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Privacy Policy: Ascend Counselling N.I.

Effective Date: 25th June 2026
Last Reviewed: 25th June 2026

At Ascend Counselling N.I., we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, whether you are visiting our website, making an initial enquiry, or engaging in a professional counselling relationship with us.

1. Data Controller

For the purposes of data protection legislation (including UK GDPR), the data controller is:

Kathleen Hanna
Ascend Counselling N.I.
Email: info@ascendcounsellingni.com

As the data controller, I am responsible for deciding how your personal information is collected, used, stored, and protected.

2. Information We Collect

The information collected depends on the stage of your interaction with the practice.

A. Website Visitors & Initial Enquiries

When you browse our website, contact us, or request an initial conversation, we may collect:

• Contact Details: Name, email address, telephone number, and preferred method of contact.
• Enquiry Information: Details regarding the type of support you are seeking and appointment preferences.
• Website Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and interaction data (used for security and performance).
• Voluntary Information: Any details you choose to include in contact forms or emails. Please avoid sharing detailed sensitive information at this stage unless necessary.

Contact from Third Parties: If you contact me regarding another person, please only provide information that is necessary and appropriate. In most cases I will need to communicate directly with the person seeking counselling themselves before any service can proceed.

Children and Young People: This website and service is intended primarily for adults. If an enquiry involves a child, I will consider carefully what information is appropriate to collect and how it should be handled. I will also consider if there is a more appropriate service I can signpost individuals to.

B. Counselling Clients

Once a counselling relationship begins, we may additionally collect:

• Administrative Data: Date of birth, emergency contact details, and GP details.
• Clinical Records: Brief factual session notes, correspondence related to your therapy, and counselling agreements.
• Special Category (Sensitive) Data: Information regarding physical/mental health, emotional wellbeing, personal history, life experiences, bereavement, and family/relationship circumstances. This information will be treated with particular care and protection.
• Other info: Considered Special category data under UK GDPR.

3. How we will Collect your information

Information can be collected through:

• Initial contact form via the website
• Telephone conversations
• Counselling sessions
• Online counselling sessions
• Emails and other agreed communications
• Information provided on registration during counselling assessment and contracting
• Information provided by you during the course of counselling

We will normally collect information directly from you.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Communicate: Respond to enquiries and manage, confirm, or cancel appointments.
• Consider: whether counselling is suitable or if there is a more appropriate service or provider.
• Provide Services: Deliver counselling and maintain a safe, effective therapeutic relationship.
• Manage Practice: Maintain professional records, process billing/administration, and ensure the practise is managed safely and ethically.
• Legal & Ethical Compliance: Fulfill regulatory requirements, safeguarding duties, and insurance obligations.

We do not sell your information.

We must have a lawful basis to use your personal information. The lawful basis I may rely under UK GDPR on include:

• Contract: To take steps before entering into an agreement or to fulfill the service contract.
• Legitimate Interests: To operate the practice, maintain records, and ensure website/practice security.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with statutory or professional requirements.
• Consent: Where requested for specific purposes (you may withdraw this at any time).

5. Confidentiality & Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We treat your data as confidential, with the following exceptions:

• Professional Support: We may share information with IT/booking providers, web hosting services, form providers, accountants, or solicitors, insurers, strictly on a "need-to-know" basis.
• Clinical Supervision: Counselling work is discussed with a clinical supervisor to ensure safe practice. Identifying information is anonymised wherever possible, and supervisors are bound by their own professional codes of confidentiality.
• Legal & Safety Obligations: Confidentiality may be breached if there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others, if safeguarding concerns arise, if required by a court order, or if necessary to report serious criminal activity. Where possible, we will discuss this with you beforehand.

6. Security & Retention

Security
We protect your information using password-protected systems, secure email, restricted access to records, and secure professional document management. While we take every reasonable precaution, no electronic communication is 100% secure. Please be mindful of this when deciding what information you choose to share electronically. If participating in telephone or online counselling it is your responsibility to ensure you are in a confidential space with a secure internet connection.

Retention

• Initial Enquiries: If you do not proceed to become a client, your information is generally deleted or securely disposed of after 6 months.
• Counselling Records: Records are retained for seven years following the end of our counselling relationship. After this period, they are securely destroyed.

Note: We may retain data for longer if required for legal, insurance, or safeguarding reasons.