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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 28th March 20206
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This Privacy Policy explains how I, Paul Madden, operating as Private Counselling Online, collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit my website, contact me, or engage in therapy services.
 
I am committed to safeguarding your privacy and fully comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
 
Who I Am
Name: Paul Madden
Profession: BACP-Accredited Counsellor & Psychotherapist
Business name: Private Counselling Online
Website provider: Wix
Practice management software: WriteUpp (used for bookings, notes, and client communication)
 
What Information I Collect
Depending on how you engage with me, I may collect:

  • Contact Information: Name, email, phone number

  • Booking Information: Appointment details, session preferences

  • Therapy Notes: Brief anonymised notes from our sessions

  • Personal Background: Information you choose to share (e.g. emotional history, goals, experiences)

  • Website Data: IP address, browser type, and other analytics via cookies (Wix)

 
How I Collect Your Data
Data is collected when:

  • You complete a contact form or book a session via the website

  • You email or message me directly

  • You engage in sessions or fill in intake forms via WriteUpp

  • You browse the website (automatically via cookies)

 
Why I Collect Your Data
I collect and use your information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and manage bookings

  • Provide counselling services safely and professionally

  • Maintain therapy records (in line with BACP ethical standards)

  • Meet legal, clinical, and administrative requirements

  • Improve website functionality and user experience

 
Use of WriteUpp
I use WriteUpp, a GDPR-compliant platform used by healthcare professionals, to manage:

  • Client notes and history

  • Appointments and scheduling

  • Secure messaging and documentation

  • WriteUpp uses encrypted servers, strong security protocols, and UK-based data hosting. You can read their privacy policy here.

 
How Your Data Is Stored

  • All clinical notes are stored securely within WriteUpp.

  • Emails are stored in password-protected accounts.

  • Any paper notes (rarely used) are locked and destroyed securely.

  • Session notes are kept for up to one year after our work ends, then permanently deleted.

 
Confidentiality & Data Sharing
What you share in sessions is confidential and will not be shared without your permission, except in these rare circumstances:

  • Serious risk of harm to yourself or others

  • Legal requirement to disclose (e.g. terrorism, money laundering, safeguarding)

  • Clinical supervision (required by BACP; your identity is not revealed)

 
Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the right to:

  • Access the personal data I hold about you

  • Request corrections or updates

  • Request deletion of your data (when appropriate)

  • Withdraw consent to data processing (where consent applies)

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

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Cookies & Website Tracking (Wix)
This website is hosted by Wix, which may use cookies to track basic information such as:

  • Pages viewed

  • Time spent on site

  • Device/browser used

 
You can choose to accept or decline cookies via your browser settings. This helps improve the website’s performance and user experience.
 
Wix’s full privacy policy can be found here.
 
Communication
If you provide a phone number when contacting me, I may use it to communicate with you about your enquiry or appointments.
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This may include phone calls, text messages (SMS), or WhatsApp messages where appropriate.
Communication will only relate to counselling enquiries, appointments, or ongoing therapeutic work.
 
This site may contain links to third-party websites (e.g. Samaritans, mental health organisations). I am not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.
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Contact Me
If you have questions about your data or this privacy policy, you can get in touch at: paul@paulmaddencounselling.com
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Changes to This Policy
This policy may be updated occasionally. Any changes will be reflected on this page with a revised effective date.

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