This Privacy Policy explains how Empowering Counselling Services collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information in accordance with UK data protection law.
Part One: Your data protection rights
I process personal data about you in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data controller: Paula Spencer-Snell | Empowering Counselling Services
ICO registration number: ZB609129
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data I hold about you.
- Right to rectification: you can ask me to correct any inaccurate information.
- Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you can ask me to delete your data.
- Right to restriction: you can ask me to restrict how I use your data while a concern is being investigated.
- Right to data portability: where processing is based on consent or contract, you can ask for your data in a portable format.
- Right to object: you can object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests.
Data protection complaints:-
If you have a concern about how your personal data has been handled, for example a request to access or delete your records that was not dealt with to your satisfaction, or a concern about whether your information was shared appropriately or stored securely, please raise it with me directly in the first instance.
Please note that this covers concerns about data handling only, not about the therapeutic relationship or professional conduct.
To raise a data protection concern, please contact me at hello@empoweringcounsellingservices.co.uk. I will acknowledge your concern as soon as reasonably practicable and aim to respond within one month. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Data breaches
In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your information, I will assess the risk and where required, report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office and inform you directly without undue delay.
Part Two: How I work with your information
This section is specific to my practice and explains what information I hold and how I handle it.
I hold the following personal information relating to you:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Emergency contact details (if provided)
- Brief session notes relating to our counselling work together
I hold this information to provide counselling services, maintain appropriate clinical records, fulfil my professional and legal obligations, and communicate with you during the course of our work together.
Storage:
Paper records are stored securely in a locked cabinet. Information submitted via online forms is securely downloaded from Gravity Forms, stored on a password-protected computer with appropriate security measures, and then deleted from Gravity Forms.
Retention:
I retain client records for five years after our work together ends, in accordance with the requirements of my professional indemnity insurance and applicable legal and professional obligations.
After this period, records are securely destroyed.
Sharing your information with third parties
I do not share your information with any third parties except in the following situations:
- I may discuss aspects of our work in clinical supervision. Wherever possible, this will be anonymised and I will not share information that could reasonably identify you.
- I may share information if I believe that you or another person is at risk of serious harm and disclosure is necessary for safeguarding purposes.
- I may share information if I am required to do so by law, for example in response to a court order.
This notice forms part of my working agreement with you.
Updated: 23rd July 2026