Privacy

Privacy Notice for Counselling Clients

This privacy notice explains how Rachel Angus Counselling collects, stores, and protects your personal data in line with UK GDPR and the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA).

 

Who I am:

Rachel Angus Counselling is a private counselling practice that provides counselling services. I am Rachel Angus; a qualified counsellor registered with both NCPS and BACP.

You can contact me at rachelanguscounselling@gmail.com.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). My registration number is ZB726912.

 

I comply with my obligations by:

  • Keeping personal data up to date;
  • Storing (and destroying) data securely;
  • Not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data;
  • Protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, and disclosure by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

 

How I collect your data:

I collect your personal data directly from you:

  • When you first make contact with me, (by phone, text message, email, or through my website contact form).
  • During our initial consultation and intake process.
  • Throughout our counselling sessions together.
  • Through any ongoing communication between sessions, (email, telephone, or messaging).

 

What personal data I process:

I collect and process the following personal data from counselling clients:

  • PERSONAL DATA: Basic contact information (name, home address, email address, contact numbers, GP and emergency contact details).
  • SENSITIVE PERSONAL DATA: Client counselling records (anonymised brief session notes), risk assessments, assessment/outcome measures.

 

I use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To deliver the services that clients have requested.
  • To contact clients as necessary in accordance with the services they have requested.
  • To maintain accounting records.

If you do not provide the personal information requested, then I may be unable to provide a counselling service to you.

 

The lawful basis for processing personal data:

I have a legitimate interest in using the personal and sensitive personal data collected as it is necessary information needed to provide counselling services.

 

Who I share your data with:

No information you provide will ever be passed to others without your consent (unless deemed important to do so to reduce risk to you/others as per the counselling contract).

If you decide to have counselling with me, my counselling contract provides additional details about my clinical will. A clinical will ensures that if I am suddenly unable to practice, your records will be handled appropriately and confidentially by a designated colleague.

I do use the following third-party services which may process limited data on my behalf:

  • Google Analytics – to understand how visitors use my website. Google Analytics is configured to anonymize IP addresses and prevent Google from using the data for other services, so no traceable data is processed.
  • Webador – my website hosting platform.
  • Zoom – for online therapy sessions where agreed.
  • WhatsApp – for appointment communications where clients prefer this method.

Each of these third-party services is bound by a data processing agreement that requires them to protect your data. Links to their privacy policies are available on request.

Your information will never be sold to others.

 

Professional obligations and CPD:

To ensure I am meeting my professional and ethical obligations, I attend regular clinical and peer supervision. This is an essential part of maintaining high standards of practice.

When discussing therapeutic work in supervision:

  • Your name and identifying details are not shared.
  • I use anonymised case material.
  • My supervisor is a qualified professional bound by confidentiality obligations.
  • Colleagues who I attend peer supervision with are qualified professionals bound by confidentiality obligations.

 

How long I store personal information:

I only store your personal information for as long as it is required.

For legal/insurance reasons, your data will be stored for a period of 7 years after the end of counselling. After this time, the data is deleted at the end of each calendar year.

If you make an enquiry and then decide you do not want to have counselling with me, I will delete your data at the end of the following calendar month.

 

How I ensure the security of personal information:

Personal information is stored on a laptop that is owned by myself, Rachel Angus, and password protected. Only initials are entered into mobile phones for contact purposes. The Rachel Angus Counselling email account is password protected. Written notes and any other paper files are stored in a secure environment.

 

Your rights and your personal data:

Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have a range of rights with respect to your personal data, which includes the following:

  • The right to be informed about how I collect and use your personal data.
  • The right to request a copy of the personal data which I hold about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR). Under the DUAA 2025, I will conduct a reasonable and proportionate search to locate your data and respond within one month.
  • The right to request that I correct any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date.
  • The right to ask for deletion of your personal data.

A full summary of your legal rights over your data can be found on the Information Commissioner's website at https://ico.org.uk.

If you would like to access the rights listed above, or any other legal rights you have over your data under current legislation, please get in touch with me at rachelanguscounselling@gmail.com. Please note that relying on some of these rights, such as the right to deleting data, will make it impossible for me to continue to deliver some services to you. 

 

Data protection complaints – your right under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

You have the right to make a data protection complaint directly to me. I take all complaints seriously and will investigate promptly.

To submit a complaint, please contact me at rachelanguscounselling@gmail.com. I will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and aim to resolve it in 28 days.

If you are not satisfied with my response, you may escalate your complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office, (ICO):

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113. Website https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

 

Changes to this notice:

I review this privacy notice annually, or sooner if required. If I make significant changes that affect how I handle your personal data, I will inform you directly.

The current version of this notice is always available on my website at https://www.rachelanguscounselling.com.

 

Last Reviewed: June 2026