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Privacy policy

This website is operated by Lynda Britchford, The Online Trauma Therapist.

Your privacy matters, particularly given the sensitive nature of counselling and psychotherapy. This policy explains what personal data is collected through this website, how it is used, and your rights.

Personal data we collect

If you contact me via the website, I may collect:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Any information you choose to include in your message

This information is only collected when you voluntarily submit it via the contact form or email link.

I do not collect sensitive personal data through the website unless you choose to share it in your message.

How your information is used

Any information you provide is used solely to:

  • Respond to your enquiry
  • Communicate with you about potential therapy sessions

Your information is not used for marketing purposes and is never sold or shared with third parties.

Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, I have to provide the lawful basis for processing your information if you engage with my website, and make contact with me.  I may rely on different lawful bases if you contact me: 

  • Contract: where information is needed to arrange and provide therapy services to you
  • Legitimate interests: where I need to use information to run my practice safely, respond to your enquiry, and keep appropriate records
  • Legal obligation: where I need to keep or share information to comply with the law

How confidentiality works and its limits

I will not share what you tell me via email, contact form, or message, unless there is a lawful, ethical or safeguarding reason to do so, and where possible I will limit any sharing to the minimum information necessary.

There are some limits to confidentiality. I may need to share information if:

  • I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else
  • There is a safeguarding concern involving a child, vulnerable adult or person at risk
  • There is a medical emergency and information is needed to protect life
  • I need to consult my clinical supervisor, while protecting your identity as far as possible

Where possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss this with you before sharing information. However, I may not be able to do so if this would increase risk, prejudice safeguarding action, undermine the purpose of the disclosure, or would otherwise not be possible.

Who information may be shared with

I will not share your personal information unless there is a clear reason to do so. This is outlined in the confidentiality section above.  If I need to share information, I aim to share only what is relevant and necessary for that purpose. 

How your data is stored

Contact form submissions are sent securely to my email inbox.

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are in place to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

Your information is kept only for as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry or as required by professional or legal obligations.

If you do not enter into therapy with me, your communications are deleted within 30 days of our last contact.

Website analytics

This website uses Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly analytics tool.

Plausible does not use cookies and does not collect personal data.
It provides anonymous, aggregated information about website usage, such as page views and referral sources.

No personal information is tracked, stored, or shared as part of this process.

Cookies

This website does not use cookies for tracking or advertising purposes.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data I hold about you
  • Request correction or deletion of your data
  • Withdraw consent at any time
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you have concerns

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below.

How to raise a data protection concern or complaint

If you have a concern about how I have handled your personal information in the use of this website, or by contacting me, you can make a data protection complaint.  

In the first instance, please contact me using the details in this notice. I will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and take appropriate steps to look into it without undue delay.

Please include:

  • Your name
  • What your concern is about
  • What you would like me to look into
  • How you would prefer me to respond

I will investigate your complaint as appropriate, keep you informed where necessary, and tell you the outcome without undue delay.

If you are not satisfied with my response, or if you would prefer to contact the UK regulator directly, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Contact details

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, or about how your information is handled, you can contact me, as the data controller, at:

Email: hello@lyndabritchford.com

Phone: 07503 704482

Website contact form:  https://lyndabritchford.com/contact/

ICO Number: ZA332101

This privacy notice applies to people who contact me about therapy, and visitors to my website.

Date of last update: 18th June 2026