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Your Privacy
I am a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist working in private practice. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I am committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy.
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This Privacy Policy explains what personal data I collect, how I use it, and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
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What information I collect
To provide you with a safe and professional counselling service, I may collect the following personal information:
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Basic contact details – your name, address, email, and phone number
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Emergency contact and GP details – used only if there is serious risk to you or others
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Relevant health information – including prescribed medication (to support your safety in therapy)
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Therapeutic notes – brief anonymised session notes
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Technical information – if you access therapy online, some information such as your IP address may be collected by the video platform used (e.g. Zoom Workplace)
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Why I collect your data
​I collect and use your data to:
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Provide you with counselling services
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Maintain secure and accurate records in line with professional standards
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Contact you regarding appointments
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Take appropriate action in the event of a serious risk to you or others
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Comply with legal obligations or professional codes of conduct
Your data is collected with your knowledge and consent, either through direct communication or your signed counselling agreement.
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How your data is stored
​​Your personal information is stored securely:
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Electronic records (such as contact details and anonymised notes) are stored on a password-protected and encrypted device.
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Emails are stored securely via Gmail, which complies with industry-standard security protocols.
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Session notes are anonymised and kept separately from identifiable information.
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No physical paper records are kept.
I will keep anonymised session notes for five years after therapy ends, in line with insurance and ethical guidance, then securely delete them.
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Sharing your data
I will not share your personal information with any third party unless:
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You give your explicit consent
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I am legally required to do so (e.g. by court order)
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There is serious concern for your safety or someone else’s, and breaking confidentiality is necessary
In such cases, I will always try to speak with you first, unless doing so would increase the risk.
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Your rights under GDPR
​​You have the right to:
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Access the personal data I hold about you
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Request corrections if your information is inaccurate or incomplete
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Request deletion of your data (in certain circumstances)
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Restrict processing of your data
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Object to how your data is used
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Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been mishandled: www.ico.org.uk
To make a request, please email me at paulbutlincounsellor@gmail.com.
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Lawful basis for processing your data
​Under the UK GDPR, the lawful basis for collecting and using your data is:
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Contractual – to provide a counselling service to you
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Legitimate interest – maintaining secure records for professional, ethical and legal reasons
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Vital interest – in rare cases, to protect life in an emergency
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Legal obligation – where required by law
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Use of cookies and third-party services
​This website may use cookies for basic functionality. Any third-party platforms (e.g. Zoom Workplace) may also collect minimal data to enable remote sessions. Please check their privacy policies for details.
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Changes to this policy
​​This privacy policy may be updated occasionally to reflect changes in legislation or practice. The most recent version will always be available on this website.
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