Privacy Notice
Shelley Walker MA MBACP
Relational Integrative Psychotherapist
Surbiton and Online
shelley@thewalkerpractice.com
www.thewalkerpractice.com
Effective from: August 2026
1. About this privacy notice
Your privacy is important to me. This notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you contact me, visit my website or work with me as a therapy client.The Walker Practice is responsible for the personal information I hold about you and, for the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the data controller.
2. The information I may collect
It may include: your name and contact details information you provide when making an enquiry emergency contact details where appropriate information relevant to your therapy, including brief clinical notes information relating to appointments and payments correspondence between us information required where there are safeguarding, risk or legal concernsI aim to collect only the information that is necessary for providing a safe and professional service.
3. Information you share in therapy
Therapy is confidential and I treat information you share with me with care and respect.I keep brief clinical notes following sessions. These are intentionally minimal and are stored separately from information that directly identifies you wherever practicable.There are some circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be broken, for example where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person, a safeguarding concern, or where disclosure is required by law. These circumstances are also explained in my therapy agreement.
4. How I use your information
I may use your personal information to:
• respond to enquiries
• arrange and manage appointments
• provide counselling and psychotherapy
• maintain appropriate clinical records
• manage payments and administration
• communicate with you about your therapy
• meet my professional, ethical and legal responsibilities r
• espond appropriately to safeguarding or risk concerns
I do not sell your personal information or use it for unrelated marketing purposes.
5. My lawful basis for using your information
Under UK data protection law, I need a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the information involved, this may include;
contract — where information is needed to provide the service we have agreed
legitimate interests — where information is reasonably necessary for the safe and effective running of my practice
legal obligation — where I am required to retain or disclose information by law
vital interests — in exceptional circumstances involving serious risk to life
explicit consent — where this is the appropriate basis for processing particular information
Information relating to health and therapy is considered special category data and is handled with additional protection under data protection law.
6. Confidentiality, supervision and sharing information
As part of ethical therapeutic practice, I attend regular clinical supervision. I may discuss aspects of my client work in supervision, but identifying information is kept to a minimum.
I will not normally share your personal information with other organisations or individuals without your knowledge or consent.
There may be exceptions where I have a legal or safeguarding responsibility to disclose information, or where there is a serious concern about risk to you or someone else.
7. How your information is stored
I take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure.
Clinical notes are kept securely and identifying information is stored separately where practicable. Paper records are kept in locked storage and electronic information is protected using appropriate security measures. Personal information communicated electronically, including by email, is handled with appropriate care, although no method of electronic communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
8. How long I keep your information
Clinical records are normally retained for seven years after therapy ends.
This allows me to meet professional, insurance and legal responsibilities.
At the end of the relevant retention period, records will be securely destroyed or deleted unless there is a legitimate reason why they need to be retained for longer.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have rights in relation to the information I hold about you, including the right to:
• ask what personal information I hold about you
• request a copy of your information
• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
• ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances
• ask for the use of your information to be restricted
• object to certain types of processing
• raise a concern about how your information is being handled
Some of these rights are subject to legal and professional limitations, particularly in relation to clinical records.
10. Website and enquiries
If you contact me through my website, by email or through an online directory, I will use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, arrange an initial conversation or therapy appointment.
If you make an enquiry but do not go on to become a client, I will not retain your information for longer than is reasonably necessary.
Please avoid sending highly sensitive personal information through a website enquiry form.
11. Website hosting and cookies
My website is hosted using services provided by third-party technology providers.
Like most websites, it may use essential cookies or similar technologies needed for the website to function correctly.
Where additional cookies or analytics are used that require consent, you will be given the opportunity to manage your preferences.
Third-party services used in connection with the website may process limited technical information in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection law.
12. Changes to this privacy notice
I may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, the services I use or relevant legal and professional requirements.
The most recent version will always be available on this website.
13. Questions or concerns
If you have any questions about how your personal information is handled, please contact me at:
Shelley Walker
The Walker Practice
shelley@thewalkerpractice.com
If you remain concerned about the way your information has been handled, you also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).