Privacy Policy

​Aashna Counselling and Psychotherapy is committed to protecting your personal information and handling it in a clear, respectful and lawful way. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you interact with Aashna.

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We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), and relevant updates introduced by the Data Use and Access Act 2025.

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Who is responsible for your data 

 

Aashna Counselling and Psychotherapy is the data controller for the personal information that Aashna collects and uses.​​

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We have a named person responsible for GDPR and privacy matters. If you have any questions, concerns, requests or complaints about how your personal information is used, you can contact us at info@aashna.uk.

 

What personal information we collect ​

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The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with Aashna.

We may collect:

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• your name

• email address

• telephone number

• information you provide through website forms

• information relating to enquiries, referrals, events, groups or training

• communication preferences

• technical information relating to your use of our website, such as cookies and analytics data where applicable

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From time to time, you may choose to share more sensitive personal information with us, for example when making an enquiry, requesting support through Aashna+, or asking us to provide a supporting letter. Where this happens, we will only collect and use information that is relevant and necessary for the purpose for which it has been shared.

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Therapists working from Aashna are independent practitioners and are responsible for the personal information they collect and process as part of their therapeutic work. This includes client contracts, clinical records, therapy notes and other information created or held within the therapeutic relationship.

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Each therapist is responsible for providing their own Privacy Notice explaining how they collect, use, store and protect personal information within their individual practice. If you become a client of an independent therapist working from Aashna, that therapist will explain how your personal information is collected, used, stored and protected within their own practice.

Why we use your personal information ​​

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We may use your personal information to:

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• respond to enquiries

• facilitate access to counselling, psychotherapy, community, training and related services

• manage bookings, referrals, events or groups

• communicate with you about services you have requested

• meet legal, regulatory, safeguarding, professional or insurance obligations

• manage our website and improve how we communicate with people

• send newsletters and email updates where you have chosen to subscribe

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Lawful bases for using your information 

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We rely on different lawful bases depending on the reason we are using your information. These may include:​​

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• your consent

• taking steps at your request before entering into an agreement

• performance of a contract

• compliance with a legal obligation

• legitimate interests, where these do not override your rights and freedoms

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Where special category personal information is shared with us, we will only process this where we have an appropriate lawful basis and condition for processing under UK data protection legislation.

Newsletters and email updates ​​

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If you sign up to the Aashna newsletter, we collect and use your email address to send you the Aashna newsletter, updates about our work, events, resources and related communications.

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We only send newsletter emails where you have actively chosen to subscribe.

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Our lawful basis for sending newsletter communications is your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email or by contacting us directly.

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We use Mailjet as our newsletter provider. Mailjet processes email address data on our behalf for the purpose of sending newsletters and managing subscriptions.

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Website provider 

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Aashna's website is hosted and managed through Wix.

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Our website domain is registered through Squarespace.

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Wix and Squarespace may process limited personal information on our behalf in connection with website hosting, domain management and website functionality.

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Where third-party providers process personal information for us, we take steps to ensure that appropriate data processing arrangements are in place.

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How long we keep your information 

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We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, professional, insurance, safeguarding or accounting requirements.

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Different categories of information may be retained for different periods depending on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it was collected.

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Newsletter subscription data is kept for as long as you remain subscribed. If you unsubscribe, we may keep limited information on a suppression list to make sure we do not contact you again by mistake.

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Sharing your information​

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• We do not sell your personal information.

• We may share personal information with trusted service providers who support our work, such as website, email, booking, administration, fundraising, donation management. payment, accounting or secure storage providers. These providers are required to process data securely and only for agreed purposes.

• Our principal service providers currently include Google Workspace (email and administration), Wix (website services), Squarespace (domain management), Mailjet (newsletter services) and Open Collective (management of donations, financial contributions and related administration).

• We may also share personal information where required or permitted by law, or where necessary to meet safeguarding responsibilities, professional or regulatory obligations, insurance requirements, or to help protect someone from a serious risk of harm.

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Website Cookies

 

Our website is hosted by Wix and uses cookies and similar technologies to help the website function, improve performance and understand how visitors use the site.

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We use Google Analytics to help us understand how our website is being used so that we can improve accessibility, content and user experience. Google Analytics cookies are only used where you have given your consent through our cookie banner.

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When you visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie banner that allows you to manage your cookie preferences. Non-essential cookies will only be used where you have given consent.

You can update your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings available on our website. You can also change your browser settings to manage or delete cookies.

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For more information about how Wix uses cookies, please visit: support.wix.com/en/article/cookies-and-your-wix-site​

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Your rights

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You have rights in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:

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• access the personal information we hold about you

• ask us to correct inaccurate information

• ask us to delete information in certain circumstances

• ask us to restrict how we use your information

• object to certain uses of your information

• withdraw consent where we rely on consent

• complain about how your data is handled

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To exercise your rights, you can contact us at​ info@aashna.uk.

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

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Access and Website Accessibility

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At Aashna, we are committed to creating welcoming and accessible experiences both online and offline.

Information about accessibility, adjustments, digital accessibility and our wider approach to access can be found on our Access page aashna.uk/access.

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If you experience difficulty accessing any part of our website, website forms, newsletters or digital content, please contact us, and we will do our best to provide information in an alternative format and address barriers where possible.

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Data Protection Concerns and Complaints

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At Aashna, we are committed to handling personal information with care, transparency and respect.

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We welcome questions, feedback and concerns about how we collect, use, store or share personal information. If something does not feel right, or if you have questions about how we are using your information, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance.

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You can contact us at info@aashna.uk.

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We will acknowledge your concern within 30 days and respond without undue delay. We will take the time to review what has happened, consider any steps that may be needed, and explain the outcome to you as clearly as possible.

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If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to raise your concern with:

 

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113​

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Website Terms of Use​​

 

By using this website, you agree to these terms of use.

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Information on this website

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The information provided on this website is intended for general information purposes only.

Nothing on this website constitutes counselling, psychotherapy, medical, legal or other professional advice, nor does it establish a therapeutic relationship.

 

Website content

 

Unless otherwise stated, content on this website belongs to Aashna Counselling and Psychotherapy and may not be reproduced, distributed or published without permission.

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External links

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This website may contain links to external websites. Aashna is not responsible for the content, accuracy or privacy practices of external websites.

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Availability

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We aim to keep the website available and up to date but do not guarantee uninterrupted access or that all content will always be current or error free.

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Privacy

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Please refer to our Privacy Policy for information about how personal information is collected and used.

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Contact

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, our Terms of Use, or how we handle your personal information, please contact info@aashna.uk.

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Changes to this policy

 

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, systems, legal obligations or data protection guidance.

 

Last updated: 25 June 2026​​​