Privacy Policy

Tracy Howe Counselling

Last updated: 25 October 2026

1. Introduction

Tracy Howe Counselling respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you visit this website, contact me about counselling, or use my counselling and supervision services.

I handle personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who is responsible for your information?

The data controller is:

Tracy Howe Counselling
Drove Road
Weston-super-Mare
North Somerset
BS23 3NN

Website: https://tracyhowecounselling.co.uk/

Privacy enquiries: Please use the contact form on the website to request the appropriate contact details for privacy-related enquiries.

[Confirm the appropriate business contact email address before publication.]

3. What information I collect

Depending on how you interact with my website and services, I may collect:

• Your name and contact details, including email address and telephone number.

• Information you provide when completing the website contact form.

• Information relating to counselling enquiries, appointments and services.

• Relevant personal, health or wellbeing information shared as part of counselling.

• Records and notes relating to counselling or supervision, where applicable.

• Technical website information, such as browser type, device information, IP address and cookie preferences.

Please avoid including detailed medical histories or other highly sensitive information in your initial website enquiry unless it is necessary.

4. How your information is used

I use personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries about counselling and supervision.

• Arrange and manage appointments.

• Provide counselling or professional supervision services.

• Maintain appropriate professional and administrative records.

• Manage invoices and financial records.

• Meet relevant legal, safeguarding and professional obligations.

• Maintain website security and understand website usage where consent has been provided.

I do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Legal basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, different lawful bases may apply depending on why information is processed.

These may include:

Contract: Where processing is necessary to arrange or provide counselling or supervision services.

Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary to respond to enquiries, administer the practice or maintain website security, provided those interests do not override your rights.

Legal obligation: Where information must be processed to comply with applicable legal requirements.

Consent: Where consent is required, such as for optional analytics cookies or particular uses of personal information.

Counselling may involve special category data, including information about physical or mental health. Such information requires an additional condition under Article 9 of UK GDPR.

[Confirm the specific Article 9 condition relied upon for counselling records and sensitive enquiries, taking account of the practice's professional and legal arrangements.]

6. Confidentiality and counselling records

Confidentiality is an important part of the counselling relationship.

Information shared during counselling is treated confidentially and is only disclosed where there is an appropriate lawful or professional reason, such as a serious safeguarding concern, a legal requirement or another circumstance explained in the counselling agreement.

Where professional supervision is undertaken, client work may be discussed in a way that protects identifying information wherever possible.

Counselling notes and related records are stored securely and are accessible only to authorised individuals where necessary.

[Confirm how counselling records are stored, who may access them and the confidentiality arrangements used in supervision.]

7. Children's and teenagers' information

I provide counselling services for children and teenagers.

Where personal information relates to a young person, I take particular care to protect their privacy and consider their age, understanding, confidentiality rights and safeguarding requirements.

The arrangements for parental involvement, consent and confidentiality will be discussed as appropriate before counselling begins.

Information may be shared where necessary to protect a child or young person, or where another lawful basis for disclosure applies.

8. How long information is kept

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking account of professional, safeguarding, insurance and legal requirements.

Different retention periods may apply to website enquiries, counselling records, supervision records and financial information.

[Insert the practice's verified retention periods and deletion arrangements before publication.]

9. Sharing information with third parties

Personal information may be processed by trusted service providers who support the operation of the website and counselling practice.

Depending on the systems in use, these may include:

• Website hosting and technical support providers.

• Email and communications providers.

• Secure record-keeping and appointment systems.

• Accounting and payment service providers.

• Cookie consent and website analytics providers.

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

Information may also be disclosed where required by law or where necessary to address a safeguarding concern.

[Confirm the actual service providers, any international transfers and applicable safeguards.]

10. Website cookies and analytics

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to support its operation and, where you agree, to help understand how visitors use the website.

Cookie consent is managed using CookieScript.

CookieScript allows you to accept, reject or manage optional cookies. Non-essential analytics and marketing technologies should remain disabled until you have provided the required consent.

The website may use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4 to measure website activity, subject to the consent settings in place.

Google Maps may also be displayed on the Contact page. Loading an embedded map can involve communication with Google and the use of third-party technologies.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie settings control available on the website.

For further details about the cookies used, their providers and their duration, please refer to the Cookie Declaration provided through CookieScript.

11. Website contact forms

When you submit an enquiry through the website, the information you provide is used to respond to your request and, where appropriate, discuss counselling or supervision arrangements.

The website contact form is provided using Umbraco Forms.

Your enquiry may be transmitted to the practice through email or another configured workflow.

Information submitted through the form will be handled confidentially and retained according to the practice's applicable retention arrangements.

[Confirm whether Umbraco Forms stores submissions in the website database, sends notification emails, or uses additional integrations.]

12. Security of your information

I take appropriate steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse and disclosure.

These measures may include secure website connections, access controls, protected accounts, software updates and appropriate safeguards for stored records.

Although reasonable security measures are used, no method of transmitting information over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

13. International data transfers

Some technology providers may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where international transfers occur, appropriate safeguards will be used where required under UK data protection law.

[Verify the locations and transfer arrangements of all relevant service providers.]

14. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information.

• Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.

• Request deletion of information where applicable.

• Ask for processing to be restricted.

• Object to certain processing activities.

• Request transfer of information where the right applies.

• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

Some rights are subject to legal exceptions, particularly where records must be retained for professional, safeguarding or legal reasons.

To exercise your rights, please contact Tracy Howe Counselling using the contact details provided above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/

15. Links to other websites

This website may contain links to external organisations, mental health resources and other websites.

These websites operate independently and have their own privacy policies. I am not responsible for their privacy practices.

16. Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect changes to the website, services, legal requirements or data-handling practices.

The latest version will always be available on this page, with the date of the most recent update shown above.