Privacy Policy

Business Name: Lynn Walker Counselling

Data Controller: Lynn Walker

Contact Email: lynnwalkercounselling@gmail.com

ICO Registered

1. Introduction

I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data with care. As a member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), I abide by their Code of Ethics. This policy explains how I collect, use, and store your information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). 

2. The Data I Collect

I collect the following information to provide safe and ethical counselling:

• Contact Details: Name, address, phone number, and email.

• Emergency Contact: Name and number of a person to contact in a crisis.

• Sensitive Information: Brief session notes, GP details, medical history relevant to therapy, and any mental health assessments. 

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, I process your data under the following legal bases:

• Contract: To provide the counselling service you have requested.

• Legitimate Interests: To maintain records for insurance and professional standards.

• Special Category Data: I process health data under the condition of providing healthcare or social care (Article 9).

4. How I Store Your Data

I use a "dual-system" for record-keeping to ensure maximum security:

• Physical Records: Any handwritten notes or signed contracts are kept in a locked metal filing cabinet. I am the only individual with key access to this cabinet.

• Electronic Records: Digital data (such as contact forms or typed summaries) is stored on a dedicated external hard drive. This drive is kept offline when not in use and is [password-protected/encrypted]. No client data is stored on my computer's primary internal hard drive or in "the cloud."

6. Data Retention

In accordance with the requirements set by my insurer, Balens, I retain your records for a period of seven years following the end of our work together. After this timeframe, paper records are destroyed via cross-cut shredding and digital files are permanently deleted from the external