Privacy Notice | Emma Collens

Emma Collens Counselling and Coaching LTD customer privacy notice

Emma Collens Counselling & Coaching Ltd

Telephone: 07930 371743

This privacy notice explains how Emma Collens Counselling & Coaching Ltd collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you contact me, use my website, or access counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching or clinical supervision services.

I understand that therapy and coaching often involve sharing personal and sensitive information. I take your privacy seriously and only collect information that is necessary, relevant and appropriate for the service being provided.

Privacy at a glance

In brief, I may collect your contact details, relevant personal information, health or wellbeing information, session notes, payment records and correspondence.

Your information is treated confidentially and stored securely. It is only shared in limited circumstances, such as where there is a safeguarding concern, a legal or professional obligation, a requirement from an insurer or regulator, or where you have given consent.

I do not sell your personal information.

Who is responsible for your information?

Emma Collens Counselling & Coaching Ltd is the data controller for the personal information collected through this website and through counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching and supervision services.

This means I am responsible for deciding how your personal information is collected, used and stored.

What information I collect

Depending on your contact with me and the service you use, I may collect and process the following types of personal information:

* Your name and contact details

* Your address, where needed

* Your date of birth, where needed

* Emergency contact details, where appropriate

* Information you provide in enquiry forms, emails, messages or telephone calls

* Appointment information

* Brief client records or session notes

* Relevant health, wellbeing, personal, family, work or relationship information

* Payment and invoicing information

* Correspondence between us

* Information relating to complaints, concerns or feedback

* Website information, such as contact form submissions and basic website usage data

Because counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching and supervision can involve personal or sensitive topics, I may also process special category data. This may include information about your physical or mental health, disability, neurodivergence, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation.

This type of information is only processed where it is relevant, necessary and appropriate, for example where you choose to share it during therapy, coaching, supervision, assessment, correspondence or referral information.

Why I collect and use your information

I collect and use personal information for the following reasons:

* To respond to enquiries

* To assess whether my services are suitable for you

* To provide counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching or supervision

* To manage appointments and communication

* To keep appropriate professional records

* To process payments and maintain financial records

* To meet professional, ethical, legal, safeguarding and insurance responsibilities

* To manage risk and support safe practice

* To respond to complaints, concerns, requests or legal claims

* To send service updates or relevant information where appropriate

* To manage and improve my website and online systems

Lawful bases for processing your information

Under UK data protection law, I must have a lawful basis for collecting and using your personal information.

Depending on the situation, I may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

I may need to use your information to enter into or provide a service to you.

Legitimate interests

I have a legitimate interest in processing information in order to provide safe, ethical and professional counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching and supervision services. This includes maintaining appropriate records, managing appointments, communicating with clients, obtaining professional supervision, managing safeguarding or risk concerns, and meeting insurance and professional obligations.

Legal obligation

I may need to process or retain information to comply with legal, tax, accounting, safeguarding, regulatory or professional requirements.

Vital interests

In rare circumstances, I may need to use or share information where there is an urgent or serious risk to someone’s life, health or wellbeing.

Consent

Where I rely on your consent, such as for certain marketing communications, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

For special category data, such as health or wellbeing information, I rely on additional lawful conditions under UK data protection law. This may include providing health or social care-related services, safeguarding, legal claims, or your explicit consent where appropriate.

Confidentiality and its limits

Counselling, psychotherapy, EMDR, coaching and supervision are confidential services. I will not share information about you unnecessarily.

However, there are some circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken. This may include:

* If there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person

* If there is a safeguarding concern involving a child, young person or vulnerable adult

* If I am required to do so by law or court order

* If information relates to terrorism, money laundering or certain serious criminal matters

* If disclosure is required by my professional, ethical or insurance obligations

* If I need to discuss aspects of my work in professional supervision

* If I need to seek legal or professional advice

* If you ask me to share information and give consent

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

Professional supervision

As part of ethical and professional practice, I attend regular professional supervision. This allows me to reflect on my work and ensure I am practising safely and effectively.

Client material may be discussed in supervision, but identifying information is kept to a minimum wherever possible. Supervisors are also bound by confidentiality.

Where I get information from

Most of the personal information I hold comes directly from you.

In some situations, information may also come from:

* Referrers

* Health professionals

* Insurance companies

* Employee Assistance Programmes

* Employers, where appropriate and with consent

* Educational institutions

* Legal representatives

* Family members or emergency contacts

* Other professionals involved in your care or support

Information is only obtained where it is lawful, necessary and appropriate.

How long I keep information

I only keep personal information for as long as necessary to meet professional, legal, ethical, insurance and regulatory requirements.

My usual retention periods are:

Adult client records: 7 years after therapy, coaching or supervision ends
Records relating to children and young people: until the client reaches age 25, or 7 years after therapy ends, whichever is longer
Supervision records: 7 years
Initial enquiries where therapy, coaching or supervision does not commence: 12 months
Website enquiries and contact form submissions: 12 months
Financial and accounting records: 6 years
Safeguarding records: retained in accordance with legal and professional obligations

At the end of the relevant retention period, records are securely destroyed or permanently deleted.

Who I may share information with

I only share personal information where necessary, lawful and appropriate.

This may include:

Professional supervisors
Health professionals, where appropriate
Insurance companies
Employee Assistance Programmes or referrers, where applicable
Safeguarding agencies
Emergency services
Legal or professional advisers
Regulatory bodies
HMRC or accounting services, where required
Organisations I am legally required to share information with
Other third parties where you have given consent

Data processors and online systems

I use trusted third-party providers to support the running of my practice and website. These providers may process personal information on my behalf.

This may include:

**Wix**

Website hosting, website management, contact forms and website infrastructure.

**Google/Gmail**

Email communication, enquiries and correspondence.

**Microsoft/Outlook**

Email, calendar and cloud-based communication services.

**Zoom**

Video conferencing and online sessions.

**Banking and payment providers**

Processing payments, banking, invoices and financial records.

These providers are expected to handle information securely and in accordance with data protection requirements.

Sharing information outside the UK

Some of the third-party providers I use may process or store information outside the UK, for example in the United States.

Where this happens, appropriate safeguards are expected to be in place in accordance with UK data protection law, such as adequacy arrangements, the UK-US data bridge or other approved transfer mechanisms.

Website and contact forms

If you contact me through my website, the information you submit may be processed by Wix and then received by me.

Please avoid sending highly sensitive or urgent information through a website contact form. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact emergency services, NHS 111, your GP, a crisis service or another appropriate support service.

Marketing and service updates

I may use your contact details to send relevant service updates or information where appropriate.

I will only send marketing emails where I have a lawful basis to do so, such as your consent or a legitimate interest. You can ask me to stop sending these communications at any time.

Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal information. These may include:

The right to access the personal information I hold about you
The right to ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
The right to ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances
The right to ask for processing to be restricted
The right to object to certain types of processing
The right to data portability in certain circumstances
The right to withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis

Some rights may not apply in all circumstances, particularly where information needs to be retained for legal, safeguarding, professional, insurance or ethical reasons.

If you make a data protection request, I will respond without undue delay and within one month, unless an extension is permitted under data protection law.

To make a request, please contact:

Email: ecollens.psychotherapy@gmail.com

Telephone: 07930 371743

Security

I take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure and confidential.

This includes using secure systems where possible, limiting access to personal information, keeping appropriate records, and securely deleting or destroying information when it is no longer needed.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact me first so I can try to resolve the issue.

Email: ecollens.psychotherapy@gmail.com

Telephone: 07930 371743

If you remain unhappy, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website: [www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint](http://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint)

Updates to this privacy notice

This privacy notice may be reviewed and updated from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, services, legal requirements or data protection guidance.

Last updated: June 2026