Privacy policy

Who I am

I am Carol Allen, trading as Carol Allen Counselling, a counsellor based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. I am the controller of the personal information you share through this website, which means I decide how it is used. You can contact me on 07772 169 789 or at Carolallen11@icloud.com. My full contact details are on the legal information page.

This policy covers this website only. If we go on to work together, I will explain separately how I look after your counselling records.

What I collect

If you use the contact form, I receive your name, email address, your phone number if you choose to give it, how you would like me to contact you, and the message you write. If you email or phone me directly, I receive whatever you send or say.

Please do not include detailed personal or health information in the form. If you do choose to tell me something about your health, that is called special category information. I only use it to reply to you, and I rely on the consent you give when you tick the box on the form.

My web host keeps standard server records, such as your IP address, the date and time, and the pages requested. This is for security and to keep the site running. I do not use it to identify visitors.

Why I use it, and the legal basis

I use your information only to reply to your enquiry and, if you go on to book, to arrange counselling. I do this because you have asked me to get in touch (a step you have asked for before entering into an agreement), and because it is in my legitimate interest to respond to enquiries about my services. For any health information you include, my legal basis is your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

I do not use your details for marketing, I do not sell them, and I do not share them with anyone for their own purposes.

Who else handles it

When you send the contact form, the message is emailed to my email account. It passes through the servers of my web host, who run this website, and my email provider, Apple (iCloud Mail). They handle it only to deliver and store the message for me.

Some of these providers may process information outside the UK. Where that happens, they rely on recognised safeguards for international transfers.

The "Book an intro call" buttons take you to Counselling Directory, a separate website with its own privacy notice and cookies. Anything you enter there is handled by them, not by me, until I receive the booking.

How long I keep it

If we do not go on to work together, I keep your enquiry for up to 12 months and then delete it. If we do work together, your information is kept under my client records policy, which I will explain to you.

Your rights

You can ask me for a copy of the information I hold about you, ask me to correct it, ask me to delete it, ask me to restrict or stop using it, or ask for it to be passed to you or another organisation. You can also withdraw consent at any time. Contact me using the details above and I will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how I handle your information, please tell me first so I can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Cookies

This website does not use cookies. It has no analytics, no advertising or tracking tools, no social media buttons, and does not load fonts or scripts from other companies. Because of that, there is no cookie banner. Counselling Directory, which you reach by clicking a booking button, may use its own cookies and will tell you about them.

Changes to this policy

If I change how this website works, I will update this policy and the date at the top.