Lynne Holmes Psychotherapy Customer Privacy Notice

This privacy notice tells you what to expect me to do with your personal information.

Contact details
What information we collect, use, and why
Lawful bases and data protection rights
Where we get personal information from
How long we keep information
Who we share information with
How to complain

Contact details

What information I collect, use, and why

I collect or use the following information to provide services for clients:

Names and contact details
Addresses
Gender
Pronoun preferences
Occupation
Date of birth
Marital status
Third party information (such as family members or other relevant parties)
Usage data (including information about how you interact with and use my website and services)
Employment details
Health information
Information relating to compliments or complaints
Records of sessions and decisions
Records of Supervision
Website user information

I also collect or use the following special category information to provide services for my clients. This information is subject to additional protection due to its sensitive nature:

Racial or ethnic origin
Political opinions
Religious or philosophical beliefs
Health information
Sex life information
Sexual orientation information

We collect or use the following personal information to comply with legal requirements:

Name
Contact information
Client account information
Health and safety information
Any other personal information required to comply with legal obligations
Safeguarding information

We collect or use the following personal information to protect client welfare:

Names and contact information
Client account information
Health and wellbeing information
Emergency contact details

We collect or use the following personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:

Names and contact details
Addresses
Client accounts and records
Information relating to health and safety
Correspondence
Session material

We also collect or use the following special category information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims. This information is subject to additional protection due to its sensitive nature:

Racial or ethnic origin
Political opinions
Religious or philosophical beliefs
Trade union membership
Genetic information
Health information
Sex life information
Sexual orientation information

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. Read more about the right of access.
Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. Read more about the right to rectification.
Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. Read more about the right to erasure.
Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. Read more about the right to restriction of processing.
Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. Read more about the right to object to processing.
Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. Read more about the right to data portability.
Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Read more about the right to withdraw consent.

If you make a request, I must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact me using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to provide and improve products and services for clients are:

Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object, erase or to port data. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object, erase or port data
Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure and portability. Our legitimate interests are:
In order to carry out counselling and psychotherapy. For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.
Vital interests – collecting or using the information is needed when someone’s physical or mental health or wellbeing is at urgent or serious risk. This includes an urgent need for life sustaining food, water, clothing or shelter. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object and the right to portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for the operation of client or customer accounts are:

Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object, erase or port data. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to comply with legal requirements:

Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Vital interests – collecting or using the information is needed when someone’s physical or mental health or wellbeing is at urgent or serious risk. This includes an urgent need for life sustaining food, water, clothing or shelter. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object, erase and the right to portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to protect client welfare are:

Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability or to erase. Our legitimate interests are:
In order to understand the needs of the client. To respond to emergencies.

For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.

Vital interests – collecting or using the information is needed when someone’s physical or mental health or wellbeing is at urgent or serious risk. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object and the right to portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims are:

Consent - we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Where we get personal information from

Directly from you.

How long we keep information

Data relating to enquiries that do not lead to therapy. Six weeks.
Contact details for a customer. Deleted six weeks after the end of the contract.
Session notes relating to therapy, counselling or supervision contract. Seven years to comply with the requirements of my insurer.

For more information on how long we store your personal information or the criteria we use to determine this please contact us using the details provided above.

Others we share personal information with

Professional consultants
Professional or legal advisors
Emergency services
Organisations we’re legally obliged to share personal information with

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice. If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Last updated: 20th January 2026