Clarity Counselling Edinburgh – Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

I am Ewan Irvine, trading as Clarity Counselling Edinburgh. I am the data controller for the personal information I hold about you.

Contact details

Email: claritycounsellingedinburgh@gmail.com

Phone: 07596 074789

If you have any questions about this policy or how I handle your information, please contact me using the details above.

What personal information I collect

I may collect and process the following information:

• Name, email address, phone number and other contact details

• Emergency contact details

• GP or other professional details (if you choose to provide them)

• Information you share with me about your circumstances, history and reasons for seeking counselling (this is health-related information and is classed as special category data under UK GDPR)

• Notes I make during or after our sessions

• Any emails or messages you send me

• Basic technical information if you use my website (for example, IP address or browser type – see Cookies section below)

I only collect what is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy.

Why I collect your information and the lawful bases I rely on

I process your personal information for the following reasons:

• To respond to your enquiries and arrange sessions

• To provide counselling services to you

• To keep appropriate clinical records

• To contact your emergency contact or GP in a genuine emergency (only if necessary)

• To meet my professional and legal obligations as a counsellor

Lawful bases under UK GDPR:

• Consent – when you first contact me or agree to counselling

• Legitimate interests – providing a professional counselling service and keeping records

• Contract – when we agree to work together

• For special category (health) data I rely on your explicit consent and/or the provision of health or social care

You can withdraw consent at any time by contacting me. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place before you withdrew consent.

How long I keep your information

• Clinical notes and related records are normally kept for seven years after our work ends (or longer if required by law or professional guidelines)

• Paper records are securely destroyed by shredding at the end of the retention period

• Electronic records are securely deleted at the end of the retention period

• Contact-form messages and enquiry emails that do not lead to counselling are normally deleted within 12 months

• I may keep anonymised information for longer for statistical or reflective purposes

Who I share your information with

I do not share your personal information with anyone else without your knowledge, except in the following limited circumstances:

• If I am required to do so by law

• If there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else (safeguarding)

• If ordered by a court

• With your explicit consent (for example, if you ask me to write to your GP)

I do not sell or pass your information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law you have the following rights:

• Right of access – you can ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you

• Right to rectification – you can ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information

• Right to erasure – you can ask me to delete your information in certain circumstances

• Right to restrict processing – you can ask me to limit how I use your information in certain circumstances

• Right to object – you can object to certain types of processing

• Right to data portability – you can ask me to transfer the information you provided to another organisation or to you, in certain circumstances.

You do not have to pay a fee to exercise these rights. I will respond to your request within one month.

To make a request, please email me at claritycounsellingedinburgh@gmail.com.

How to complain

If you are unhappy with how I have used your information, please contact me first so I can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Cookies and website information

My website currently collects only the minimum technical information needed for it to function. I do not use advertising or tracking cookies. If this changes in the future, I will update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent.

Changes to this policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page.