Privacy policy

Who I am

Hampshire HeadSpace is a private counselling practice run by Ruth in Eastleigh, Hampshire. For data protection purposes I am the data controller of any personal information you share with me.

What I collect, and when

When you send a message through the contact form or by email, I collect your name, the contact details you give me (email and / or phone number), and anything you choose to write in your message. I do this so that I can reply and arrange a session with you.

When you become a client, I keep a small set of practical details (full name, contact details, date of birth, GP details if you choose to share them, emergency contact if you choose to give one) and brief, anonymised session notes that help me hold the work between our sessions.

What I do not collect

I do not run any analytics, tracking pixels, or advertising cookies on this website. I do not sell, share, or pass your information to marketing companies, ever. I do not put your details into any AI system.

How long I keep it

Enquiry messages from people who don't become clients are kept for up to twelve months and then deleted. Client records are kept for seven years after our last session, in line with my professional insurance requirements, and then securely destroyed.

Where it's stored

Notes are kept in a locked cabinet, anonymised so that names and identifying details are not stored together with session content. Digital records are kept on encrypted devices and password-protected accounts hosted within the UK or European Economic Area.

Confidentiality

What you say in sessions stays between us, with three exceptions required by my professional ethical framework: if I had genuine reason to believe you or someone else was at serious risk of harm, if I was required to disclose information by a court of law, or if I was made aware of a serious crime such as terrorism or money laundering. I would always try to talk to you first about what to do next.

I take regular clinical supervision, where I sometimes discuss the work with another senior counsellor, but you are never named or made identifiable in those conversations.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to ask me what information I hold about you, to ask me to correct anything that is wrong, to ask me to delete it, and to ask me to stop processing it. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please email hello@hampshireheadspace.com. If you're not happy with how I've handled your information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.