Data Processing and Privacy Policy for Jane Johnson at Jane Johnson Counselling

​​Effective from: 23rd February 2026.

​Welcome to Jane Johnson Counselling. Your privacy is important to me. This policy outlines how I collect, use, and protect your personal information when you engage with my counselling services.

 

​Who I am:

Jane Johnson Counselling is operated by me, Jane Johnson from my base in Stockport. I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My BACP Membership number is 418439. My contact details are:

Email: janejohnsoncounselling@outlook.com
Phone: Mobile: 07354349215 
Website: www.janejohnsoncounselling.co.uk

As a sole counselling practitioner, I, Jane Johnson will be the only person who has any involvement in collecting, processing and storing information which relates to clients.

At the beginning of any counselling work, the client will be asked to sign a counselling contract which outlines how the client and counsellor will work together, including details relating to client confidentiality and collection and use of personal information relating to the client. Whilst this contract states that the client agrees to these terms, the client is entitled to withdraw this consent at any time.

The sections below give information which outlines key points.

 

1. What information will I collect?

When I work with clients I will collect some basic information at the start of the counselling relationship. This information will include name, contact information (phone number and email address), emergency contact and General Practitioner (GP) details, relevant mental health and medication information, payment details and Internet Protocol (IP) address for online security.

In addition to the initial information gathered, I will make brief handwritten notes after each counselling session, which will be retained as part of the client’s file in order support ongoing counselling work.

 

2. Purpose for collecting and using the information

The information will only be used to support and inform the counselling process. This will include to schedule and manage counselling appointments, to communicate securely with clients, to comply with legal, ethical and professional good practice obligations and where appropriate to safeguard the client or others. The information I collect will not be used for any other purposes. Where I am providing online counselling services they are delivered via secure, encrypted video platforms such Zoom or Microsoft Teams

 

3. How this information will be stored?

As a practitioner who collects, processes and stores clients’ personal information I am, as required by law, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. The brief, anonymised session notes I make after each session and clients’ personal information records are stored securely either as hard copies in a locked filing cabinet or as digital documents on encrypted, password-protected devices.

 

4. Transmission and sharing of information

Where possible, information will be transferred between the client and me, the counsellor in person. However, there may be occasions where it is necessary to send information by other means. I may therefore send information by post to the client, marked private and confidential, where the client has indicated that they are happy to receive information in this manner.

In some instances, it may be necessary for client and me, the counsellor to exchange information by email. Where this happens, any documents I send containing sensitive or personal information will be included in the email as a secure, password-protected attachment. Passwords will be provided to the client by a separate communication to ensure confidentiality. Where information is communicated electronically, I will retain and securely store either hard or electronic copies of this material if it is necessary to retain a record, and both sent and received documents, emails and text messages will be deleted.

There may also be occasions where information relating to the client is communicated to a third-party, for example to a client’s general practitioner. In such cases, I, the counsellor will inform the client before this happens, and will not do so without the client’s permission, unless required to do so to comply with the law and/or regulations for safeguarding vulnerable adults or children.

 

5. How long will my information be held for?

The client data I collect will be retained for up to 7 years after therapy ends (per BACP guidance), then securely shredded or deleted. I will retain data for any clients who are under 18 and in Local Authority Care until the client’s 25^th birthday, then their data will be securely shredded or deleted.

 

6. Your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

 

 a. Right to request a copy of information held

Any person has the right to request a copy of information relating to them that an organisation or practitioner holds. Requests can be made verbally or in writing either in paper format or electronically. Any request for such information will be responded to within 28 days following the date that a request is received, or by the next working day if the 28^th day is not a normal working day. 

 

b. Right to request rectification

If the client believes that any information is held about them is incorrect, they have the right to request that this is corrected. The counsellor will respond to any such requests within a 28-day period from receipt of such a request, in line with the procedure outlined in section (6a) above.

If the counsellor does not believe that the information is incorrect, they will respond to the client within the agreed time-scale, providing the reasons why they believe this to be the case, and details of steps that the client can take should they wish to refer this to the Information Commissioner’s Office or the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), or their ability to seek to enforce this right through a judicial remedy.

If any information that is subject to a request for rectification has been provided to a third party under the circumstances outlined under section (4), then the counsellor will also inform the third party of any agreed amendments to the information which had been sent. The client will be informed as to who has been contacted with these updates.

 

c. Right to request information be deleted

Anybody has the right to withdraw their consent at any time, and should they wish to do so, to request that any information held about them be destroyed. The counsellor will normally agree to such requests, unless there is a legal or professional reason for not doing so.

Any information held in paper or electronic formats will be destroyed in line with the methods outlined in section (5), and the client will be informed that this has been completed.

If there is a valid reason for not destroying a client’s information, the counsellor will write to the client explaining the reasons for this and provide details of the steps that the client can take, in line with the provisions outlined in section (6b).

All requests in for deletion of information will be responded to within the standard 28-day period.

 

d. Right to complain about the collection, use or storage of personal information

If anybody thinks their data has been misused or that the organisation holding it has not kept it secure, they should contact them and tell them. If the person is unhappy with the organisations response, they can get advice from or file a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). Information about this process can be found via the following link: www.ico.org.uk

 

Updates to This Policy

I may occasionally update this policy to stay aligned with data protection regulations. Significant changes will be communicated via email or on this website.

 

Questions?​

Please contact me at janejohnsoncounselling@outlook.com if you have any concerns or need more information.

Last updated: 09.04.26