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.
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).
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.