Privacy Notice

Last updated: October 2026

Your privacy is important to me. I am committed to keeping your personal information safe, secure and confidential, and to being clear about how I collect, use and store your information.

This privacy notice explains how I handle your personal information when you contact me, enquire about counselling, or become a client of Mind Grace Therapy.

Who I am

Mind Grace Therapy is the counselling practice of Denise Gracie, a self-employed counsellor and sole trader.

I am the data controller for the personal information I collect and hold in relation to my counselling practice. This means that I am responsible for ensuring that your personal information is handled appropriately and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

I comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Contact details:

Denise Gracie
Mind Grace Therapy
Email: denise@mindgracetherapy.co.uk
Telephone: 07977 218297

What personal information I collect

Depending on how you contact me and the nature of our work together, I may collect information such as:

your name and contact details
information you provide when making an enquiry about counselling
information relevant to your counselling and therapeutic needs
information discussed or recorded as part of your counselling sessions
appointment and attendance information
payment information, such as records of payments made by bank transfer
correspondence between us, including emails
information relating to safeguarding where this is relevant to your care

I may collect information about your physical or mental health where this is relevant to providing counselling. I only collect information that is necessary for our work together.

How I use your information

I use your personal information to:

respond to enquiries and communicate with you
provide counselling services
arrange and manage appointments
maintain appropriate counselling records
manage payments and my business accounts
provide appropriate continuity and safe care
meet my professional, legal and ethical responsibilities
deal with any concerns, complaints or legal matters if they arise
communicate with my professional supervisor where necessary for supervision

I will only collect information that is relevant to these purposes and will not use your information for unrelated purposes without a lawful basis for doing so.

My lawful basis for using your information

Data protection law requires me to have a lawful basis for using your personal information. The bases I rely on are:

contract: to provide the counselling you have asked for, and to take steps you ask for before we start, such as replying to your enquiry and arranging an initial call
legal obligation: where the law requires it, for example keeping financial records for tax purposes, or disclosure required by law
legitimate interests: to run my practice safely and responsibly, for example professional supervision and dealing with any complaints or legal claims

Information about your physical or mental health is “special category” information, which has extra protection. I use it only where it is necessary to provide counselling, as a professional bound by a duty of confidentiality (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018). In rare situations where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, the law also allows information to be shared to protect someone’s life or to safeguard people at risk.

Confidentiality and supervision

What you discuss with me in counselling is treated as confidential.

As part of my professional practice, I have regular supervision with a qualified supervisor. I may discuss aspects of my work with clients during supervision in order to reflect on my practice and ensure that I am working safely and ethically.

I will take care to protect your identity and only share information that is necessary for the purposes of professional supervision.

There are some circumstances where confidentiality may need to be limited, for example where there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person, safeguarding concerns, or where I am legally required to disclose information.

Where possible and appropriate, I will discuss this with you before making a disclosure.

How I store your information

Your personal information and counselling records are stored securely on my computer and appropriate measures are taken to protect them from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

I use Microsoft Outlook for email communication, Zoom for online counselling sessions, and AIORCA LTD to host my website. These services have their own privacy and data protection policies. Some of these providers may store information outside the UK. Where they do, they are required to protect it with safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.

I will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is protected when using electronic communication and online services.

This website

If you send a message through the contact form on my website, your name, email address and message are sent to me by email. My website provider, AIORCA LTD, handles this information on my behalf only to deliver your message to me.

There is no need to include personal or health details in the contact form. A line or two is enough, and we can talk about anything else when we speak.

My website does not use tracking or advertising cookies.

Payments

Payment for counselling sessions is made by bank transfer.

I keep appropriate records of payments for accounting, tax and business administration purposes.

How long I keep your information

I will not keep your personal information for longer than is necessary.

My current retention period for counselling records is seven years following the end of counselling, after which records will be securely deleted or destroyed, unless there is a legitimate reason or legal requirement to retain them for longer.

Information relating to financial transactions may be retained for a different period where this is required for tax or accounting purposes.

I will regularly review the information I hold and securely dispose of information when it is no longer required.

I will not routinely share your personal information with third parties.

Information may be shared where it is necessary and lawful to do so, for example:

with my professional supervisor as part of clinical supervision
where there is a serious safeguarding or safety concern
where I am required to do so by law, a court or another lawful authority
where disclosure is necessary to protect you or another person from serious harm
where necessary in connection with a legal claim or professional insurance matter

Where information is shared, I will only share information that is relevant and necessary for the particular purpose.

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to the personal information I hold about you. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:

ask what personal information I hold about you
request a copy of your personal information
ask me to correct inaccurate information
ask me to delete information where there is no lawful reason for me to continue holding it
ask me to restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances
object to certain types of processing
receive information you have given me in a format you can take elsewhere, where this applies

Some of these rights are subject to legal exceptions and may not apply in every circumstance.

I do not make decisions about you by automated means.

If you would like to exercise any of your rights or have questions about how I use your information, please contact me using the details above.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how I have handled your personal information, I would encourage you to contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address your concerns.

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.

Information about making a complaint is available from the ICO at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this privacy notice

I may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, the services I use or relevant data protection requirements.

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

Denise Gracie
Mind Grace Therapy