Privacy Policy
Your privacy at RLW Counselling
I take your privacy and confidentiality seriously. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I need it, how it is protected and the choices you have about your information.
Who I am
RLW Counselling & Psychotherapy is operated by Ria Worley, a BACP registered counsellor based in Leicester. For data protection purposes, I am the data controller and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
If you have a question about this notice or how your information is handled, you can contact me at ria@rlwcounselling.co.uk.
What information I collect
When you make an enquiry, I may collect your name, email address, telephone number and any information you choose to include in your message. If you become a client, I may also hold relevant contact and administrative information, appointment and payment information, your GP details, the name and contact details of an emergency contact, correspondence, and brief, minimal session notes.
Counselling and hypnotherapy can involve sensitive personal information, known in data protection law as special category data. Depending on what you choose to discuss, this may include information about your physical or mental health, relationships, identity, sex life, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, or other sensitive aspects of your life.
If you contact me through a professional directory or another referral route, I may receive the information that you have chosen to provide through that service.
Emergency contact details are held so that I can respond appropriately if there is a serious welfare or safety concern. They are not used for routine contact.
Why I use your information
I use personal information only where it is relevant to my work with you. This includes responding to enquiries, arranging appointments, providing counselling or hypnotherapy, maintaining appropriate professional records, administering payments, meeting legal and professional responsibilities, and keeping my practice secure and accountable.
For ordinary personal data, the lawful basis will depend on the purpose. It may include taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, performing my contract with you, complying with a legal obligation, or my legitimate interests in operating a safe and professionally accountable practice.
Where special category data is necessary for our work, I normally rely on your explicit consent alongside the relevant lawful basis. Where consent is relied upon, you can withdraw it. In limited circumstances, another lawful condition may apply, for example where information must be processed to comply with the law or to protect vital interests.
How your information is stored
Website enquiries are initially stored in Wix Inbox. Once email contact has been established, I delete the enquiry from Wix Inbox. Email correspondence is managed through Microsoft email and is cleared regularly when it is no longer required.
Session notes are kept to a minimum and stored digitally on an encrypted, password-protected computer. I take reasonable technical and organisational steps to restrict access and protect the information I hold.
How long I keep information
Session notes are normally retained for seven years after counselling or hypnotherapy ends. They may be kept for a different period where there is a lawful or professional reason to do so.
Email correspondence is reviewed regularly and deleted when it is no longer needed. Where an email forms a necessary part of the client record, it may be retained for the same period as the associated record. Financial or administrative records may be retained where required for legal, tax or accounting purposes.
Confidentiality and clinical supervision
Your personal information will not normally be shared with another person or organisation without your prior knowledge and consent.
As part of safe and ethical practice, my clinical work is discussed in professional supervision. Wherever possible, material discussed in supervision is anonymised and identifying details are not used. My supervisor is also bound by professional confidentiality.
There are limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken, including where disclosure is required by law or where there is a serious concern about the safety of you or another person. Wherever reasonably possible, I will discuss this with you first. If information must be shared, I will aim to disclose only what is relevant and necessary.
Organisations that help me provide my service
Wix provides the website, contact form and initial website inbox. Microsoft provides my email service. These providers may process limited personal information on my behalf in order to provide their services.
Some technology providers may process information outside the UK. Where this happens, the processing is subject to the provider’s applicable data protection arrangements and safeguards. I do not sell your personal information.
Website, cookies and external links
Wix may process technical information when you visit the website, such as IP address, browser or device information and information needed for website security and operation. The website also uses cookies and similar technologies. Necessary cookies may be used to make the site work correctly. Where non-essential cookies or analytics require consent under UK law, they are subject to the appropriate consent requirements.
This website contains links to other organisations and social media platforms. If you follow an external link, that organisation will process information according to its own privacy policy.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to ask for access to your personal information, correction of inaccurate information, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability, or to object to certain processing. Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw that consent.
These rights are not absolute. There may be circumstances in which information needs to be retained or processed for legal, professional or safeguarding reasons. To exercise a data protection right, contact me at ria@rlwcounselling.co.uk. I may need to verify your identity before responding.
Questions or complaints
If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this notice
I will review this privacy notice periodically and update it if my services, systems or legal obligations change. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.
Last updated: 6 August 2026