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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 01 January 2026

Thank you for choosing Sam Lewis Therapy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled safely, responsibly, and in accordance with applicable data protection laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you access our website and counselling services.

  1. Information We Collect

When you use our website and counselling services, we may collect the following types of personal data:

  • Personal Identification Information: including your name, email address, phone number, and date of birth.
  • Health and Sensitive Information: information you voluntarily share during counselling sessions, which may include mental health history, personal circumstances, and other sensitive data.
  • Usage Data: details about how you use our website, such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and session duration.
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: used to enhance your experience and analyse website traffic.

For counselling services, we also collect an emergency contact number, which will only be used in the event of a medical emergency. For the purposes of data protection, you, as the client, are considered the data controller for this third party’s information. It is therefore your responsibility to inform the named individual that their contact details have been provided to Sam Lewis Therapy.

  1. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve our counselling services.
  • Communicate with you regarding appointments, updates, and important information.
  • Ensure the safety and security of our services.
  • Comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

  1. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal data only in the following circumstances:

  • With trusted third-party service providers who support the operation of our website or delivery of counselling services (such as payment processors or IT providers), all of whom are subject to strict confidentiality agreements.
  • Where disclosure is required by law, regulation, or legal process.
  • Where necessary to protect our rights, property, safety, or the safety of our clients.
  1. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is entirely secure, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

  1. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights in relation to your personal data, including:

  • The right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information.
  • The right to restrict or object to certain processing activities.
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time, where applicable.
  • The right to data portability.

To exercise any of these rights or if you have questions about your data, please contact us at [email protected]

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018, you have the following specific rights:

  • You have the right to access your counselling notes, which will be provided within 10 working days of receipt of a formal written request.
  • All counselling notes and records are retained for 5 years from the end of therapy, after which they will be securely destroyed.
  • You have the right to request changes to recorded personal data such as your name or address.
  • For clients under the age of 18, records will be retained for 5 years from the date the client turns 18.
  • You may request erasure of your data under GDPR; however, this request may be subject to legal and ethical restrictions.
  • Counselling records are required by insurance providers and professional ethical bodies to be retained for the periods outlined above.

By signing this document, you agree to your records being retained for 5 years following the termination of therapy, or 5 years after the client turns 18, whichever is applicable.

  1. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience and analyse website traffic. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on the website.

  1. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, please contact:

Sam Lewis Therapy – Trauma & Neurodiversity Specialist
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07507 625822

Consent

I _____________________________________________________________ agree to the above conditions.

 

Signed: ____________________________________________
Age upon signing: ____________________
Date: ____________________