Privacy Policy
Introduction
Your privacy is important to me. This Privacy Policy sets out how Sharon Johal Psychotherapy collects, uses, and protects your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
I am committed to handling your data fairly, lawfully, and transparently, while maintaining the strict confidentiality required by counselling practice.
Data Controller
Sharon Johal is the “data controller” for the personal information collected.
Address: 48 Old Farm Lane, Longford, Coventry, CV6 6HN
Email: info@sharonjohalpsychotherapy.com
Phone: 07736 308087
Information Collected
I may collect the following categories of personal data:
Identity and contact details: Name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, emergency contact details.
Health and wellbeing information: Medical history, mental health history, counselling notes, assessment results.
Administrative information: Appointment records, invoices, and payment details.
Communication: Emails, text messages, or correspondence related to sessions or enquiries.
Legal Basis for Processing
I process your personal data under the following legal bases:
Contract: To provide counselling services you have requested.
Legal obligation: To comply with UK law and regulatory requirements.
Vital interests: To protect you or others from serious harm.
Consent: For specific circumstances where you have given clear consent (e.g., liaising with your GP or another health professional).
Legitimate interests: To run and manage the practice effectively, in ways that do not override your rights.
How I Use Your Information
Your personal data is used to:
Deliver safe and effective counselling services.
Keep accurate and up-to-date records of sessions.
Manage appointments, payments, and administration.
Communicate with you about your therapy.
Meet legal, professional, or regulatory requirements.
Confidentiality & Disclosure
Counselling sessions are confidential. Information will only be shared outside sessions in limited circumstances:
Where you provide explicit consent (e.g., sharing with your GP or other professionals).
Where required by law (e.g., court order, terrorism, money laundering).
Where there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others.
With professional supervisors, in a way that protects your identity, to ensure best practice.
Data Storage & Security
Records are kept securely in locked paper files.
Only the practitioner has access to these records.
Records are retained for 6 years after the end of counselling, in line with professional guidance and legal requirements, and then securely destroyed.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your data:
The right to access the personal data I hold about you.
The right to request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to request erasure of your data (subject to legal and professional obligations).
The right to restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances.
The right to data portability (to obtain and reuse your data across services).
The right to lodge a complaint with the ICO (www.ico.org.uk).
To exercise your rights, please contact us in writing using the details provided above.
Third-Party Services
If we use third-party services (such as secure video platforms, email providers, or payment processors), we ensure they comply with UK data protection law. Please note that no method of online communication is completely risk-free.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how your data is used, please contact:
Sharon Johal
Email: info@sharonjohalpsychotherapy.com
Phone: 07736308087
If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain directly to the ICO:
Information Commissioner’s Office
www.ico.org.uk
Updates to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. You will be informed of any significant changes.
Visitors to my website
When someone visits my website, I use a third party service, WebsiteSprite.com to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. I do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way that does not identify anyone. I do not make, and do not allow WebsiteSprite.com to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting my website.
I use legitimate interests as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information in this way when you visit my website.
No user-specific data is collected by me or any third party. If you fill in a form on my website, that data will be temporarily stored on the web host before being sent to me.