Acorn Therapy Privacy Policy

Counselling in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and online across the UK

Last updated: 19 October 2026

1. Your privacy matters

At Acorn Therapy, I understand that contacting a counsellor can feel like a big step. You may be worried about what you will be asked, who might find out, or what happens to the things you share.

You might be a teenager, a university student, a young adult or a parent looking for support. Perhaps you are unsure whether counselling is right for you, or you have never spoken to anyone about what you are experiencing.

I want you to feel able to ask questions and make an informed decision without feeling pressured.

This privacy policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you contact Acorn Therapy, visit my website or receive counselling from me.

I provide face-to-face counselling in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and online counselling to clients across the UK. I handle personal information with care and aim to follow applicable UK data protection law and the ethical standards of the counselling profession.

2. Who am I?

Acorn Therapy is my private counselling practice. I am Denis Victor, a counselling therapist and MBACP Registered member.

I am responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used for the purposes of my practice.

Contact details

Practice: Acorn Therapy
Website: https://acorntherapy.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Services: Face-to-face counselling in Cheltenham and online counselling across the UK.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact me by email.

3. What information do I collect about you?

I only collect information that is relevant to responding to your enquiry, arranging counselling and providing an appropriate service.

Depending on your circumstances, this may include:

Personal information

Your name and date of birth or age, where relevant.
Your email address and telephone number.
Your address, where needed for the service.
Your preferred method of contact.

Information about your counselling

The reason you are contacting me, if you choose to explain.
Your concerns, circumstances and hopes for counselling.
Relevant information you share during sessions.
Brief counselling notes and records of appointments.

Health and wellbeing information

This may include information about your emotional wellbeing, mental health, relationships, family circumstances or other personal experiences relevant to our work together. Health information receives additional protection under data protection law.

Information from parents or other people

If you are a parent or carer enquiring about counselling for a young person, I may collect your contact details and information you choose to share about your concerns.

I may also receive information from another professional or person involved in your care, where this is appropriate and lawful.

Administrative and payment information

I may keep records of appointments, fees, payments, invoices and relevant communications.

I do not routinely need your GP details or an emergency contact for every client. Where I request these details, I will explain why they are needed.

4. Why do I use your information?

I use your information to:

Respond to enquiries and arrange an initial consultation.
Discuss whether counselling is suitable for your needs.
Arrange and provide counselling sessions.
Communicate about appointments and practical arrangements.
Maintain appropriate counselling records.
Manage fees, invoices and other necessary business administration.
Obtain professional supervision and maintain safe, ethical practice.
Consider safeguarding concerns and respond appropriately where necessary.
Meet relevant legal, professional, insurance and regulatory responsibilities.
Protect the security of my practice and website.

I aim to collect only the information I need and to use it for appropriate purposes.

5. What is my lawful basis for using your information?

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended, set out how personal information must be handled.

Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on one or more lawful bases, including:

Contract: where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before counselling begins or to provide an agreed service.
Legitimate interests: where appropriate for managing my practice, maintaining professional records or protecting the security of my service, provided your rights and interests are respected.
Legal obligation: where I need to comply with a legal requirement.
Vital interests: where necessary to protect someone’s life in circumstances covered by this lawful basis.

For health information and other special category data, I must also meet an additional legal condition. Depending on the circumstances, this may include explicit consent or an applicable condition relating to health or social care, safeguarding or legal claims.

I will identify the appropriate legal basis and additional condition for the information I process. I will explain where consent is required and how you can withdraw it.

6. Confidentiality: who can see what you share?

I understand that privacy is one of the things people may worry about most when considering counselling.

You may be concerned about your parents, partner, university, school, employer or other people finding out what you have said.

My aim is to provide a confidential space where you can talk about your experiences at your own pace. I will treat what you share with respect and will not routinely disclose information about your counselling to other people.

However, confidentiality has limits. Information may need to be shared in certain circumstances, including:

Where there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person.
Where there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or an adult at risk.
Where disclosure is required by law or a court order.
Where there is another sufficiently strong legal or ethical justification for disclosure.

Where appropriate and safe, I will try to discuss a proposed disclosure with you first. I will consider what information needs to be shared and with whom, and aim to disclose only what is necessary.

I will not promise absolute secrecy, but I will take your privacy seriously and explain these limits before counselling begins.

7. Counselling for teenagers and young people

I work with teenagers and young people who may be dealing with anxiety, low mood, school pressures, family difficulties, relationships, identity or other challenges.

Some young people choose counselling themselves. Others may come because a parent or carer is worried about them or has suggested that it could help.

If you are a young person, I want you to know that your views matter. You do not have to pretend to be fine or explain everything straight away.

I will explain confidentiality in a way that is appropriate to your age and understanding. I will take account of your ability to understand and consent to counselling, your best interests, your rights and any relevant legal requirements.

For parents and carers

I understand that you may be worried about your child and want to know how they are doing.

Where appropriate, I can discuss general progress, practical arrangements and ways to support your child. However, a parent arranging or paying for counselling does not automatically mean they are entitled to a detailed account of everything the young person shares.

I will consider requests for information individually, taking account of the young person’s circumstances, capacity, rights, safety and applicable law.

Where safeguarding concerns arise, it may be necessary to involve a parent, carer or relevant professional. I will consider how best to handle this in the young person’s interests.

These arrangements will be discussed as clearly as possible before counselling begins.

8. University students and young adults

University and early adult life can bring pressure, uncertainty, changes in relationships and questions about the future.

If you are a university student or young adult, your counselling is your own space.

I will not routinely share information about your sessions with your parents, university, tutors, friends, partner or employer simply because they know you or are concerned about you.

If someone else pays for your counselling, this does not automatically give them access to your sessions or counselling notes.

Information may be shared with your agreement or where there is an appropriate legal, safeguarding or ethical reason to do so.

9. Professional supervision

Professional supervision is an important part of responsible counselling practice. It allows me to reflect on my work, consider ethical questions and maintain the quality of the service I provide.

I may discuss aspects of my counselling work with my supervisor. Wherever possible, I will avoid sharing identifying details and will handle information in accordance with professional and legal obligations.

Your counselling information is not shared with other clients or members of the public.

10. Where is your information kept?

I take reasonable steps to store personal information securely and protect it from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.

Depending on the type of record, information may be held in secure paper files, electronic records, email correspondence or systems used to manage appointments and payments.

Access is restricted to those who need the information for an appropriate purpose.

If I arrange for information to be transferred to another independent counsellor, I will normally discuss this with you and obtain your agreement where appropriate. Any transfer must also have a lawful basis and suitable safeguards.

I will explain the arrangements before transferring your information and will not assume that another practitioner can access your records without appropriate justification.

11. Online counselling across the UK

I offer online counselling to clients across the UK, allowing you to access support without travelling to Cheltenham.

I will use the communication platform agreed for our sessions and take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of our communications. However, no online system can guarantee complete security.

To help protect your privacy, I encourage you to:

Choose a private space where you feel comfortable talking.
Use a secure device and internet connection.
Avoid shared devices where other people may access your accounts or messages.
Let me know if you are worried about being overheard or interrupted.

Emails, appointment reminders and video calls may leave information on your device or within the systems used to deliver them.

I will not record counselling sessions unless a separate, lawful and appropriate arrangement has been discussed and agreed in advance.

For online work with young people, we will also consider suitable arrangements for privacy, emergency contact and safeguarding.

12. Who might I share your information with?

I do not sell your personal information or share it for other people’s marketing purposes.

Where necessary and appropriate, information may be shared with:

My professional supervisor.
Secure service providers supporting my website, email, records or appointment administration.
Payment and accounting providers, where relevant.
An independent counsellor or other professional where a transfer or referral is appropriate and lawful.
Relevant safeguarding services or emergency services where necessary.
My professional insurer or legal adviser where needed for advice, a complaint or a legal matter.
Courts, regulators or other authorities where disclosure is legally required or otherwise lawfully justified.

I aim to share only the information necessary for the relevant purpose and to use appropriate safeguards.

I will not routinely contact your GP, school, university, employer or family members about your counselling without an appropriate reason.

13. Website cookies and external services

My website may use essential cookies or similar technologies to operate securely and provide its features. Depending on the tools installed, it may also use analytics or other optional technologies.

Where required, I will provide appropriate information and obtain consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

If you follow a link to another website or service, that organisation’s privacy policy and security arrangements apply when you use its service.

14. How long do I keep your information?

I retain personal information only for as long as necessary, taking account of the purpose for which it was collected, relevant legal requirements, professional responsibilities, insurance arrangements and the need to deal with potential complaints or legal claims.

Different types of records may need different retention periods. These may include:

Counselling notes and client records.
Enquiry emails and appointment communications.
Safeguarding records.
Financial records and invoices.

I will securely delete or destroy information when it is no longer necessary to retain it, unless there is a lawful reason to keep it for longer.

The precise retention periods should be set out in my record-keeping policy and applied consistently.

15. Your rights

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

Ask whether I hold personal information about you.
Request a copy of your personal information.
Ask me to correct inaccurate information.
Request deletion of information in certain circumstances.
Ask me to restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances.
Object to certain types of processing.
Request the transfer of certain information where the right applies.
Withdraw consent where processing relies on your consent.
Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions. For example, I may need to retain certain records for legal or professional reasons, and I may need to consider the rights and safety of other people when responding to a request.

If you wish to exercise your rights, please email [email protected]. I may need to verify your identity before responding.

I will respond within the time required by applicable data protection law, usually one month for a valid subject access request, subject to any lawful extension or exception.

16. What happens if there is a data breach?

I take appropriate steps to protect your information. However, no storage system or electronic communication method is completely risk-free.

If a personal data breach occurs, I will assess the circumstances and take the steps required by law.

Where a breach is likely to result in a risk to people’s rights and freedoms, I may need to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office within the applicable legal timeframe, normally within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach.

If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, I may also need to inform you without undue delay.

If you believe your information has been mishandled, please contact me so that I can investigate your concern.

17. How to raise a concern or make a complaint

If you are concerned about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first if you feel comfortable doing so.

I will take your concern seriously and respond in accordance with the applicable requirements.

You also have the right to complain directly to the UK’s data protection regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Website: https://ico.org.uk/

You do not have to contact me first if you would prefer to approach the ICO directly.

18. Changes to this policy

I may update this privacy policy if my practice, website, services or legal responsibilities change.

The latest version will be published on the Acorn Therapy website, with the date of the most recent update.

If a significant change affects how I use your information, I will take appropriate steps to explain it to affected people.

A final word

At Acorn Therapy, I believe trust takes time.

Whether you are a teenager, a university student, a young adult or a parent, you deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and care.

You do not have to know what to say before contacting me, and you do not have to share more than you feel ready to share. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before deciding whether counselling is right for you.

My responsibility is to explain how your information is handled, protect your privacy as far as I reasonably can, and be honest about the limits of confidentiality.

Your privacy matters, and you deserve to understand what happens to your information.

For questions about this policy, contact Denis Victor at [email protected].