Privacy policy

Last updated: 5 August 2026

This notice explains how Mallinder Counselling uses and protects personal information under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended.

Who is responsible for your information

Kate Isabelle Mallinder, trading as Mallinder Counselling, is the data controller for the personal information used in the practice.

Telephone: 07857 926980
Email: Info@MallinderCounselling.com
Location: Farnborough, Hampshire GU14

Information I may collect

• your name, contact details and preferred way to be contacted;
• enquiries, appointment details and communications;
• information you choose to share about your health, wellbeing, relationships, identity and circumstances;
• assessment information, counselling agreements and brief session or case notes;
• emergency-contact and safeguarding information, where appropriate; and
• payment, invoice and accounting records.

I usually receive this information directly from you. In some circumstances it may come from a referrer, an emergency contact or another professional, with an appropriate reason for sharing it.

Why I use it and the legal basis

• To respond to an enquiry and arrange counselling: to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• To provide and manage counselling or supervision: performance of our contract.
• To maintain safe, ethical and accountable practice: my legitimate interests in providing and documenting a professional service.
• To meet tax, accounting, safeguarding or other legal duties: compliance with a legal obligation.
• To protect someone in an emergency: vital interests, where this is necessary.

Counselling information may include sensitive “special category” data, such as information about health, ethnicity, religion, sexual life or sexual orientation. Where this is necessary for counselling, I process it with your explicit consent. I may also process relevant information where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, or to protect vital interests in an emergency. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this may affect whether I can continue to provide counselling safely.

How information is used and protected

I use only the information reasonably needed to respond to you, provide the service, keep appropriate records and meet professional or legal responsibilities. I take proportionate technical and organisational steps to protect both digital and paper records and limit access to those who need it.

Counselling is confidential. There are limited exceptions, including where you ask me to share information, where there is a serious risk of harm, for safeguarding, or where disclosure is required by law. I will discuss this with you where it is appropriate and safe to do so.

Who information may be shared with

I do not sell personal information. Where necessary, limited information may be shared with:

• my clinical supervisor, using anonymised or minimised information wherever possible;
• trusted providers supporting email, communications, record storage, website hosting, payments or accounting;
• professional advisers, insurers or professional and regulatory bodies;
• emergency, health or safeguarding services; and
• courts, law-enforcement bodies or other authorities where disclosure is legally required.

Providers handling information on my behalf are expected to protect it and use it only for the agreed service. If a provider processes information outside the UK, I will use an approved transfer mechanism or another safeguard required by UK data-protection law.

How long information is kept

I keep information only for as long as it is needed. Retention is based on the purpose of the record, the therapeutic relationship, safeguarding and complaints considerations, professional and insurance requirements, tax and accounting law, and the time limits for potential legal claims. Records are reviewed and securely deleted or anonymised when there is no longer a justified reason to keep them. You may contact me to ask about the period that applies to a particular record.

Your rights

Depending on the information and legal basis involved, you may have rights to:

• ask for a copy of your personal information;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask for information to be erased or its use restricted;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• receive certain information in a portable format; and
• withdraw consent where consent is the basis used.

These rights are not absolute and an exemption may apply. To make a request, contact me using the details above. I may need to confirm your identity before responding.

Website information and cookies

This website does not currently use a contact form, advertising cookies or analytics cookies. If you use the telephone or email links, your provider will process that communication. The website-hosting provider may process basic technical information, such as an IP address, browser type and request time, to deliver and secure the site.

I do not use personal information for solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects.

Questions and complaints

Please contact me first if you have a question or concern so I can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK data-protection regulator. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or telephone 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

I will review this notice when my services, systems, suppliers or legal obligations change. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.