Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 2026

Aashna Counselling and Psychotherapy (“Aashna”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, respect and confidentiality.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

1. Who We Are

Aashna Counselling and Psychotherapy is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, please contact:

Email: info@aashna.uk

Website: www.aashna.uk

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

2. Website Visitors

When you visit our website or make an enquiry, we may collect:

Your name
Email address
Telephone number
Information you choose to provide via contact forms
Technical data such as IP address, browser type and usage data
Cookie data (where applicable)

Lawful basis

We process this data on the basis of:

Legitimate interests (responding to enquiries, improving our website), and
Consent (where cookies require it)

3. Newsletter Subscribers

What we collect

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

Name (if provided)
Email address

What we use it for

We use your email address to send:

Sending the Aashna newsletter
Updates about our work
Updates about events, resources and related activities

We will only send these communications if you have actively opted in.

Legal basis

Our lawful basis for newsletter communications is your consent, in accordance with UK GDPR and PECR.

You can withdraw consent at any time by:

Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, or
Contacting us directly at info@aashna.uk

Withdrawing consent does not affect processing carried out before withdrawal.

Recording consent

We record:

The date of subscription
The method of subscription
The consent wording in place at the time

This enables us to demonstrate compliance with data protection law.

Email Service Providers

We use trusted third‑party providers to send newsletters on our behalf:

Mailjet (previous provider)
Wix (current website and email marketing platform)

These organisations act as data processors and operate under written data processing agreements to ensure your data is handled securely and lawfully.

If data is transferred outside the UK, appropriate safeguards are applied.

Retention

We retain newsletter subscriber information until you unsubscribe.

If you unsubscribe, your email address will be retained on a suppression list to ensure you are not contacted again.

4. Counselling Clients

As a counselling and psychotherapy service, we process personal data and special category data, including information relating to health and wellbeing.

What we may collect

Depending on the nature of our work, we may collect:

Contact details
Emergency contact details
GP details (where appropriate)
Relevant personal and health information
Session notes

We only collect information that is necessary to provide safe and appropriate therapeutic support.

Lawful basis

Under Article 6 UK GDPR:

Legitimate interests
Contract (where therapy services are provided)

Under Article 9 UK GDPR (special category data):

Article 9(2)(h) – provision of health or social care
Article 9(2)(a) – explicit consent, where required

5. Confidentiality

All client information is treated as strictly confidential.

We will not share your information without your consent unless:

There is a risk of serious harm to you or others
Safeguarding concerns arise
We are required to do so by law
Disclosure is necessary to protect vital interests

We operate in accordance with recognised professional ethical standards and safeguarding responsibilities.

6. Children and Young People

Where we work with children or young people, we take additional care to protect their privacy and wellbeing.

Depending on age, capacity and safeguarding considerations:

Parental or guardian consent may be required
Information may be shared with parents or carers where appropriate
Confidentiality may be limited where safeguarding concerns arise

Our primary responsibility is always the safety and welfare of the child or young person. Any safeguarding concerns will be handled in accordance with legal obligations and professional guidance.

7. Clinical Records & Retention

Counselling records are retained for 7 years after the end of therapy, in line with professional insurance requirements and sector best practice.

In cases involving children, records may be retained for longer in accordance with safeguarding guidance.

After the retention period, records are securely destroyed.

8. Online / Remote Therapy (if applicable)

Where therapy is provided remotely:

We use secure platforms
Sessions are not recorded unless explicitly agreed
Clients are responsible for ensuring privacy in their own environment

9. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

Secure, password‑protected systems
Encrypted digital storage
Secure physical storage (where applicable)
Restricted access to authorised individuals only

10. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request deletion (where applicable)
Restrict or object to processing
Withdraw consent at any time
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To exercise your rights, please contact: info@aashna.uk

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law or practice.

The most current version will always be available on our website with the effective date clearly displayed.