Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 31 August 2026

1. Who I am

This Privacy Policy explains how Michelle Ruth Counselling ("I", "me" or "my") collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you visit my website, contact me, make an appointment or use my counselling services.

My website is michelleruthcounselling.co.uk.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how I handle your personal information, please contact me at:

Email: michelleruthcounselling@gmail.com
Telephone: 07306 493 326

2. What personal data I collect

Depending on how you interact with me, I may collect and process the following personal data.

Information you provide voluntarily

This may include:

  • your name;

  • email address;

  • telephone number;

  • information submitted through contact forms;

  • information provided when making an appointment or enquiry;

  • appointment and scheduling information; and

  • any other information you choose to provide when contacting me.

Please avoid including detailed information about your mental health, physical health or other sensitive personal circumstances in the website contact form.

If you need to discuss sensitive information, I can provide a more appropriate way to communicate.

I only collect information that is necessary and appropriate for the relevant purpose.

Technical information

When you visit my website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, depending on the cookies and analytics services enabled.

This may include:

  • IP address;

  • browser type;

  • device type;

  • operating system;

  • pages visited;

  • website usage information; and

  • information about how you interact with the website.

Non-essential analytics information will only be collected where the appropriate consent has been obtained.

3. Why I collect your data

I may collect and use your personal data to:

  • respond to enquiries;

  • arrange and manage appointments;

  • provide counselling services;

  • communicate with you about appointments or services;

  • send appointment confirmations, reminders or necessary updates;

  • maintain appropriate business and clinical records;

  • administer and protect my website;

  • maintain and improve my website and services;

  • comply with legal, regulatory or professional obligations; and

  • establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

I will not use your personal data for unrelated purposes unless permitted or required by law.

4. My lawful bases for processing

Under UK data-protection law, I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data.

Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

I may process your personal data where this is necessary to provide services you have requested or to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement.

Legitimate interests

I may process your personal data where this is necessary for my legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

This may include managing my practice, maintaining website security and responding to communications.

Consent

Where consent is required, I will ask you for consent before carrying out the relevant processing.

You may withdraw your consent at any time where I rely on consent as my lawful basis.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Legal obligations

I may process personal data where this is necessary for me to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.

5. Sensitive and health information

Because I provide counselling services, I may receive information that is particularly sensitive, including information about your mental health, physical health, wellbeing, personal circumstances or other matters you choose to discuss with me.

Some of this information may constitute special category personal data under UK data-protection law.

Where I process special category personal data, I will only do so where an appropriate legal condition applies in addition to a lawful basis for processing.

I take appropriate steps to protect sensitive information and limit access to it to those who need it for legitimate purposes.

Please avoid submitting detailed sensitive or health information through a general website contact form unless it is necessary. If you need to discuss sensitive information, I may provide a more appropriate way to communicate.

6. Who I share your data with

I do not sell your personal data.

I may share personal data where necessary with:

  • service providers who help me operate my website;

  • appointment and scheduling providers;

  • website hosting and technical providers;

  • analytics providers where you have consented to analytics;

  • professional advisers where necessary;

  • insurers or other relevant organisations where appropriate;

  • law enforcement, regulators or public authorities where legally required; or

  • another person or organisation where you have given permission or where disclosure is otherwise permitted by law.

Where third parties process personal data on my behalf, I take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

7. Appointment and booking services

I may use third-party appointment-booking services, including Calendly, to manage appointments.

When you use an online booking system, information you provide may be processed by the relevant booking provider.

This may include your name, contact details, appointment information and other information necessary to arrange your booking.

The booking provider may process information in accordance with its own privacy policy and terms.

Where appropriate, I will only ask for information through the booking system that is necessary to arrange and manage your appointment.

8. International transfers

Some third-party service providers I use may process personal data outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, I will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is lawful and that appropriate safeguards are in place where required.

9. How long I keep your data

I retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including where necessary to meet legal, accounting, regulatory, professional or insurance requirements.

Information submitted through general website contact forms will normally be retained for no longer than one year, unless:

  • it is necessary to retain it for an ongoing enquiry;

  • you become a client;

  • I have a legal or professional obligation to retain it for longer; or

  • I need to retain it in connection with a legal matter.

Counselling and client records

Counselling and client records may be subject to different retention requirements from general website enquiries.

Where you become a client, relevant counselling records may therefore be retained for longer than one year where necessary to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, professional, insurance or record-keeping requirements.

I will securely delete or dispose of personal data when it is no longer required.

10. How I protect your data

I take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include:

  • restricting access to personal data;

  • using appropriate passwords and security measures;

  • using reputable service providers;

  • keeping systems and software appropriately maintained; and

  • securely disposing of information when it is no longer required.

Although I take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the following rights under UK data-protection law:

  • the right to request access to your personal data;

  • the right to ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;

  • the right to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances;

  • the right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;

  • the right to object to certain processing;

  • the right to withdraw consent where I rely on consent;

  • the right to request portability of certain personal data; and

  • the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Some of these rights are subject to legal exceptions and may not apply in every situation.

To exercise your rights, please contact:

michelleruthcounselling@gmail.com

I may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about how I have handled your personal data, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve your concerns.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's data-protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

13. Cookies and tracking technologies

My website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Information about the cookies used on my website, why they are used and how you can manage your preferences is provided in my separate Cookie Policy.

Non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be used where the appropriate consent has been obtained.

14. Links to other websites

My website may contain links to external websites or third-party services.

I am not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of websites that I do not operate.

I recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external website before providing it with personal information.

15. Children's information

If I process personal data relating to a child or young person, I will take appropriate steps to comply with applicable data-protection requirements and to protect their privacy.

The way I handle a child's personal data, including requests to exercise data-protection rights, may depend on their age, maturity and level of understanding.

16. Changes to this privacy policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in my services, how I process personal data, or changes in legal and regulatory requirements.

The latest version will always be published on this page with an updated Last Updated date.

17. Contact me

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how I handle your personal data, please contact:

Michelle Ruth Counselling

Telephone: 07306 493 326
Email: michelleruthcounselling@gmail.com
Website: michelleruthcounselling.co.uk