Privacy Notice

1. Introduction
 

Your privacy is important to me. This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you contact me, use my website or engage in counselling with me.

I am Banu Kaya, MBACP, Registered Counsellor, trading as Banu Kaya Counselling. For the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the Data Controller responsible for the personal information I hold about you.

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

If you have any questions about how your information is handled, you can contact me at:
 

Email: hello@banukayacounselling.com
Website: www.banukayacounselling.com
 

2. Information I may collect
 

When you contact me or begin counselling, I may collect information such as:
 

• your name and contact details, including your email address and telephone number;

• information you provide through my website contact form, email or during an initial consultation;

• information relevant to providing counselling safely and appropriately, including personal history, wellbeing and health information;

• emergency contact details where appropriate;

• brief counselling/session records;

• appointment, attendance and payment information;

• correspondence between us;

• information necessary for safeguarding, risk management or professional and legal obligations.
   

Counselling may involve information classed as special category data under UK GDPR, such as information relating to your physical or mental health, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation or sex life.

I only collect information that is relevant and necessary for providing my services and running my practice appropriately.
 

3. How and why I use your information
 

I may use your personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and arrange initial consultations;

• assess whether my counselling service is appropriate for you;

• provide and manage counselling sessions;

• communicate with you about appointments;

• maintain appropriate professional records;

• process and record payments;

• manage risk and safeguarding concerns;

• meet professional, insurance and legal obligations;

• manage and administer my counselling practice.
   

Under UK GDPR, I need a lawful basis for processing your personal information. Depending on the circumstances, I may process information because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a counselling agreement or to perform our counselling agreement, because I have a legal obligation, or because it is necessary for my legitimate interests in operating a safe, ethical and professionally accountable counselling practice.

Where I process special category information, I will also ensure that an appropriate condition under Article 9 of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 applies.
 

4. Confidentiality and sharing your information
 

What you discuss in counselling is treated as confidential.

As part of ethical counselling practice, I attend regular clinical supervision. I may discuss aspects of my client work with my supervisor, but identifying information will be kept to the minimum necessary wherever possible.

There may be exceptional circumstances where I need to disclose information without your consent. These may include situations involving a serious risk of harm to you or another person, safeguarding concerns, or where disclosure is required by law.

Where possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss this with you before making a disclosure.

I do not sell your personal information or use counselling information for marketing purposes.
 

5. Website, enquiries and subscriptions
 

My website is hosted through Wix. When you use the website, Wix may process technical information such as your IP address, device/browser information and information collected through cookies.

If you submit a contact form, the information you provide is used to respond to your enquiry and manage communication with you.

Please avoid including sensitive or detailed personal information in the website contact form. More personal information can be discussed through an appropriate and secure channel once contact has been established.

If you choose to subscribe to receive new articles or updates, your contact details will be used for that purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time.

For further information about cookies used on this website, please see the website's Cookie Policy and cookie settings.
 

6. How I store and protect your information
 

I take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure and confidential.

Electronic records are protected through appropriate password protection, access controls and secure devices or systems. Where possible, identifying information is kept separate from counselling notes and records are limited to information necessary for professional practice.

Access to client information is restricted to what is necessary for providing and managing my counselling service.

Some service providers I use, such as website, email, payment or online communication providers, may process limited personal information on my behalf. Where applicable, I take reasonable steps to use reputable providers and appropriate privacy and security settings.
 

7. How long I keep your information
 

Client counselling records are retained for a minimum of seven years after our work together ends, in accordance with my professional insurance requirements. My professional insurance requires records to be retained for at least seven years following the last occasion on which treatment was provided.

After the relevant retention period, records will be securely deleted or destroyed unless there is a legal, regulatory or professional reason requiring them to be retained for longer.

Information relating only to an enquiry that does not proceed to counselling will not be retained for longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
 

8. Your data protection rights
 

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you rights in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:

• request access to the personal information I hold about you;

• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;

• request deletion of your information in certain circumstances;

• request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;

• object to certain types of processing;

• request transfer of your information where applicable;

• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis for processing and other legal or professional requirements.

To make a request or ask a question about your information, please contact:

hello@banukayacounselling.com
 

9. Concerns or complaints

If you have concerns about how I handle your personal information, please contact me first so that I can try to address them.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Information Commissioner's Office
 

10. Changes to this Privacy Notice
 

I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, the services I use or legal and professional requirements.

The most recent version will be available on my website.