At Counselling with Helen, your privacy and confidentiality are incredibly important. Helen understands that seeking counselling often involves sharing deeply personal and sensitive information, and is committed to ensuring that this information is treated with care, respect and professionalism.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Helen collects, why it is needed, how it is securely stored and protected, how long it is retained, and your rights under UK data protection legislation. Helen works in accordance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and is committed to maintaining your privacy and confidentiality throughout your counselling journey.

Counselling with Helen is a sole trader counselling practice operated by Helen Bradley. If you have any questions about how your personal information is handled, please contact Helen at Counselling-with-Helen@Outlook.com.

Helen follows guidance from the BACP and Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on collecting, storing and processing your personal data ethically and sensitively.

Under UK data protection legislation, Helen processes your personal information in accordance with the following lawful bases:

• Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate Interests: Where necessary for the safe, confidential and professional management of her counselling practice.
• Article 6(1)(b) – Contract: Where necessary to arrange and provide counselling services under your counselling agreement.

Counselling may involve processing sensitive personal information, including details about your physical or mental health. This is known as special category data under UK GDPR.

Where the relevant legal requirements are met, Helen relies on Article 9(2)(h) of UK GDPR and Schedule 1, Part 1, Paragraph 2 of the Data Protection Act 2018, which permit the processing of special category information for health or social care purposes, subject to appropriate confidentiality requirements.

In exceptional circumstances, other lawful grounds may apply, including where processing is necessary to protect someone's vital interests or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

If you choose to access counselling with Helen (of Counselling with Helen), either directly or following a referral from The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), Helen will collect certain personal information as part of the counselling process.

This includes your name, email address and telephone number, which are used to communicate with you regarding your counselling sessions and appointment arrangements.

Helen will also collect your home address, date of birth, emergency contact details and GP contact information. This information is collected to maintain appropriate client records and support your safety and wellbeing throughout the counselling process.

Where Helen has serious concerns about your safety or wellbeing, or the safety of another person, she may need to contact your GP, emergency services or other relevant safeguarding agencies. Where appropriate and safe, Helen will aim to discuss this with you beforehand. However, there may be circumstances where information needs to be shared without your consent to protect you or another person from serious harm.

Where Helen receives your personal information through a referral from another organisation, including NTS, she will handle this information securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.

Helen takes reasonable steps to keep your personal information, including brief session notes, secure and protected from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

For clients accessing counselling directly through Counselling with Helen or following a referral from The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), Helen is responsible for maintaining and securely storing all counselling session notes and clinical records in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

All handwritten counselling notes, printed consent forms and counselling contracts are stored securely in a locked cabinet. Access to these records is restricted to Helen, except where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

No counselling session notes are stored electronically, including on computers, mobile devices or cloud storage services.

For clients referred through The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), NTS collects and stores the personal information provided on your original enquiry form for the purposes of processing your enquiry, arranging a referral to an affiliate counsellor and administering appointments, including issuing Zoom links and payment requests.

This administrative information is securely stored on the NTS Zanda system.

Further information about how NTS collects, processes and stores your personal information can be found in the NTS Privacy Policy.

Access to Zanda is protected by two step authentication, providing an additional layer of security to help prevent unauthorised access to client information.

Helen also ensures that she logs out of the Zanda system at the end of each working day to maintain client confidentiality and protect sensitive personal information.

Should Helen's working relationship with The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS) come to an end, all administrative information collected and stored by NTS, including original enquiry forms, referral information, appointment records and payment administration details, will remain securely held by NTS in accordance with its own Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.

Helen's access to the NTS Zanda system will be withdrawn upon termination of her working relationship with NTS.

Helen will retain access only to the personal information provided directly to her by clients, together with the counselling consent forms, contracts and clinical session notes she has collected and maintained as part of the therapeutic relationship.

These records will continue to be securely stored and managed by Helen (of Counselling with Helen), in accordance with her Privacy Policy, professional obligations and applicable data protection legislation.

Where appropriate, clients will be informed of any changes affecting the management of their personal information. Any information shared or transferred between Helen and NTS will be handled securely and only where there is an appropriate lawful basis.

Private Practice and NTS Clients: Consent Forms and Personal Information

For clients accessing counselling directly through Counselling with Helen or following a referral from The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), Helen collects personal information electronically through Microsoft 365 Forms as part of the initial counselling consent process.

This includes your name, address, telephone number, email address, emergency contact details and GP contact information.

This information is collected to enable Helen to communicate with you regarding your counselling sessions, maintain accurate and appropriate client records and, where necessary, contact your GP or relevant safeguarding services if serious concerns arise about your safety or the safety of another person.

Once your completed consent form has been received through Microsoft 365 Forms, Helen prints a paper copy and stores it securely in a locked cabinet, to which only she has access.

An electronic copy is also retained securely within Microsoft 365 Forms as a backup, should the paper copy become damaged or inaccessible.

Both the paper and electronic copies are retained for seven years following your final counselling session. For clients who are children or young people, records are retained until seven years after their 18th birthday, in accordance with Helen's record retention arrangements and professional insurance requirements.

Once the applicable retention period has ended, paper records will be securely destroyed and electronic copies permanently deleted, unless there is a legal or other justified requirement to retain them for longer.

Emails and Electronic Communications

For all clients, including NTS clients, session booking and administrative emails are securely stored within Helen's Outlook email account and retained for seven years following your last counselling session, in accordance with insurance requirements.

Access to this information is protected through two factor authentication, and Helen signs out of her Outlook account at the end of each working day to maintain confidentiality and prevent unauthorised access.

Your contact telephone number may be stored on Helen's work mobile phone for the purpose of communicating with you about counselling. Your number will be deleted when it is no longer required for this purpose, subject to any legal or professional obligations to retain it.

Helen's work mobile phone is password protected, with additional password protection in place for WhatsApp and access to her Outlook emails.

Helen also switches off her work mobile phone at the end of each working day to help maintain professional boundaries and protect client confidentiality.

In accordance with insurance requirements, client notes and information will generally be stored for seven years after your last counselling session, or seven years after a child's 18th birthday, unless a different retention period is required by applicable legal, professional or contractual obligations. After the applicable retention period has ended, records will be securely destroyed where there is no lawful reason to retain them.

Financial records, including information relating to payments, may need to be retained for a different period in accordance with HMRC and other legal requirements.

Helen takes your privacy and confidentiality very seriously and will not intentionally share your personal information with outside parties without your consent, unless there is a lawful or safeguarding reason to do so.

However, in exceptional circumstances, where Helen has serious concerns about your safety or wellbeing, or the safety of another person, it may be necessary to contact appropriate external agencies, such as your GP, local safeguarding services or emergency services.

Wherever possible, Helen will discuss these concerns with you beforehand and seek your consent. However, where there is a significant risk of serious harm, or a legal obligation to disclose information, Helen may need to share relevant information without your consent or prior knowledge.

Any decision to share information will be carefully considered, and only the information necessary to address the concern will be disclosed. Helen will act in accordance with her professional responsibilities, the BACP Ethical Framework and relevant safeguarding and data protection legislation.

Financial Records

If you pay for your counselling session via bank transfer, please be aware that your name may appear on Helen's bank statement when accessed electronically. Helen does not receive printed bank statements. These statements would only be disclosed if required for an HMRC audit or where otherwise legally required or permitted.

Helen takes the confidentiality of counselling very seriously.

Information you share during counselling will normally remain confidential. However, there are circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken, including where:

• There is a serious and immediate concern about your safety or the safety of another person.
• Helen believes disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm.
• Helen is legally required to disclose information, for example, where a client discloses knowledge of money laundering, drug trafficking or acts of terrorism. There is a legal requirement for Helen to inform the police of such acts.
• Disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.

Where possible and appropriate, Helen will discuss any necessary disclosure with you beforehand.

As part of maintaining safe, ethical and effective counselling practice, Helen receives regular professional supervision.

Helen may discuss aspects of your counselling work during supervision to support her professional development and ensure she continues to provide safe and ethical care. Where this happens, your identity and any identifying information will be protected, and only information relevant to the supervision process will be shared. It is the process of therapy that Helen will discuss in supervision, not your 'personal story'.

Helen's clinical supervisor also works in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and is bound by the same professional standards of confidentiality, ensuring that your personal information remains protected.

Helen does not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools or software in connection with counselling sessions. This includes AI recording, transcription, analysis, assessment, note taking or processing of counselling content.

No session content, client information or counselling notes are entered into or processed by AI systems.

In the unlikely event that Helen becomes seriously unwell, incapacitated or dies and is unable to contact you personally, arrangements are in place to ensure that you are informed and supported.

These arrangements form part of Helen's professional responsibilities under the BACP Ethical Framework and are designed to protect client confidentiality and wellbeing.

Private Practice Clients

For clients accessing counselling directly through Counselling with Helen, Helen's Clinical Supervisor has been appointed as her Clinical Executor.

In the event that Helen is unable to continue providing counselling, her Clinical Supervisor will contact clients sensitively, explain the circumstances where appropriate and provide information about alternative counselling support should they wish to continue therapy.

The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS) Clients

For clients referred to Helen through The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), Katie from NTS will be responsible for contacting clients in the event that Helen becomes unable to continue providing counselling.

Katie will contact affected clients sensitively, explain the circumstances where appropriate and offer support with arranging a referral to another counsellor within the NTS team, should they wish to continue therapy.

Confidentiality and Clinical Records

Helen's Clinical Supervisor and Katie from NTS will only access the personal and contact information necessary to carry out their respective responsibilities, in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and confidentiality requirements.

All clinical session notes and counselling records will remain securely stored by Counselling with Helen, with appropriate arrangements for their continued protection, management and retention in accordance with relevant legal, professional and insurance requirements.

These arrangements are in place to ensure that clients are informed and supported, while maintaining their privacy, confidentiality and continuity of care wherever possible.

• Website Provider: This website is created by GoDaddy. Please read their Global Privacy Notice here.
• Online Sessions: Provided via Zoom. Their Privacy Notice is available here, or via the Psychology Today Meeting Space. Please read their Privacy Notice here.
• Video Sessions: Provided via WhatsApp. Please read their Privacy Policy here.
• Emails: Sent and received via Outlook. Microsoft's Privacy Statement is available here.
• Consent Forms (Private Practice and NTS Clients): Completed and submitted electronically through Microsoft 365 Forms. Both the electronic response and a printed paper copy are retained securely in accordance with Helen's record retention arrangements. Microsoft's Privacy Statement is available here.

As a sole trader counselling practice, Helen takes your privacy and data protection rights seriously. If you have any concerns or complaints regarding how Helen collects, stores or uses your personal data or session notes, please contact Helen directly in writing at Counselling-with-Helen@Outlook.com.

In accordance with UK data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Helen will:

1. Acknowledge your complaint

Helen will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days of receipt. As per Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) guidance, the 30 days will begin the day after the complaint is received.

• If the complaint is received by email, Helen will respond via email.
• If the complaint is received via social media, Helen will ask that you use an alternative method of contact, as social media is generally not a secure way to send personal information.
• If the complaint is received by letter, Helen will reply by letter.
• If the complaint is received verbally, Helen will summarise the complaint back to the complainant to confirm that she has understood the issue, ask for their preferred contact method and relevant contact details, and confirm that she will be in touch to provide updates. Helen will also follow this up in writing, even if she has already acknowledged the complaint verbally.

2. Investigate the matter thoroughly

Helen will investigate the matter thoroughly and respond to you regarding the progress or outcome without undue delay.

3. Provide a clear outcome

Helen will provide a clear outcome and explain any actions taken.

During this process, Helen will record her actions, including:

• The date Helen received the data protection complaint.
• Helen's acknowledgement.
• Any relevant conversations and documents.
• The outcome of the complaint.
• Any actions Helen took as a result of the investigation.

Please note that under UK regulations, you are required to attempt to resolve any data protection grievances directly with Helen first. If you and Helen are unable to resolve the issue together, or if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you retain the statutory right to escalate your complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.

If you would like to withdraw your consent to Helen's use of your data, please contact Helen at Counselling-with-Helen@Outlook.com.

Please note: Withdrawing consent applies to ongoing marketing or contact, but does not override Helen's legal and insurance obligations to retain historical clinical notes for the mandatory seven year period.

Under UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to request access to the personal information Helen holds about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).

Helen recognises the importance of transparency, confidentiality and your right to understand what personal information is held about you and how it is used.

You can request access to personal information Helen holds about you, which may include:

• Your personal and contact details.
• Counselling consent forms.
• Counselling session notes and clinical records.
• Relevant correspondence relating to your counselling.
• Other personal information held as part of your counselling relationship.

You can submit a Subject Access Request by contacting Helen at Counselling-with-Helen@Outlook.com.

Requests must be made in writing, and you do not need to provide a reason for requesting your information.

Helen may ask for reasonable proof of identity where necessary to ensure your personal information is only disclosed to you or someone legally authorised to act on your behalf.

A Subject Access Request may also be made on your behalf by an authorised third party, such as a solicitor, family member, advocate or other representative.

Before sharing any personal information, Helen will take reasonable steps to verify the identity and authority of the person making the request. This may include asking for written consent from the client, a signed letter of authority, or evidence of another appropriate legal authorisation.

Helen will not disclose your personal information to another individual simply because they are a family member, partner or other person involved in your life. Appropriate authorisation must be established, and any disclosure will be handled in accordance with UK data protection legislation and professional confidentiality responsibilities.

Children and young people have their own rights to privacy, confidentiality and access to their personal information, including counselling records.

Where a child or young person makes a Subject Access Request, Helen will consider their age, maturity and ability to understand their rights and the implications of accessing their records.

Where a child or young person is considered capable of understanding and exercising these rights, Helen will normally respond directly to them. They may also authorise a parent, guardian or another appropriate representative to make a request on their behalf.

Where a child is not considered able to exercise these rights independently, a person with parental responsibility may be able to make a request on their behalf, provided this is appropriate and in the child's best interests.

Having parental responsibility does not automatically give a parent or guardian the right to access their child's counselling records. Helen will carefully consider the child's wishes, understanding, confidentiality, wellbeing and any relevant safeguarding concerns before deciding how to respond.

All requests involving children and young people will be handled sensitively, in accordance with UK data protection legislation, ICO guidance and the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

Where counselling is provided to couples, both individuals are considered clients and have their own rights to privacy, confidentiality and access to their personal information.

If one individual makes a Subject Access Request, they are entitled to request access to the personal information held about them. However, this does not automatically give them the right to access confidential information relating to the other individual.

Where counselling records contain information about both clients, Helen will carefully consider the request and the confidentiality rights of each individual.

If one client wishes to access information relating to both individuals, Helen will normally seek the other client's consent before disclosing their personal information.

Where consent is not provided, Helen will consider what information can lawfully be shared, in accordance with UK data protection legislation, the BACP Ethical Framework and guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Helen will respect both clients' rights to confidentiality whilst ensuring that each individual can exercise their legal right to access their own personal information.

For clients accessing counselling following a referral from The Neurodivergent Therapy Space (NTS), Helen (of Counselling with Helen) is responsible for maintaining and securely storing all counselling session notes and clinical records.

If you wish to make a Subject Access Request relating to the personal information or counselling records held by Helen, please contact her directly at Counselling-with-Helen@Outlook.com.

NTS separately collects and stores administrative information relating to your original enquiry, referral, appointments and payments. If you wish to access information held by NTS, you can contact the NTS administration team directly.

All requests received by Helen will be handled in accordance with UK data protection legislation, the BACP Ethical Framework and relevant guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Helen will respond to your request without undue delay, in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

• Acknowledge your request: Helen will acknowledge your request in writing within five working days of receipt.
• Collate your requested information: Helen will collate your requested information and respond to you within one calendar month, in accordance with UK data protection legislation and Information Commissioner's Office guidance.

In circumstances where a request is particularly complex or multiple requests have been received, this period may be extended by up to a further two months. If an extension is necessary, Helen will explain the reasons within the initial one month period.

Subject Access Requests are normally provided free of charge. A reasonable administrative fee may apply in limited circumstances permitted by law, such as where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, or where additional copies of information are requested.

Helen understands that counselling records can contain deeply personal and sensitive information and recognises the importance of protecting your privacy and confidentiality.

Helen respects your legal right to access the personal information held about you, including your counselling records, in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

All Subject Access Requests will be handled sensitively, confidentially and professionally, in accordance with UK data protection legislation and the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

Where necessary, Helen will refer to guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to ensure your request is handled appropriately and in accordance with the law.

Helen will carefully consider each request, respecting your rights whilst maintaining her professional and legal responsibilities regarding confidentiality and data protection.

Where appropriate, Helen may also offer to discuss the contents of your counselling records with you, providing an opportunity to ask questions, understand the context and receive emotional support when reviewing potentially sensitive information.

This is entirely optional and will not delay or affect your legal right to access your personal information.

Helen follows the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and takes account of BACP guidance concerning confidentiality, record keeping and Subject Access Requests.

BACP recognises the importance of maintaining appropriate, accurate and secure counselling records, alongside respecting clients' rights to access their personal information.

If you are unhappy with how your Subject Access Request has been handled, please contact Helen directly so that any concerns can be discussed and, where possible, resolved.

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

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Further information about Subject Access Requests is available through the ICO and BACP.

Helen may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to Helen's practice, technology, professional requirements or data protection legislation.

Last updated: November 2026