Privacy Policy

Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy

Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and stored, and your rights in relation to your personal data.

I aim to handle all personal information confidentially, responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who Is Responsible for Your Information?

Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy is responsible for the personal information collected and used in connection with my hypnotherapy and therapeutic services.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, you can contact me through the contact details provided on this website.

What Personal Information Do I Collect?

The information I collect will depend on how you interact with Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy.

When you contact me, make an appointment or become a client, I may collect information including:

Your name
Date of birth
Address
Telephone number
Email address
GP or doctor’s contact details
Appointment and booking information
Information you provide on your Client Intake Form
Information about the issue or reason for which you are seeking therapy
Relevant physical or mental health information
Details of medication where relevant
Information discussed during your therapy sessions
Session notes and information relating to the progress of your therapy
Payment and transaction information where applicable
Your communication preferences, including whether you have chosen to receive marketing emails

I will only collect information that is reasonably necessary for providing and administering my services.

Health and Sensitive Personal Information

Because of the nature of hypnotherapy and therapeutic work, you may provide information concerning your physical or mental health and wellbeing.

Health information is classed as special category personal data under UK data protection law and receives additional protection.

I only process this type of information where there is an appropriate lawful basis and condition under UK data protection legislation and where it is necessary and appropriate for the provision of my services, professional responsibilities or legal obligations.

Client Intake Forms and Acuity Scheduling

When you book certain appointments online, you may be asked to complete a Client Intake Form through Acuity Scheduling.

This allows me to obtain relevant information before your appointment and assess whether the therapy or service is appropriate for you.

Information submitted through the booking system may therefore include personal information and relevant health or wellbeing information.

Acuity Scheduling is a third-party service and processes information in accordance with its own privacy and security arrangements.

Therapy Session Notes

During the course of therapy, I may make handwritten notes relating to our sessions.

These notes are kept as paper records and stored securely in a locked filing cabinet.

Client records are retained securely for seven years and are then securely destroyed, unless there is a lawful or professional reason requiring information to be retained for a different period.

Hypnosis Recordings and Email

As part of your therapy, I may provide you with a personalised hypnosis recording.

Where appropriate, recordings may be sent to you by email.

I may also use email, telephone or text messaging to communicate with you regarding appointments, your therapy or enquiries you have made.

Please be aware that ordinary email and electronic communications cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. I therefore take reasonable care when communicating personal information electronically.

Why I Use Your Personal Information

Your information may be used to:

Respond to enquiries
Arrange and manage appointments
Assess whether my services are appropriate for you
Provide hypnotherapy and other agreed therapeutic services
Maintain appropriate client records
Communicate with you about your appointments or therapy
Provide agreed hypnosis recordings or supporting materials
Process payments and maintain appropriate financial records
Meet legal, regulatory, insurance or professional obligations
Protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of clients or other people where necessary
Send marketing information where you have specifically chosen to receive it

Confidentiality and Sharing Your Information

Information you provide during therapy is treated confidentially.

I will not routinely disclose your personal information to other people.

However, there may be limited circumstances in which information needs to be shared. These may include where:

You have given permission for information to be shared
I am required to disclose information by law or court order
Disclosure is necessary to meet a legal or professional obligation
I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person
Information needs to be provided to a service provider that assists in operating my business, where appropriate safeguards are in place

I will only disclose information that is reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

Children and Young People

Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy also provides services to children and young people.

Where a child or young person’s personal information is collected, I take particular care to ensure that it is handled appropriately and confidentially.

Depending upon the child’s age, understanding and circumstances, information may also be provided by or shared appropriately with a parent or legal guardian.

The privacy and confidentiality of the young person will be respected while taking account of safeguarding responsibilities and applicable legal obligations.

Marketing Communications

I will only send promotional emails, newsletters or information about future offers where you have chosen to receive them or where another lawful basis permits this.

Where consent is relied upon, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

Choosing not to receive marketing communications will not affect your therapy or your ability to use my services.

Website and Analytics

When you visit the Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as information about your browser, device and how the website is used.

The website uses Google Analytics through MonsterInsights to help me understand how visitors use the website and improve its performance and content.

Analytics and other non-essential cookies are subject to the cookie and consent arrangements used on the website.

More information can be found in the Cookie Policy.

Cookies

This website uses cookies and similar technologies for functions such as operating the website, understanding website usage and providing certain features.

For further information about the cookies used and your choices regarding them, please see the Soul Solutions Hypnotherapy Cookie Policy.

How I Protect Your Information

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse or disclosure.

This includes securely storing paper client records in a locked filing cabinet and taking reasonable precautions when using electronic systems and communications.

Where third-party services are used, I take reasonable steps to use reputable providers with appropriate data protection and security measures.

How Long I Keep Your Information

Client therapy records are normally retained for seven years and are then securely destroyed.

Other information may be retained for different periods where necessary for legal, tax, accounting, insurance or legitimate business purposes.

Personal information will not be kept for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to any applicable legal or professional requirements.

Your Data Protection Rights

Depending upon the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you a number of rights regarding your personal information.

These may include the right to:

Ask what personal information I hold about you
Request a copy of your personal information
Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
Ask for your personal information to be deleted in certain circumstances
Ask for the use of your information to be restricted in certain circumstances
Object to certain uses of your information
Withdraw consent where processing is based upon your consent
Request transfer of certain information where the right to data portability applies

These rights are not absolute and may depend upon the circumstances and the lawful basis on which your information is being processed.

You will not normally be charged a fee for exercising your data protection rights.

Requests will normally be dealt with within one month, although the law allows additional time in certain circumstances.

Complaints About Your Personal Information

If you have a concern about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first so that I have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.

Information Commissioner’s Office