Lockyer Therapy Privacy Policies

Lockyer Therapy is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information openly and transparently.

This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you contact me, enquire about counselling services, attend counselling sessions, or use my website.

Who I Am

Debbie Lockyer

Lockyer Therapy

Email: debbie@lockyertherapy.com

Website: www.lockyertherapy.com

I am the Data Controller for the personal information that you provide to me.

What Information I Collect

I may collect and process the following personal information:

- Your name, address, telephone number and email address.

- Date of birth and emergency contact details where appropriate.

- Information provided in enquiry forms, emails, telephone calls or text messages.

- Information relating to your physical and mental health that is relevant to the counselling service you receive.

- Brief session notes and records relating to our therapeutic work together.

- Appointment and attendance records.

- Payment and invoicing information where applicable.

- Information collected through cookies and website analytics if you use my website.

Some of the information I collect about you, particularly health information, is classified as “special category data” under UK data protection law.

Why I Collect Your Information

I collect and use your personal information to:

- Respond to your enquiries.

- Assess whether my service is suitable for your needs.

- Provide counselling and related professional services.

- Maintain appropriate clinical records.

- Arrange and manage appointments.

- Process payments and maintain financial records.

- Comply with legal, professional and regulatory obligations.

- Safeguard you or others where there is a legal or ethical duty to do so.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, my lawful bases for processing your personal information are:

- Performance of a contract – to provide counselling services requested by you.

- Legitimate interests – to operate and manage my practice effectively and safely.

- Legal obligation – where I am required to comply with the law.

- Provision of health or social care – in relation to the processing of special category data necessary for counselling services.

How Your Information Is Stored

I take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is kept secure.

Electronic records are stored using password-protected systems and devices. Paper records, where used, are kept in secure storage with restricted access.

I only keep information for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with legal, insurance and professional requirements.

How Long I Keep Your Information

Client records are generally retained for seven years after counselling has ended.

Records relating to children and young people may be retained until the client’s 25th birthday (or 26th birthday if the client was aged 17 when therapy ended), in line with professional guidance.

After the relevant retention period, records will be securely destroyed.

Sharing Your Information

Your information will be treated confidentially.

I will not routinely share your information with others without your knowledge and consent unless:

- I am required to do so by law.

- There is a serious concern regarding your safety or the safety of another person.

- Disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm.

- I am ordered to disclose information by a court.

- I discuss aspects of my work within professional clinical supervision. Information shared in supervision is anonymised wherever possible and supervisors are also bound by confidentiality obligations.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights including:

- The right to be informed about how your information is used.

- The right to request access to your personal information.

- The right to request correction of inaccurate information.

- The right to request erasure of information in certain circumstances.

- The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.

- The right to object to processing where applicable.

- The right to request transfer of your information where relevant.

- Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling, although I do not use automated decision-making.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details above.

Website and Cookies

My website uses IONOS site analytics tools to help understand how visitors use the website and to improve website performance and user experience. 

IONOS Site Analytics may collect information such as pages visited, time spent on the website, browser type, operating system, referring websites, and general geographic location. This information is used in aggregated form and is not intended to identify individual visitors.

Visitors can manage their analytics preferences through the website’s cookie consent settings.

How to Make a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how I have handled your personal information, I encourage you to contact me in the first instance so that I can investigate and try to resolve the matter promptly.

You can make a complaint:

- Through the contact form on my website www.lockyertherapy.com

 or

- By emailing me directly at: debbie@lockyertherapy.com

I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and aim to investigate and respond without undue delay.

If you remain dissatisfied after contacting me, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Information about making a complaint to the ICO can be found at:

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

You also have the right to raise concerns regarding the professional conduct of a BACP member through the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Changes to This Privacy Notice

I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, professional guidance or the way my practice operates. The most recent version will always be available on my website.

Last updated: June 2026.