Privacy Policy

Introduction

NW Counselling ("I", "me", "my") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how I collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use this website or contact me for counselling services.

Who I am

The data controller is Nadia Wilkinson, trading as NW Counselling. You can get in touch via the contact page

What information I collect

Through the contact form

• Your name
• Email address
• Phone number (if provided)
• The message you write about what's bringing you to counselling
• Your preferences for session type and focus areas
• Where you heard about me (if you tell me)

Through the client registration form

If we agree to work together, I'll send you a link to a registration form. It asks for:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Your home address, and the address you'll be at during sessions
• Your GP's name and practice details
• An emergency contact's name, phone number and email address
• Any disabilities or health conditions you choose to tell me about

Information about your health, and the fact that you're having counselling, is "special category" data under UK GDPR and is given extra protection.

Through website analytics

I use privacy-respecting analytics to understand how people use this website. This collects anonymised data about page views and doesn't track individual users or use cookies.

Once a week I also email myself a summary of how this site appears in Google and Bing: how often it was shown, how often it was opened, and which searches and pages came up most. Those figures come from Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. They are not linked to you as an individual.

How I use your information

Your contact form information is used solely to:

• Respond to your enquiry
• Arrange an initial conversation about counselling
• Understand what support you might be looking for

Your registration form information is used solely to:

• Provide counselling to you safely
• Make any adjustments you need for your sessions
• Contact your GP or emergency contact only in the circumstances set out in our counselling agreement

I will never sell, share, or use your information for marketing purposes.

Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, I process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: When you submit the contact form, you consent to me using your information to respond to your enquiry
• Legitimate interests: For website analytics, and for a weekly summary of how the site appears in search, I have a legitimate interest in understanding how people find and use this website so I can improve it
• Contract: If you become a client, processing your data (including your registration form) is necessary to provide counselling services

Health information is processed because it's necessary to provide health care (counselling), under the duty of confidentiality that comes with my BACP membership (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h)).

How I protect your information

• This website uses HTTPS encryption for all communications
• Form submissions are sent to me by encrypted email
• I don't store your form data on the website
• I keep your information confidential, as required by my BACP registration

How long I keep your information

If you enquire but don't become a client, I'll delete your contact information within 6 months unless you ask me to keep it on file.

If you become a client, your registration details become part of your client record. Record-keeping for counselling is covered separately in the counselling agreement we'll discuss before we begin.

My email delivery provider, Resend, automatically deletes its copy of each email after 30 days. That includes form submissions and the weekly search summary.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information I hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information
• Object to processing of your information
• Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please get in touch via the contact page

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

You can contact the ICO at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or by phone on 0303 123 1113.

Cookies

This website uses minimal or no cookies. I use privacy-respecting analytics that don't require cookies or track individual users.

Third-party services

This website uses the following third-party services:

• Vercel: Website hosting, with data stored in the UK (privacy policy: vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy)
• Resend: Email delivery for the website's forms, and for a weekly summary of how the site appears in Google and Bing search (privacy policy: resend.com/legal/privacy-policy)

International data transfers

Website hosting through Vercel is based in the UK. However, when you submit a form, your information is processed and stored in the US by Resend, the email service that delivers it to me. Resend protects data transferred from the UK using the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses, and is certified under the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Changes to this policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how I handle your information, please get in touch via the contact page