Privacy Policy

How I collect, use and protect your personal information

Your privacy is important to me. This Privacy Policy explains how your personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you contact or work with Sharon Gurr Counselling.

I am committed to handling your personal information respectfully, confidentially and in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

1. Who I Am

My name is Sharon Gurr. I am an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

For the purposes of my counselling and psychotherapy practice, I am responsible for the personal information I hold about you.

Sharon Gurr Counselling

Email: sharongurrconsultants@gmail.com

Telephone: 07799 795243

Website: www.sharongurrcounselling.com

2. Information I May Collect

When you contact me or begin counselling, I may collect information necessary to respond to your enquiry and provide counselling or psychotherapy services.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Your name and contact details.
Information you provide when making an enquiry.
Information relevant to our therapeutic work.
Appointment and attendance information.
Correspondence between us.
Payment or transaction information.
Therapeutic or administrative records, where appropriate.
Information you submit through my website or contact form.

Counselling may involve sharing information about your physical or mental health and personal circumstances. Some of the information you choose to share may therefore be particularly sensitive.

3. How I Use Your Information

I may use your personal information to:

Respond to counselling enquiries.
Arrange and manage appointments.
Provide counselling and psychotherapy.
Communicate with you about your sessions.
Maintain appropriate professional records.
Process and record payments.
Meet relevant professional, safeguarding and legal responsibilities.
Support the safe and effective running of my practice.

I will only use your personal information where there is an appropriate purpose and a lawful basis for doing so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing Your Information

I process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

The lawful basis for processing your information, including any special category information relating to your health, must be established in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Further information about the specific lawful bases and conditions applicable to my counselling practice can be provided where appropriate.

5. Confidentiality and Sharing Information

Information you share during counselling is treated confidentially, in accordance with my professional and ethical responsibilities.

There may be limited circumstances in which information needs to be shared, for example where there are serious safeguarding concerns, a legal obligation to disclose information or another applicable legal justification.

Where appropriate, information may also be processed by service providers supporting my practice, such as website hosting providers, email services, online session platforms or administrative services.

Any such sharing will be handled with appropriate regard to confidentiality and data protection requirements.

6. How Long I Keep Your Information

I do not keep personal information indefinitely. Information is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with applicable legal, professional and record-keeping requirements.

My retention arrangements include:

Client counselling records: retained for seven years, subject to applicable professional and legal requirements.
Enquiry information: retained for an appropriate period where an enquiry does not lead to counselling.
Financial records and email correspondence: retained where necessary to meet relevant professional, administrative or legal obligations.

Information will be securely disposed of when it is no longer required, subject to any applicable retention obligations.

7. Keeping Your Information Secure

I take reasonable steps to protect the personal information entrusted to me and to reduce the risk of loss, unauthorised access, disclosure or misuse.

Where third-party services are used to support my practice, relevant privacy and data protection considerations form part of how client information is managed.

8. Your Information Rights

Under data protection legislation, you have rights in relation to your personal information. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:

Request access to the personal information I hold about you.
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request deletion of your information where applicable.
Request restriction of certain processing activities.
Object to certain uses of your information.
Request the transfer of certain information to another organisation, where applicable.
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

These rights are subject to certain conditions and exemptions, which may be particularly relevant to confidential counselling records.

If you have any questions about your personal information or wish to exercise your rights, please contact me using the details provided above.

9. Concerns or Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me in the first instance so that I have an opportunity to address them.

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

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes to my practice, the services I use or relevant data protection requirements.

Last updated: 10 October 2026