Privacy Notice
The Curiously Kind Counsellor
Laurie Hole MBACP (Accred)
ICO Registration Number: ZA833534
Version: 2.0
Last Updated: August 2026
Introduction
This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit my website, make an enquiry, or engage in counselling or supervision services with me.
I am committed to handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and my professional and ethical responsibilities as a counsellor.
Data Controller
The data controller is:
Laurie Hole
The Curiously Kind Counsellor
Website: www.thecuriouslykindcounsellor.com
Email: hello@thecuriouslykindcounsellor.com
Who This Notice Applies To
This notice applies to:
Visitors to my website
Individuals who make enquiries about counselling or supervision
Current counselling clients and supervisees
Former counselling clients and supervisees
Information I Collect
Website Visitors
When you visit my website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:
IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Pages visited
Website usage information
Enquiries and Prospective Clients and Supervisees
If you contact me by email, telephone or through my website, I may collect:
Name
Email address
Telephone number
Information you choose to share in your enquiry
Counselling Clients
If you engage in counselling with me, I may collect and process:
Contact details
Emergency contact information (where appropriate)
Relevant personal information
Relevant health and wellbeing information
Brief session notes
Appointment information
Payment records
Counselling Supervisees
If you engage in supervision with me, I may collect and process:
Contact details
Emergency contact information (where appropriate)
Relevant personal information
Relevant health and wellbeing information
Supervision records
Administrative information relating to professional practice
Appointment information
Payment records
How I Use Your Information
I use personal information to:
Respond to enquiries
Assess whether my counselling or supervision services may be appropriate for you
Arrange and manage appointments
Provide counselling or supervision services safely and ethically
Maintain appropriate professional records
Meet legal, professional and insurance requirements
Manage and secure my website and business systems
Comply with safeguarding or legal obligations where necessary
Lawful Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, I rely on the following lawful bases:
Contract
I process personal information where this is necessary to provide counselling or supervision services, or to take steps at your request before entering into a counselling or supervision agreement.
Legitimate Interests
I process personal information where this is necessary for the legitimate interests of operating and managing my practice, including responding to enquiries, maintaining appropriate professional records and ensuring continuity of service, where these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Legal Obligation
I may process personal information where this is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
Special Category Data
Counselling and supervision may involve processing special category data, including information about health and wellbeing. Where this applies, I rely on an appropriate Article 9 condition under UK GDPR, including processing for the provision of health or social care where applicable.
Confidentiality
Information shared within counselling or supervision is treated confidentially and handled with respect for your privacy.
There are, however, limited circumstances in which confidential information may need to be shared. These may include:
Where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person
Where there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult
Where disclosure is required or permitted by law
Where information needs to be shared for professional supervision or consultation, in accordance with professional and ethical requirements
Where sharing information is otherwise necessary for the safe and lawful provision or management of services
Where possible and appropriate, I will seek to discuss any necessary disclosure with you before taking action. There may be circumstances where I cannot do this, for example where doing so could increase risk or where I am legally prohibited from informing you.
How Your Information Is Stored
I keep records of our work together in accordance with professional, ethical and legal requirements.
Personal information and client or supervisee records may be stored in different secure locations depending on the nature of the information and the systems I use. This may include:
Password-protected and, where appropriate, encrypted devices used for my practice
Password-protected and/or encrypted removable storage media, including USB storage devices, where used for the secure storage or transfer of practice records
A practice-management or clinical-record system used for the storage and management of client and supervisee records and notes
Third-party systems used for practice management, communication, administration, accounting and other aspects of operating my practice, as detailed in the Website, Digital Platforms and Third-Party Providers section below
Other appropriate secure storage arrangements where necessary for the lawful and safe management of my practice
Where a third-party practice-management or clinical-record system is used, relevant information about that provider and its processing of personal information will be added to this Privacy Notice or otherwise made available as appropriate.
Access to information is restricted to me, subject to the circumstances described in the Confidentiality and Clinical Will section of this Privacy Notice, and where a third-party provider may require limited access to provide its services or for technical or administrative purposes.
Further information about the third-party providers and platforms I use, including their role in processing personal information, is provided below.
How Your Information Is Shared
I do not sell personal information or share it for marketing purposes. Personal information is only shared where necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice, where required or permitted by law, where necessary for professional supervision or consultation, or where there is another lawful basis for sharing it.
Online Working and Communication
Counselling and supervision is provided online using video conferencing software.
Email and electronic communication are used for administrative purposes, such as arranging appointments and responding to enquiries.
Although reasonable steps are taken to protect your information, no internet-based communication system can guarantee complete security.
Please consider what information you choose to share by email, particularly where it is sensitive or relates to your personal circumstances or therapeutic work.
Financial Information
Payments are made by bank transfer unless otherwise agreed.
Your name and payment information may appear on business banking records and accounting records.
These records may be accessed by me, my accountant, my banking provider and accounting software providers where necessary for financial administration, accounting and Making Tax Digital requirements.
Relevant financial information may be provided to HMRC or other relevant authorities where required by law or for the purposes of meeting my legal, tax or regulatory obligations.
Website, Digital Platforms and Third-Party Providers
I use a number of third-party providers and digital platforms to operate my practice and provide counselling and supervision services. These providers may process personal information as part of the services they provide to me.
The providers I currently use include:
Squarespace – website hosting and website functionality. Information such as IP addresses, device and browser information, website usage information and information submitted through website forms may be processed. Privacy policy available here: https://www.squarespace.com/privacy
ProtonMail – email communication and administration. This may involve processing your name, email address and the content of correspondence. Privacy policy available here: https://proton.me/legal/privacy
Zoom – online counselling and supervision sessions. Your name, email address and information associated with joining and participating in an online session may be processed. Sessions are not routinely recorded. Privacy statement available here: https://www.zoom.com/en/trust/privacy/privacy-statement/
WriteUpp – secure storage and management of practice records. This may include personal information and counselling or supervision records where necessary for the provision and management of services. Privacy statement available here: https://www.writeupp.com/privacy
Starling Bank – financial administration, payment processing and accounting. This may involve processing your name, payment information and transaction records. Privacy notice available here: https://www.starlingbank.com/legal/privacy-notice/
Apple – iPhone device used for telephone calls, text messages, contact information and other practice-related communication. Personal information may be stored locally on the device. The device is protected using appropriate security measures, including a passcode and device security settings.
Three – mobile network provider used for telephone calls, text messages and mobile data. Three may process information associated with the use of its network and services, including telephone numbers, communications data and device or SIM information. Privacy notice available here: https://www.three.co.uk/privacy-safety/consumer-privacy-policy
WhatsApp Business – used for communication with clients and for practice administration where agreed. This may involve processing names, telephone numbers, messages and other information shared through WhatsApp. WhatsApp is operated by an independent third-party organisation and has its own privacy and data-processing practices. Privacy policy available here: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-app-privacy-policy
The providers and platforms listed above form part of the systems I use to operate and administer my practice. Where they process personal information on my behalf, I take appropriate steps to assess their suitability and the security measures they have in place, based on the information available to me at the time. I keep these arrangements under review and will consider relevant changes or new information as it becomes available.
Each provider has its own privacy notice explaining how it processes personal information. Links to the relevant privacy information are provided above.
Social Media
I maintain a professional presence on social media for the purposes of sharing information about my counselling practice, professional interests and resources.
My current professional social media accounts are:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriouslykindcounsellor/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-hole-ma-mbacp-accred-51373448
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curiouslykindcounsellor/
Social media platforms are operated by independent third-party organisations and have their own privacy policies and terms of use. If you interact with my professional social media accounts, the platform may collect and process information about you in accordance with its own privacy practices.
I do not use social media to communicate with clients about counselling or to provide counselling support. I do not engage with clients on social media, including accepting or sending friend, follow or connection requests.
Further information about my professional boundaries and approach to social media is set out in my Social Media Policy, which is available here: https://thecuriouslykindcounsellor.com/social-media-policy
If you are an existing or former client, please be aware that interacting with my professional social media accounts may make your connection with my practice visible to the platform or to other users. You may therefore wish to consider your own privacy when choosing whether to follow, like, comment on or otherwise interact with my social media accounts.
Cookies
The Curiously Kind Counsellor website uses cookies and similar technologies to:
Ensure the website functions correctly
Monitor website performance
Analyse website usage
Improve user experience
Some cookies are necessary for the operation of the website and cannot be disabled. Other cookies, such as analytics cookies, help with understanding website traffic and usage patterns.
Where required, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can accept, reject, or manage your cookie preferences using the cookie banner displayed on the website. You may also change your preferences at any time through the cookie settings available on the site.
You can additionally control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the website.
How Long I Keep Information
Enquiries
If you contact me but do not proceed with counselling, your enquiry information will usually be deleted within 28 days unless there is a legitimate reason to retain it.
Client Records
Client records are retained for seven years following the end of the therapeutic relationship, in line with professional, insurance and legal requirements.
After this period, records are securely deleted.
Supervision Records
Supervisee records are retained for seven years following the end of the supervisory relationship, in line with professional, insurance and legal requirements.
After this period, records are securely deleted.
Recording of Sessions
Counselling and supervision sessions are not routinely recorded.
Recording by either party is not permitted unless explicitly agreed in advance and confirmed in writing.
Where recording is agreed, recordings will be stored securely and deleted when no longer required.
Clinical Will
In the event of my death, serious illness, incapacity, or any other circumstance that prevents me from continuing my practice, a trusted professional colleague, who is a practising BACP therapist and has agreed to act as my Clinical Executor, may be granted access to my practice records.
Access will be limited to what is necessary to manage the closure, transfer or continuity of my practice and to fulfil the responsibilities of the Clinical Executor. This may include accessing client and supervisee records, including counselling or supervision notes, where necessary to identify records, make appropriate arrangements for ongoing or concluding services, and securely retain or destroy records in accordance with my professional, legal and data protection obligations.
My Clinical Executor will be required to maintain confidentiality and comply with applicable professional, ethical and data protection requirements.
The purpose of this access is solely to manage the practice and fulfil the responsibilities of the Clinical Executor. Information will not be used for any other purpose.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
Request access to your personal information
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request erasure of personal information where applicable
Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances
Request data portability where applicable
Requests should be made in writing and will be responded to in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me in the first instance so I can attempt to resolve the matter.
Email: hello@thecuriouslykindcounsellor.com
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office
www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
External Links
This website may contain links to external websites.
I am not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of external websites.
Changes to This Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice may be updated from time to time.
The most current version will always be available on this website.
Last Updated: 1 September 2026