Privacy Notice

Data protection, your privacy and control over your Personal Data are of highest priority to us. This notice explains how we collect, store and use Personal Data and other information, and your rights in this regard. It relates to all communications with and services offered by the two practices, including our websites.

The notice is based on parts of the General Data Protection Regulation (2018) as applicable to UK law and specified by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO, an UK Independent authority) and Practice Guidelines of the British Psychological Society.

Definitions

Personal Data is defined by the ICO as “information relating to natural persons who: can be identified or who are identifiable, directly from the information in question or who can be indirectly identified from that information in combination with other information.”

Special Category Data is defined by the GDPR as personal data considered to be “sensitive,” which include racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health-related data and information concerning a person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Processing of Personal Data is explained by the European Commission in relation to the GDPR as covering “a wide range of operations performed on personal data, including by manual or automated means. It includes the collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction of personal data.”

Data Controller is defined by the ICO as a person who “determines the purposes and means of processing personal data.”

Throughout the document, “we” and “us” refer to Psychologist Help Practice and its owner, Dr Eric Ryden, who is the designated Data Controller. “You”, “your” and “clients” refer to individuals using the service and the website, and who choose(-s) to disclose personal data.

Our contact details

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact us:

§1. Lawful basis for collecting and processing

Psychologist Help Practice and Dr Ryden as a Clinical Psychologist have a legitimate interest in collecting and processing Personal Data to provide psychological services. Data collection is also a requirement of the BPS Practice Guidelines in accordance with best practice. It is necessary to provide an efficient and safe service.

§2. What information is collected and held

§2.1. When communicating with us

When a person contacts us via telephone, email or by any other means, a bare minimum of information will be collected, such as name, date and time of communication, method of communication and an outline of the subject matter and our response. If relevant and agreeable to the person, we will also collect contact details.

§2.2. When choosing to receive our services

If we have the pleasure of being of service to you, the lawful basis for collecting and processing Personal Data will be discussed and a written consent thereof will be sought before any service can be rendered. Any Personal Data stored as part of our service contract is only done for the purpose of carrying out the work requested by you.

A minimal set of Personal Data is stored to carry out the work effectively and safely. This includes: name, home address, your contact details (eg telephone number and e-mail address), contact details of your General Practitioner (GP), information about fee payments (see How is the information collected for further details) and an outline of the matters for which a service is sought and session-by-session progress notes about the process and content of assessment/therapy.

Please note that as an independent practitioner, we do not contact or disclose information to your GP or any other organisation, unless you ask us to or in the rare situation we are bound to do so by UK law or professional guidance, such as medical emergencies or duty of care (see Confidentiality for further information).

§2.3. Information not collected

Psychologist Help Practice does not ask for or store payment card details.

Unless it is directly relevant to the contracted service agreed by you and you have given us your explicit consent to do so, we do not ask for, store or process Special Category Data. If you are unsure or it is not directly relevant to our work, we will kindly ask you not to disclose it.

We do not ask for, store or process information about criminal offences, unless there is a legal obligation to do so, such as in case divulged information gives us reason to believe that a person is at risk of serious harm.

We will not collect or accept any information submitted by a third party in writing or by any other means, unless required to do so for legal reasons (such as duty of care).

§3. How is the information collected

Apart from exceptional circumstances, all information collected by us has been volunteered directly by you in face-to-face interviews, video calls, voice calls, e-mail, bank transfer, online payment or questionnaires/forms.

An exceptional circumstance refers to the rare occasion when a third-party individual or organisation discloses information to Psychologist Help Practice that we are legally obliged to store and process, such as safeguarding.

In order to maximise the security of financial Personal Data, the Psychologist Help Practice does not store or handle any financial transactions. Client payments are made either online or via bank transfer. Online transactions are handled independently by stripe, see Third Party Storage and processing for further information. From Stripe and our bank statements, we collect information about the amount paid to us, payment reference, name of payer and date of payment.

§4. Cookie Notice

Psychologist Help Practice does not use information from cookies or any other methods of tracking or storing information of visitors to our website. Please note that third parties (including our web-host or websites accessed via external links from our website) may use cookies over which we have no control.

You can block cookies by activating the cookie setting that is available on most common browsers. Because we do not use cookies, it will not have any effect on the functionality of our website.

§5. Confidentiality

In accordance with best practice, the BPS Practice Guidelines, and UK law, information shared with us is treated as confidential unless a client (or both clients, when Co-Active Couples Therapy is provided) requests disclosure to a third party, or disclosure is required by professional supervision, duty of care, or by UK legislation.

§5.1. Requests for disclosure by clients. If a client requests that their personal information be shared with a third party (such as a GP, solicitor, or other professional) written consent will be required before any information is released. We will always seek written confirmation directly from the third party to verify their identity and confirm that they agree to receive the information. This verification must be completed before any disclosure takes place. If confirmation cannot be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, the request will be deferred until verification is received. This procedure ensures that information is shared safely, lawfully, and only as intended.

§5.2. Exceptions to confidentiality. In exceptional circumstances, such as safeguarding, a legal order, or serious and imminent risk to self or others, confidentiality may be limited. Wherever possible, we will seek to discuss such concerns with you before disclosing any information. Only information necessary to manage the risk or fulfil the legal obligation will be shared.

§5.3. Legal rights and proceedings. If the Practice or Dr Ryden needs to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights, limited information may be disclosed to a legal entity.

§5.4. Professional supervision. To ensure adherence to professional standards, Dr Ryden has regular supervision with other qualified practitioners. Any client material discussed in supervision is anonymised as far as possible. Supervisors are bound by their professional body’s confidentiality rules and GDPR compliance.

§5.5. Audio & Video Recordings.

§5.5.1. Clients or third parties are not permitted to make their own audio, video, or screen recordings of any contact with Dr Ryden or the Practice (including online or telephone communications), in full or in part.

§5.5.2. From time to time and with the clients' agreement a session may be audio or video recorded for professional purposes such as supervision, record-keeping, or client review, or (if agreed by Dr Ryden) for the clients’ private review between sessions. Recordings will only be made with the informed consent of both partners.

§5.5.2. All recordings remain the property and copyright of Dr Ryden (Psychologist Help Practice) and are treated as confidential clinical material under UK GDPR and professional guidelines. If a copy is shared with you for private review, it is provided solely for your personal use during the therapy process. It must not be copied, shared, uploaded, or distributed in any form, including social media or email, without the written permission of Dr Ryden.

§5.6. Individual sessions within couples therapy

§5.6.1. At times, it may be clinically appropriate to meet with each partner individually, for example during the assessment phase or later in therapy. These meetings allow private reflection and the opportunity to raise sensitive topics that may later be discussed jointly.

§5.6.2. Information shared in individual sessions is treated with care and respect. However, because the therapeutic contract is with both partners, the therapist cannot hold secrets that are material to the joint work or that could significantly affect the other partner or the therapy process.

§5.6.3. If important information is disclosed individually, the therapist will support the partner to decide if, when, and how to share this with their partner during therapy. The exception to this policy is when the information concerns serious risk of harm or a matter that falls under safeguarding or legal obligations, in which case the usual limitations to confidentiality apply.

§5.7. Access to therapy records

§5.7.1. Clinical records from Co-Active Couples Therapy constitute joint data, as they relate to both partners. In accordance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and BPS Practice Guidelines, such records can only be released or copied with the written consent of both partners.

§5.7.2. If one partner requests access to the notes and the other does not consent or cannot be contacted, we will explain that the records cannot be disclosed in full. Where appropriate, and if it does not breach the other partner’s confidentiality, a brief written summary of the therapy relevant to the requester may be provided instead.

§5.8. Definition of confidentiality in Couples Therapy

For Co-Active Couples Therapy to be conducted effectively and safely, confidentiality pertains to the non-disclosure of information shared in assessment and therapy to anyone outside the confidentiality group, namely the two partners and the therapist. The therapist’s duty of confidentiality binds only the therapist and not the partners, who remain free to discuss their own experience of therapy as they choose.

§6. How we store information

Most records, including session notes and correspondence, are kept in encrypted electronic files protected by password. Paper-based materials, such as assessment forms, documents relevant to professional services provided, or summary notes, are stored in a locked filing cabinet accessible only to Dr Ryden.

§7. Third Party Storage and processing

Online financial transactions via the booking system are handled by stripe, a global online payment processor trusted by millions of small and large companies worldwide, including google, amazon and National Geographic. All common debit or credit cards can be used. The operations of stripe involve by their nature the collection, storage and processing of Personal Data. Stripe has its own Privacy Policy (stripe), which we encourage you to read.

As part of our service, there may be opportunities to benefit from supplementary third-party assessment and therapy tools and services. Those opportunities are optional. Some of those services may involve the collection and processing of Personal Data. The use of those services is at your own risk and we recommend that you read their Privacy Notices/Policies.

If you choose to communicate with us via electronic means, including voice/video phone and e-mail, you need to be aware that most of those third party services collect Personal Data. The safety, storage and processing of Personal Data collected by them are outside our control and not covered by this Privacy Notice. This also applies to use of optional third party links on our website. We endeavour only to make use of technologies and web links that offer high levels of data protection. However, we cannot accept any responsibility or liability for third party operations and encourage you to read their Privacy Polices/Notices before submitting any Personal Data, or if unsure, not use those third party services and links.

§8. Security of information technologies

Psychologist Help Practice & Bath Couples Therapy Practice websites

Both websites is hosted by krystal, an award winning UK located company. In 2018, they won the Best Host "price for protecting their customers from emerging threats, including DDoS protection, but also for their charitable efforts.” The company is also “powered by 100% renewable energy.”

Data security of transmission

When working with us, we will aim to agree on the use of the most secure technology to which we have access, such as encrypted messaging. If you require a more secure service than Google Meet and Gmail, the feasibility of using alternatives will happily be explored. We offer an encrypted email option operated by ProtonMail.

Please note that any information disclosed by electronic means, such as e-mail and voice/video calls, are alas by their nature not completely secure. We cannot be held responsible for any breaches to data protection due to the use of electronic means of communication. We encourage you to not disclose any personal data via electronic means unless you are aware of the risks.

§9. How long we store Personal Data

Any identifiable information is held only for as long as necessary for clinical, legal, or professional purposes and is then securely deleted or destroyed in line with current guidance. Clinical records are normally retained for seven years after the end of therapy (or, in the case of couples therapy, seven years after the last joint contact), unless a longer period is required by law or professional regulation.

Information collected and stored as part of general enquiries and not part of contracted therapy programme is not required to be kept for seven years and may be deleted earlier.

§10. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

1. Access.You have the right to ask for a copy of your Personal Data stored by us. Please send us an e-mail with a request and stating your consent for it to be sent to you. You need to specify your preferred method of transmission and full details about where to send the copy. If the data in question have been collected from couples sessions as opposed to individual sessions, we need to have written consent from both partners to act on the request. The Personal Data collected in couples sessions pertain to both of you. To protect your data from any unintended or fraudulent dissemination, we reserve the right to check the authenticity of the request before acting on it, for example by contacting you first. When satisfied of the authenticity of the request, we have one month to respond to your request. You are not required to pay any charge for exercising this right. In accordance with the GDPR (2018), we reserve the right to ask for a clarification of the request or to refuse the request if it is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
   • Please note for any information collected during joint sessions, you are considered to be “the client” together and therefore your progress notes and practice records belong to both of you. This means that except in the exceptional circumstances listed above under “Confidentiality,” we need a written consent from both of you in order to disclose any information from your record.
2. Rectification.You have the right to ask us to rectify Personal Data you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete Personal Data you think is incomplete.
3. Erasure. You have the right to ask us to erase your Personal Data in certain circumstances. Please note we are bound by professional guidelines and requirements for record keeping to retain information collected for the purpose of carrying out psychological services for seven years.
4. Restriction of processing.You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your Personal Data in certain circumstances.
5. Object to processing. You have the right to object to the processing of your Personal Data in certain circumstances (we may decline to do this citing the lawful basis of legitimate interests).
6. Data portability. You have the right to ask that we transfer the Personal Data you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances. If the data in question have been collected from couples sessions as opposed to individual sessions, we need to have written consent from both partners to transfer information. Similar, to “access” above, the Personal Data collected in couples sessions pertain to both of you.

If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your data, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an e-mail to client@psychologisthelp.uk. We will endeavour to resolve any concerns of yours as quickly as possible, and if relevant, make any reasonable changes that are legally and practically possible within our practice guidelines. If you are not content with our response, please contact Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF), helpline number: 0303 123 1113.

Changes to our Privacy Notice

Psychologist Help Practice may modify or update this Privacy Notice when necessary to reflect changes in our services, changes in applicable legislation, regulations or guidelines, or in response to feedback from you. Any changes we make will be posted on this page. Please return periodically to check for changes.

Last updated 24^th October 2025.