I, Anita Carroll, trading as Becoming You Counselling, am responsible for protecting the personal information you share with me. This Privacy Notice explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it is stored and your rights regarding your personal information.

Information I may collect

When you contact me or begin counselling, I may collect information including:

  • Your name and contact details.
  • Information you provide through my website contact form, email, telephone or text message.
  • Emergency contact details where appropriate.
  • Information needed to arrange and manage counselling sessions.
  • Payment and appointment information.
  • Brief counselling notes.
  • Information you choose to share during counselling, which may include sensitive personal information relating to your health, wellbeing or personal circumstances.

I only collect information that is relevant to providing and managing my counselling service.

How I collect your information

Information may be provided directly by you:

  • Through the contact form on my website.
  • By email.
  • By telephone or text message.
  • During an initial consultation or counselling session.

If your counselling is funded or arranged by another organisation, I may also receive relevant administrative information from that organisation.

Why I use your information

I use your personal information to:

  • Respond to counselling enquiries.
  • Arrange and provide counselling sessions.
  • Communicate with you about appointments and practical arrangements.
  • Maintain appropriate counselling records.
  • Process payments.
  • Meet my professional, ethical, safeguarding and legal responsibilities.

Lawful basis for using your information

UK data protection law requires me to have a lawful reason for collecting and using your personal information.

When you enquire about counselling or receive counselling from me, I process information where this is necessary to provide the service you have requested and to fulfil our counselling agreement.

After counselling has ended, I may retain information where there is a legitimate professional or legal reason for doing so.

Counselling may involve information classed as special category data, such as information about your physical or mental health. This information receives additional protection under UK data protection law and is processed for the provision of counselling and health-related support.

How your information is stored

I take appropriate steps to keep your personal information secure.

  • Paper counselling records are kept in a secure location.
  • Digital counselling records are stored securely using SmileNotes.
  • Email communication is managed through my business Gmail account at info@becoming-you-counselling.co.uk.
  • Online counselling sessions take place using Zoom.
  • My website is hosted by Webador, and information submitted through the website contact form may be processed through Webador.
  • I may use my business mobile phone for calls, text messages and appointment-related communication.

I aim to keep personal information to the minimum necessary for providing my service.

How long I keep your information

Counselling records are normally retained securely for 6 years after our counselling relationship ends.

After the retention period has ended, records will be securely destroyed or deleted unless there is a legal or professional reason for keeping them for longer.

Information from enquiries that do not progress to counselling will not be kept longer than necessary.

Confidentiality and sharing information

What you discuss in counselling is treated confidentially.

I attend regular professional supervision as part of safe and ethical counselling practice. I may discuss aspects of my counselling work during supervision, but identifying information is kept to a minimum.

I do not routinely share your personal information with other people or organisations.

There may, however, be circumstances where information needs to be shared, including:

  • Where you have given permission.
  • Where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person.
  • Where safeguarding responsibilities apply.
  • Where disclosure is required by law or court order.

Wherever possible and appropriate, I would discuss this with you first.

If your counselling is funded by another organisation, I will explain what administrative information, if any, needs to be shared with that organisation. The content of counselling sessions remains confidential, subject to the exceptions above.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Ask what personal information I hold about you.
  • Request a copy of your personal information.
  • Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.
  • Ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances.
  • Ask for the use of your information to be restricted in certain circumstances.
  • Object to some types of processing.

Some of these rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances and my legal or professional responsibilities. If you have questions about your information or wish to exercise one of these rights, please contact me at:

info@becoming-you-counselling.co.uk

Concerns or complaints

If you have concerns about how I have handled your personal information, please contact me in the first instance so that I have an opportunity to address your concerns.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

I may review this Privacy Notice from time to time to make sure it continues to accurately reflect how I use and protect personal information.

Last updated: September 2026