Last updated: November 12, 2024

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

 

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy has been created with the help of the Privacy Policy Generator.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

 

• Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

• Affiliate means an entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a party, where "control" means ownership of 50% or more of the shares, equity interest or other securities entitled to vote for election of directors or other managing authority.

• Company (referred to as either "the Company", "We", "Us" or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to Counselling with Maria.

• Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

• Country refers to: United Kingdom

• Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.

• Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

• Service refers to the Website.

• Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.

• Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).

• Website refers to Counselling with Maria, accessible from https://counsellingwithmaria.com/.

• You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

 

• Email address

• First name and last name

• Phone number

• Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

 

• Cookies or Browser Cookies.  A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.</li>

• Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be "Persistent" or "Session" Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. You can learn more about cookies on TermsFeed website article.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

 

• Necessary / Essential Cookies

  • Type: Session Cookies

  • Administered by: Us

  • Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

• Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

  • Type: Persistent Cookies

  • Administered by: Us

  • Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

• Functionality Cookies

  • Type: Persistent Cookies

  • Administered by: Us

  • Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

 

• The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

• ​The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is concerned with the personal information about you that I collect, store and share. This page details my GDPR policy. I have the following information to share with you as a client or potential client.

• The personal information I collect from my website contact form:

• Your name

• Your email address

• Your phone number

• The reason for your enquiry

• The personal information I might collect from telephone conversations and during online or telephone sessions:

• Your name.

• Your email address

• Your phone number

• Your home address.

• The nature of your enquiry.

• Your gender and sexual orientation.

• Information about your family and relationships (past and present).

• Information concerning your occupation, education and life experiences.

• Information concerning your previous mental health history, including treatments and diagnosis.

• Your GP’s name and contact details.

• Any medical conditions that you tell me about and any medications you are on or have been on previously.

• Session Summaries.

• How your information will be stored:

• Paper: Written session notes will be securely filed in a locked filing cabinet. I will also keep a paper copy of your signed contract, (including GDPR consent), and referral form.

• Laptop: Your contract that you sign electronically will be kept on a secured personal laptop. The device will require passwords to access the laptop and a separate password to access your individual information. The electronic device will be checked regularly for viruses and I will take every reasonable precaution to protect your personal information.

• Mobile Phone: I will store your contact telephone number for the duration of your therapy sessions along with any text messages or WhatsApp messages which we may exchange.

• Email: Your email address and email correspondence will be stored securely in my email account.

• Website: None of your personal information is stored on my website, other than to momentarily collect & send it to our email accounts for the purposes of initial contact.

• Will I share your data and if I do who will I share it with and for what purpose?

• It is very unlikely I will share your data and will not use it for unethical reasons.

• I may have to share it if my notes are subpoenaed by court, if you or anyone you tell me about is at harm or risk of harm I may have to pass this information on to your GP or the police.

• You have a right to request to see, have amended or have destroyed any data I may keep about you. I will respond to any such request made within 14 days.

• The notes I keep are brief and are written in a way that no one would be able to tell who they are about unless I was asked.

• How will I store your data?

• The data I keep is mainly written and kept in a locked filing cabinet. Your phone number will be kept in my business mobile phone which is passcode protected.

• How long will I store your data for and how will I dispose of it?

• I will keep your session notes for 5 years which is the time frame my insurance company requests. I will shred your referral and contract form which holds your personal information 1 month after our therapeutic work finishes.

• I will delete your phone number out of my mobile phone 1 month after our work finishes.

• All emails received from you will be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed and at least within 1 month of us finishing working together.

• Consent

• If you do not consent to me using your data in this way it is unlikely that I will be able to work with you.

• Your rights:

• To be informed about what information I hold (this policy tells you).

• To see the information I hold about you.

• To amend any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• To withdraw consent from me using your personal information.

• To request that some or all of your personal information be erased. Please note that I can decline this request if I need to hold the information to practice lawfully and competently.

• Please let me know at you earliest convenience if you have any questions or issues with this policy.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

 

• Comply with a legal obligation

• Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company

• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service

• Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public

• Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us via our contact form.