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Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 2026

1. Who I am

I am Francesca Walsh, a counsellor and psychotherapist based in Cheshire. I am the data controller for all personal information collected through this website and during the provision of my counselling services.

Contact: enquiries@francescawalshcounselling.co.uk

2. What data I collect

I may collect and process the following types of personal data:

  • •Contact information: Name, email address, phone number (if provided), including a parent or carer's details if they get in touch on a young person's behalf
  • •Booking information: Appointment dates and times, including the preferred date and time you choose when requesting an in-person session
  • •Communication: Messages you send via the contact form or email
  • •Health data: Information you share during therapy sessions (special category data)
  • •Payment information: Transaction records (I do not store full card details)

3. Why I collect your data (lawful basis)

I collect and process your data for the following purposes:

  • •Contract: To provide the counselling services you have requested
  • •Legitimate interests: To respond to enquiries and manage bookings
  • •Explicit consent: For processing health-related data (special category data under GDPR)

Health data is classified as “special category” data under GDPR and requires explicit consent. You will be asked to provide this consent before we begin working together. When I work with a young person, I will talk with them, and where appropriate a parent or carer, about who gives this consent.

4. How I protect your data

I take the security of your data seriously. Measures include:

  • •Clinical notes kept digitally in Microsoft 365 Business, with no paper records
  • •Secure, password-protected devices
  • •Microsoft Teams for online video sessions
  • •Regular security updates and backups

5. Who I share your data with

I do not share your personal data with third parties except:

  • •Service providers: Booking system, payment processor, Microsoft Teams (video sessions) and Microsoft 365 Business (notes and records), as data processors acting on my instruction
  • •Contact form provider: Messages and in-person session requests (your name, email, phone number and preferred date and time) submitted through this website are processed by Formspree, a form-handling service based in the United States, who deliver your message to my email inbox. Formspree act as a data processor on my behalf under a Data Processing Agreement.
  • •Clinical supervisor: Anonymised case discussion for professional development
  • •Legal requirements: If required by law or court order
  • •Safeguarding: If there is serious risk of harm to you or others, or a concern about the safety of a child or young person

6. How long I keep your data

  • •Enquiry data: Deleted if no engagement after 6 months
  • •Client records: 7 years from end of therapy
  • •Financial records: 6 years (HMRC requirement)

7. Your rights

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

  • •Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • •Rectification: Ask me to correct inaccurate data
  • •Erasure: Ask me to delete your data (subject to retention requirements)
  • •Portability: Receive your data in a transferable format
  • •Object: Object to processing in certain circumstances
  • •Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time (as easy as giving it)

If you are a young person, these rights are yours. You can use them yourself if you understand what that involves. A parent or carer can make a request on your behalf if you agree to it, or if you are not able to make the request yourself and it is in your best interests.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at enquiries@francescawalshcounselling.co.uk.

I may ask you to confirm your identity, or for a little more detail about what you are looking for, before I respond — this helps me find the right information and keep your data secure. Where a request would otherwise involve searching through a large amount of information, I will carry out a reasonable and proportionate search to find what you have asked for.

8. International transfers

Some of my service providers (booking system, payment processor, Microsoft, contact form provider) are based outside the UK. Where data is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards are in place (Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent).

9. Cookies

This website uses a strictly necessary cookie to remember your cookie choices, and — only with your consent — Google Analytics (and, if advertising is ever used, Google Ads). The Google tag loads in a “consent denied” state by default and does not use analytics or advertising cookies until you opt in, though it may send anonymous, cookieless signals beforehand. Vercel's anonymous, cookieless analytics also run to count page visits and booking steps and to measure performance. You can accept, reject, or change these choices at any time. Full details are in the cookie policy.

When you open the in-person session option on the booking page, a map from OpenStreetMap is shown. Loading it sends your IP address to the OpenStreetMap Foundation so the map can be displayed; it does not set cookies.

10. How to complain

If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal data, you can raise a complaint with me directly at enquiries@francescawalshcounselling.co.uk. It helps if you put “Data protection” in the subject line so I can deal with it properly.

I will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it and respond as fully and promptly as I reasonably can, keeping you updated if it is likely to take longer.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at any time — you do not have to contact me first. If you have raised a concern with me and remain unsatisfied, the ICO can look into it:

11. Changes to this policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.