Privacy Policy

Introduction
Sereneminds respect and value your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit our website or engage in therapy and counseling services. We are fully committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ensuring your personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

1. Who I am
Sereneminds is a therapy and counseling service that provides counselling and psychotherapy to individuals and couples.

2. Information I Collect
I may collect the following types of personal data when you use our services or visit our website:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, and other contact details.
• Health and Therapy-Related Information: Information related to your therapy sessions, including notes, history, and progress in treatment.
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information, and website usage data (such as time spent on the website and pages visited).

3. How I Use Your Information
I use your personal data to:

• Provide therapy and counseling services.
• Communicate with you regarding your sessions, appointments, or queries.
• Improve our services and website functionality.
• Comply with legal and ethical obligations related to our profession.

4. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
Under GDPR, I process personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: I may process your data when you provide consent, such as when you fill out forms or subscribe to our services.
• Contractual Necessity: I process data to fulfill the terms of our counseling agreement with you.
• Legal Obligation: I may process data when required by law, such as record-keeping requirements.
• Legitimate Interests: I may process data for purposes such as website security, improving our services, or contacting you regarding your sessions.

5. How I Protect Your Data

I take your privacy seriously and implement a range of security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. This includes using encrypted communication, secure storage solutions, and regular data backups.

6. Data Retention
I will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services or as required by law. Your therapy records will be kept for a minimum of 7 years, in accordance with professional guidelines.

7. Your Rights
Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can request a restriction on the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to certain processing of your data, including processing based on legitimate interests or direct  marketing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at Rachel@SereneMinds.co.uk

8. Sharing Your Data
I will not share your personal data with third parties without your explicit consent, except when required by law or for the fulfillment of contractual obligations (e.g., with third-party software providers we use to manage appointments).

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
My website uses cookies to improve user experience and analyze website traffic. Cookies are small text files placed on your device to remember preferences and provide tailored content. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, but this may affect your experience on our site.

10. International Data Transfers
I do not transfer your personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). If this changes, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with the updated effective date.

12. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact me at:

SereneMinds

Rachel@SereneMinds.co.uk

07774 429130