below:

If you are currently having therapy or if you are in contact with me to consider therapy, I will process your personal data where it is necessary for the performance of our contract.

If you have had therapy with me and it has now ended, I will use legitimate interest as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information.

The GDPR also makes sure that I look after any sensitive personal information that you may disclose to me appropriately. This type of information is called ‘special category personal information’. The lawful basis for me processing any special categories of personal information is that it is for provision of health treatment (in this case counselling) and necessary for a contract with a health professional (in this case, a contract between me and you).

5. Sharing Your Information

I do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to outside parties except in the following situations:

• With your consent
• To trusted third parties who assist me in operating my website, conducting my business, or providing services, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential and to comply with the UK GDPR
• To comply with legal obligations, enforce site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property, or safety

Website visitors
By accessing the website, you are consenting to the information collection and use practices described in this privacy notice. Should you choose to contact me using the enquiry form on the website none of the data that you supply will be stored by the website or passed to any third-party data processors. Instead, the data will be collated into an email and sent to me over the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). SMTP servers are protected by TLS (sometimes known as SSL) meaning that the email content is encrypted before being sent across the internet. The email content is then decrypted by local computers and devices.

The website uses cookies and Google Analytics. Almost all websites use cookies which are small files that get put on your computer by websites as you surf them. These cookies can store lots of information which can have privacy implications. Google Analytics is a service provided by Google that gathers anonymous data on how people are using websites and then provides visitor statistics, details of page views, etc. This service is used by many website owners as the data helps website owners to improve their websites. If you wish to change your cookie settings then you may do so through most browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

When you email me
Inspire Counselling & Psychotherapy uses Outlook to supply my email service, and Ionos to host my website including the online enquiry forms on my website. Both companies are required to be complaint in protecting your data.
 

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies. However, you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies, if you prefer. This setting may prevent you from taking full advantage of the Website.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of the personal information we process. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Retention of Your Information

During Counselling: I do not retain WhatsApp/text messages or emails for more than 1 week.  If there is relevant information contained in a text message or email, I will keep this in a secure encrypted data file, or a securely locked filing cabinet. Any other correspondence will be deleted after 7 days if it is not important. If necessary, I will take any relevant information and add it to your notes file.

After counselling has ended: Once counselling has ended your records will be kept for 3 years.

from the end of our contact with each other and are then securely destroyed. If you want me to delete your information sooner than this, please tell me.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• The right to access – You have the right to request copies of your personal information.
• The right to rectification – You have the right to request that I correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The right to erasure – You have the right to request that I erase your personal information, under certain conditions.
• The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that I restrict the processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to my processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• The right to data portability – You have the right to request that I transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, I have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact me at via contact details provided below.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. I will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

11. Contact Me

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact me:

Inspire Counselling & Psychotherapy

24 Eyeworth Walk

Dibden

Southampton

SO45 5WF

inspire.psychotherapy@outlook.com

07895565196

12. Complaints

Additionally, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint about how I handle your personal data with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's supervisory authority for data protection issues. 

The data controller is Elaine Sharon Allsopp and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office: the registration number for Mrs Elaine Sharon Allsopp is  ZB691947. 

For more information go to ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint