Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice explains how I, Priscila Santos, collect, use and protect personal information in connection with Priscila Santos Counselling.
Who I am
I am a qualified Integrative Counsellor and Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP).
For data protection purposes, I am the data controller for the personal information I collect and process through my counselling practice.
Email: hello@priscilasantoscounselling.co.uk
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller.
I hold professional indemnity insurance with Balens Ltd.
Information I may collect
When you contact me or begin counselling, I may collect:
your name and contact details;
information you provide when enquiring;
appointment and payment information;
GP or emergency contact details where appropriate;
information relevant to the counselling process;
brief clinical or session records.
Some information discussed during counselling may include sensitive personal information, including information about your physical or mental health. This is treated as special category data under UK data protection law.
Please do not include detailed medical or clinical information in the contact form on this website.
Why I use your information
I use personal information where necessary to:
respond to enquiries;
arrange and manage counselling sessions;
communicate with you about appointments;
maintain appropriate professional and clinical records;
process payments;
meet legal, ethical, insurance and professional responsibilities;
provide counselling safely and effectively.
Depending on the circumstances, I rely on lawful bases including taking steps before entering into a counselling agreement, performance of our counselling agreement, legitimate interests and compliance with legal obligations.
Where special category data is processed, I do so only where an appropriate condition under UK data protection law applies.
Confidentiality
Information shared in counselling is treated as confidential.
There are limited circumstances in which information may need to be disclosed, including serious concerns about your safety or the safety of another person, safeguarding responsibilities, or where disclosure is required by law.
Where possible and appropriate, I would discuss this with you before taking action.
I receive regular clinical supervision as part of professional practice. Therapeutic work may be discussed in supervision, with identifying information kept to a minimum.
How your information is stored
Personal and clinical information is stored securely.
Clinical records and relevant client information are held using WriteUpp, a practice-management system used for secure counselling administration and record-keeping.
Information submitted through this website may also be processed by Wix, which hosts the website and contact form.
I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.
How long I keep your information
Adult counselling records are normally retained for seven years after the final counselling session, in line with my professional indemnity insurance requirements.
After the relevant retention period, records are securely deleted or destroyed unless there is a lawful reason to retain them for longer.
Financial records may be retained separately for the period required under UK tax and accounting law.
Sharing your information
I do not sell your personal information or use it for third-party marketing.
Where necessary, information may be processed by trusted service providers involved in running the practice, such as:
WriteUpp;
Wix;
professional email providers;
banking or payment services;
accounting or administrative services.
Information may also be disclosed where required by law or where justified by serious safeguarding or safety concerns.
Some service providers may process information outside the UK. Where this occurs, I use providers that have appropriate safeguards in place for international data transfers.
Email and website enquiries
If you contact me through this website, I will use the information you provide primarily to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, arrange an initial conversation or counselling session.
Please avoid sending detailed therapeutic or highly sensitive information through the website contact form or ordinary email.
If you do not proceed with counselling, enquiry information will be deleted when it is no longer reasonably necessary.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
access personal information I hold about you;
ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
request deletion of certain information;
request restriction of processing;
object to certain processing;
request data portability where applicable.
These rights are not absolute, and information may sometimes need to be retained for legal, professional or insurance-related reasons.
If you have any questions about your personal information or wish to exercise your rights, please contact:
hello@priscilasantoscounselling.co.uk
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Cookies
This website may use cookies and similar technologies. Where consent is required for non-essential cookies, you can choose whether to accept them.
Please see the Cookie Policy for further information.
Changes to this Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, legal requirements or the systems I use.
Last updated: September 2026