Privacy policy

Empower Peace Counselling is run by me, Danielle Hunter, a Gestalt counsellor and Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP no. 00994231).

I’m the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, and I’m registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number ZB893311.

If you have any questions about this policy or your information, you can email me at empowerpeacecounselling@gmail.com or call, text or WhatsApp me on 07707 894415.

Everything you discuss with me is confidential. The only exceptions are where I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, where there is a safeguarding concern, or where I’m required by law to share information. Wherever possible, I’ll talk to you first. I’ll explain these limits at the start of our work together.

I attend monthly clinical supervision, as required by the BACP’s Ethical Framework. When I discuss my work in supervision, I do it anonymously and never share anything that could identify you.

• When you first get in touch: your name, your email address, your phone number if you give it, and anything you choose to tell me in your message.
• If we agree to work together: your name, date of birth, address and an emergency contact.
• During our sessions: brief session notes.

While we’re working together, I use your information because it’s necessary to provide the counselling we’ve agreed to (the lawful basis of contract).

After our work ends, I keep your records on the basis of legitimate interests — so I can meet my professional obligations and respond to any questions or complaints.

Information about your health is special category data. I process it because it’s necessary to provide health care and treatment, and it’s covered by my professional duty of confidentiality.

Session notes and client records are stored securely on Kiku, an online practice management system for therapists.

I keep client records for five years after our work ends, then securely destroy them. Text messages and non-essential emails are deleted after the same period.

I never sell your information or use it for marketing.

I use a small number of trusted services to run my practice, such as my email provider, my practice management system, my website host and Google Ads (see “This website” below). My agreements with them include data protection terms, so they can only use your information to provide their service to me.

If you choose to contact me by text or WhatsApp, those messages are also handled by your phone network or by WhatsApp, under their own privacy policies.

Beyond this, I’d only share your information in the situations described under Confidentiality.

You have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the information I hold about you
• ask me to correct anything that’s wrong or incomplete
• ask me to delete your information
• ask me to limit how I use your information, or object to me using it

To make a request, email me at empowerpeacecounselling@gmail.com. I’ll respond within one month. Occasionally I may need to keep some information to meet my professional or legal obligations, and if so I’ll explain why.

When you send a message through the contact form, it’s emailed straight to me. Your message isn’t stored on this website.

I use Plausible Analytics to count visits to this website. It doesn’t use cookies and doesn’t collect anything that identifies you.

I advertise on Google. Only if you agree to it in the cookie banner, this website sets Google Ads cookies so Google can tell me when someone who clicked one of my adverts goes on to send me a message. Google is told that a message was sent — not who you are, and nothing you wrote. It isn’t used to show you adverts or to follow you around the internet, and the lawful basis is your consent. If you choose “No thanks”, no Google cookies are set. Google handles this data under its own privacy policy.

You can change your mind at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.

The fonts are hosted on this website rather than loaded from Google.

If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, please talk to me first and I’ll do my best to put it right.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can do this on the ICO website or by calling 0303 123 1113.