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Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Counselling with Diyana G
Counsellor: Diyana Gospodinova
Telephone: 07988 129681
Email: sessionswithdiyana@gmail.com
Website: www.counsellingwithdiyana.com

Last updated: September 2026

1. Introduction

Counselling with Diyana G is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly and securely.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and stored, how long it is retained, and your rights regarding your personal information.

I process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and relevant professional and ethical requirements, including those of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

2. Who is responsible for your information?

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

Diyana Gospodinova – Counselling with Diyana G
Telephone: 07988 129681
Email: sessionswithdiyana@gmail.com
Website: www.counsellingwithdiyana.com

If you have any questions about how your information is handled, please contact me using the details above.

3. What information may be collected?

Depending on the nature of our work, I may collect:

  • Your name and contact details

  • Emergency contact details where appropriate

  • Information provided during an initial enquiry or assessment

  • Information discussed during counselling sessions

  • Relevant information about your circumstances and wellbeing

  • Appointment and attendance information

  • Correspondence between you and me, including emails and messages

  • Information contained in counselling records and professional notes

  • Information required for invoicing or payment where applicable

I only collect information that is relevant and necessary for providing counselling and managing the professional relationship.

4. How your information is used

Your information may be used to:

  • Provide counselling services

  • Arrange and manage appointments

  • Maintain appropriate professional records

  • Communicate with you about your counselling

  • Meet professional, legal and ethical obligations

  • Maintain appropriate safeguarding arrangements

  • Obtain professional supervision, where necessary and appropriate

  • Respond to legal or regulatory requirements

  • Deal with complaints or concerns

Your information will not be used for unrelated purposes without your knowledge or an appropriate lawful basis.

5. Confidentiality

Counselling is a confidential service. Information shared during counselling will normally remain confidential.

There are, however, circumstances where confidentiality may need to be limited. These may include:

  • Where there is a serious and foreseeable risk of significant harm to you or another person

  • Safeguarding concerns

  • Where disclosure is required by law

  • Where information is required as part of a lawful professional or regulatory process

  • Professional supervision, where relevant information may be discussed while taking reasonable steps to protect your identity and privacy

Where possible and appropriate, I will discuss any need to share information with you beforehand.

6. Professional supervision

As part of responsible counselling practice, I may discuss aspects of my work with a qualified professional supervisor.

Information discussed in supervision is treated confidentially and only relevant information is shared. I take reasonable steps to avoid identifying you unnecessarily.

7. Counselling records

I keep appropriate counselling records to support safe, effective and professional practice.

Records will be:

  • Factual and relevant

  • Limited to information that is necessary and appropriate

  • Stored securely

  • Accessed only where there is a legitimate professional or legal reason

  • Handled in accordance with UK data protection legislation

Retention period

Counselling records will normally be retained for seven years following the end of counselling.

After seven years, records will be securely deleted or destroyed, unless there is a legitimate legal, professional or insurance reason for retaining them for longer.

This seven-year retention period is the retention policy adopted by Counselling with Diyana G and is not stated as a universal fixed retention period required by BACP.

8. Email and telephone communication

I may communicate with you by telephone, email or other agreed communication methods for purposes connected with your counselling.

Please be aware that electronic communication may carry some level of privacy or security risk. I will take reasonable steps to protect your information.

I recommend that you avoid sending highly sensitive personal information by ordinary email unless necessary.

9. Website and Wix

My website is hosted using Wix.

If you contact me through the website contact form, the information you provide may include your name, email address, telephone number and the content of your message.

This information will only be used to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, arrange counselling.

Wix may process certain technical information, such as IP addresses, cookies and website usage information, in accordance with its own privacy and cookie policies.

10. Cookies

My website may use cookies and similar technologies to ensure that the website functions correctly and, where applicable, to understand how visitors use the website.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some website functions may not work correctly if certain cookies are disabled.

11. Sharing your information

I will not sell or share your personal information for marketing purposes.

Your information may only be shared where there is an appropriate lawful, professional or ethical reason to do so, such as:

  • Professional supervision

  • Safeguarding

  • A legal requirement

  • A regulatory or professional requirement

  • Where you have given appropriate consent

Where information is shared, I will aim to disclose only the information that is necessary and appropriate.

12. International transfers

Some services I use, such as website hosting, email or other digital platforms, may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards will be used in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

13. Keeping your information secure

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against:

  • Unauthorised access

  • Loss

  • Misuse

  • Alteration

  • Unauthorised disclosure

  • Accidental destruction

However, no electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have rights including:

  • The right to be informed about how your information is used

  • The right to request access to your personal information

  • The right to request correction of inaccurate information

  • The right to request deletion of information in certain circumstances

  • The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances

  • The right to object to certain processing

  • The right to data portability where applicable

Some rights may be subject to legal or professional limitations.

15. Access to counselling records

You may request access to personal information held about you.

Requests should be made in writing using the contact details provided above.

I will respond to requests in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. There may be circumstances where information cannot be provided in full, for example where disclosure could cause serious harm or where another person's confidentiality would be affected.

16. Data breaches

If I become aware of a personal data breach, I will assess the breach and take appropriate action in accordance with UK data protection requirements.

Where legally required, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and/or affected individuals will be notified.

17. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your personal information has not been handled appropriately.

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, professional requirements, technology or the way my service operates.

The most recent version will be made available on my website.

Last updated: September 2026

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