Privacy Policy
How I collect, use and protect your personal information when you visit this website, make an enquiry or work with me.
Last updated: 18 August 2026
Who I am
I am Irene Stone, an independent counsellor and clinical supervisor. For the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this notice.
You can contact me at:
Email: info@irene-stone.com
Telephone: 07714 096 400
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). I am also an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
Information I may collect
When you contact me through this website, by email, telephone or another agreed method, I may collect:
Your name and contact details
The information contained in your enquiry or other communications
Information needed to arrange and administer appointments
Information about payments where relevant
Any information about your physical or mental health, personal circumstances, relationships or other sensitive matters that you choose to share
If we work together, I also keep brief clinical notes. These may record relevant background information, themes discussed and key points from sessions. I do not keep detailed process notes or full accounts of sessions. I keep only the information needed to support safe, ethical and effective practice.
The website enquiry form is configured not to store your IP address. Website hosting and security systems may nevertheless process limited technical information temporarily to operate and protect the website.
How I use your information
I may use your information to:
Read and respond to your enquiry
Discuss whether counselling, couple counselling or clinical supervision may be suitable
Arrange and provide sessions
Manage appointments, communications and payments
Maintain appropriate professional records
Support safe and ethical practice, including professional supervision
Meet legal, regulatory, professional and insurance obligations
Protect the security and proper operation of my website and practice
Respond appropriately if there is a serious risk of harm or another legal reason to disclose information
I do not use information submitted through the enquiry form for marketing. I do not sell personal information, and I do not use automated decision-making or profiling.
My lawful bases for using your information
UK data protection law requires me to identify a lawful basis for using personal information.
For ordinary personal information, I rely as appropriate on:
Contract, including taking steps at your request before entering into a counselling or supervision agreement
My legitimate interests in operating a safe, ethical and properly administered professional practice
Compliance with legal obligations
Vital interests in a rare emergency where someone’s life may be at risk
Counselling enquiries and clinical records may contain special-category information, particularly information concerning physical or mental health.
For sensitive information voluntarily included in an initial website enquiry, I rely on your explicit consent to use it to respond to that enquiry.
When providing counselling or related therapeutic services, I may process health information where this is necessary for the provision of health or social care or treatment by a professional who owes a duty of confidentiality. Where appropriate, I may also rely on conditions concerning vital interests or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
You may withdraw consent for future processing that relies on consent by contacting me. Withdrawal does not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully or information I must retain under another lawful basis.
Confidentiality and sharing
Confidentiality is an important part of counselling. What you share with me is treated as private.
As part of ethical professional practice, I have regular clinical supervision. I may discuss aspects of my work with my supervisor, but I do this without identifying you wherever possible. My supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.
Where necessary, limited information may be processed by trusted providers supporting my website hosting, email, secure information technology, accounting or professional services. They may only use information to provide the relevant service and must protect it appropriately.
There are rare circumstances in which I may need to disclose information. These include:
Where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person
Where disclosure is required by law, a court order or an appropriate legal authority
Where information is necessary for safeguarding, insurance or legal-claims purposes
Where possible, I would aim to discuss such a disclosure with you first and keep you informed, unless doing so would increase the risk or would not be legally appropriate.
I do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.
Storage and security
Paper records are stored securely in a locked cabinet. Electronic records are password protected, and access is limited to what is necessary for my professional work.
I take reasonable physical, electronic and organisational measures to protect information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
Some technology providers may operate or process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, I use providers that apply safeguards required by UK data protection law.
How long I keep information
If an enquiry does not lead to counselling, couple work or clinical supervision, I will normally delete it six months after our last contact.
If we work together, relevant enquiries, communications and brief clinical records become part of the client or supervisee record. These records are retained for seven years after our work ends, in line with professional, legal and insurance requirements, and are then securely destroyed.
Website-form entries and related emails are managed according to the same retention periods. Certain administrative or financial records may be retained for longer where this is required by law.
I periodically review the information I hold and securely delete or destroy it when it is no longer required.
Cookies and technical information
This website may use cookies that are necessary for its basic operation, security and accessibility. The enquiry form’s IP logging and form analytics have been disabled.
Optional analytics, advertising or marketing cookies will not be used without providing appropriate information and obtaining consent where required.
Further details about cookies used by the website will be provided in the Cookie Policy.
Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, you may have the right to:
Ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you
Ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Ask me to delete information
Ask me to restrict how information is used
Object to certain uses of your information
Receive information you provided in a portable format
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
These rights are not absolute. For example, I may need to retain certain records to meet legal, professional or insurance obligations, or it may be necessary to protect another person’s confidential information.
To exercise a right or ask a question about your information, contact me at info@irene-stone.com. I will respond as soon as reasonably possible and normally within one month.
Concerns and complaints
If you have any concerns about how I have handled your information, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve them.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Changes to this notice
I may update this privacy notice when my practice, website or legal responsibilities change. The date at the beginning of the notice shows when it was last updated.