Privacy policy

1. Who is responsible for your data

The data controller is Anna Hobbs, trading as Secoya Therapy, East Kent, United Kingdom. Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number C1539702. You can contact me about anything in this policy at hello@secoyatherapy.co.uk.

2. What data I collect, and why

• Enquiry data — your name, email address and the content of your message, collected when you use the contact form or email. I use this to reply to you and arrange a call or session. Lawful basis: consent (the box you tick on the form) and, once we begin arranging sessions, steps taken to enter a contract.
• Client records — if you become a client: contact details, an emergency contact, GP details, brief session notes and our counselling agreement. Lawful bases: contract, and for health-related information, the special-category condition of provision of health or social care (UK GDPR Art. 9(2)(h)) alongside my professional duty of confidentiality as a counsellor.
• Payment records — records of payments for sessions, kept for tax purposes. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
• Anonymous visitor statistics — this website counts page visits using a cookie-free analytics service (Vercel Web Analytics). It records aggregate information such as which pages are viewed, the country a visit comes from and the type of device. It sets no cookies, stores nothing on your device, and cannot identify you or follow you to other websites. Lawful basis: legitimate interests (understanding whether the website is reaching the people it's meant to help).

I do not buy data about you, track you across the internet, or use your data for marketing.

3. How your data is stored and protected

• This website is served over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection.
• Enquiries are delivered to a password-protected business email account; they are not posted to social media or shared with third parties.
• Client records are kept securely, with identifying details stored separately from session notes wherever practicable.
• Online sessions are held on reputable, encrypted video platforms.

4. Who I share data with

Your data is confidential. I do not sell or share it, with these limited exceptions:

• Clinical supervision — like all ethical counsellors, I discuss my work in supervision; your identity is protected and the supervisor is bound by the same confidentiality.
• Risk of serious harm or legal requirement — in rare situations I may be required to share information, for example to protect you or someone else from serious harm, or where a court orders it. I explain these limits in our first session.
• Service providers — a small number of providers act as data processors under appropriate agreements: Vercel (website hosting and cookie-free visitor statistics), Resend (delivery of contact-form messages to my mailbox) and my email provider. Some of these providers are based outside the UK (in the United States); where that is the case, transfers are protected by recognised safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, under each provider's data processing agreement.

5. How long I keep data

• Enquiries that don't lead to counselling: deleted within 6 months.
• Client records: kept for 7 years after our work ends (in line with insurance and professional guidance), then securely destroyed.
• Payment records: kept for 6 years plus the current tax year, as required by HMRC.

6. Your rights

Under the UK GDPR you have the right to: access a copy of your data; have inaccurate data corrected; ask for deletion (in certain circumstances); restrict or object to processing; data portability; and to withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis. To exercise any right, email hello@secoyatherapy.co.uk — I will respond within one month.

If you're unhappy with how I've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5AF, or on 0303 123 1113.

7. Changes to this policy

Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date.