Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: [June 18, 2025]

This Privacy Policy explains how [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy] (“I”, “me”, “my”) collects, uses, and protects any information that you provide when you use this website and my therapy services.

As a psychodynamic therapist and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

1. Who I Am

[Mary Da Rosa] [BACP Membership Number 01009616)] [marydarosapsychotherapy.com] [[email protected]]

2. Information I Collect

I may collect and process the following data about you:

  • Information you provide directly to me: This includes information you give me when you fill out forms on my website, contact me via email or phone, or during our initial consultations and ongoing therapy sessions. This may include:
    • Personal details (e.g., name, date of birth, address, email address, phone number).
    • Sensitive personal data (e.g., health information, therapeutic content, family background, and other information relevant to your therapeutic process).
    • Information related to your payment for services.
  • Website usage data: When you visit my website, I may collect information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referral source, length of visit, and pages viewed. This is typically collected through standard analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics if you use it – see section 5) and helps me understand how visitors use my site. This data is usually anonymised where possible.

3. How I Use Your Information

I use the information I collect for the following purposes:

  • To provide therapy services: The primary purpose of collecting your personal and sensitive data is to provide you with effective and ethical psychodynamic therapy. This includes scheduling appointments, conducting sessions, and maintaining clinical records.
  • To manage my practice: This includes administrative tasks such as invoicing, fee collection, and maintaining professional records as required by my ethical body (BACP) and insurance.
  • To communicate with you: To respond to your enquiries, provide appointment confirmations, and share important information related to your therapy.
  • To ensure clinical safety and ethical practice: In exceptional circumstances, I may need to use your information to prevent serious harm to yourself or others, or as required by law (see section 7).
  • To improve my website: By analysing website usage data, I can understand which parts of my website are most useful and make improvements. This data is typically aggregated and anonymised.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. For the purposes of providing therapy, I primarily rely on:

  • Legitimate Interests: For administrative tasks and general communications.
  • Contract: When you engage my services, a contract is formed, and processing your data is necessary to fulfil that contract.
  • Vital Interests: In exceptional circumstances where it is necessary to protect your or another person’s life.
  • Explicit Consent: For sensitive personal data (e.g., health data), your explicit consent is often the basis for processing. This will be obtained during our initial agreement to work together.
  • Legal Obligation: Where I am legally required to process your data (e.g., for safeguarding or subpoena).

5. Cookies and Analytics

My website does not use “cookies” to enhance your experience. A cookie is a small file placed on your computer’s hard drive that helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual.

6. Data Retention

I will retain your personal and sensitive data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, ethical, accounting, or reporting requirements.

  • Clinical Notes: I typically retain clinical notes for [e.g., 7 years after the end of therapy, or for children, 7 years after they turn 18] in line with BACP recommendations and my professional indemnity insurance requirements.
  • Contact Information: Will be retained for as long as we are in contact, and for a reasonable period thereafter for administrative purposes.
  • Website Usage Data: Retained according to the settings of the analytics tools used, often anonymised.

Once the retention period expires, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Confidentiality and Disclosure

My therapeutic relationship is built on trust and confidentiality. I adhere strictly to the BACP Ethical Framework regarding confidentiality.

  • Confidentiality Limits: There are very rare exceptions to confidentiality where I may be required to break it. These include:
    • Where there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
    • Where I am legally required to disclose information (e.g., by a court order, or in cases of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking, or safeguarding concerns).
  • Supervision: As a BACP member, I engage in regular clinical supervision. During supervision, I may discuss aspects of our work. However, your identity will always be protected, and any identifying details will be anonymised to ensure your confidentiality.
  • Third Parties: I will not sell, distribute, or lease your personal information to third parties unless I have your explicit permission or am required by law to do so.

8. Data Security

I am committed to ensuring that your information is secure. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, I have put in place suitable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information I collect online and offline.

  • Digital Records: Stored on password-protected devices, encrypted where appropriate.
  • Paper Records: Stored securely in a locked filing cabinet.
  • Email Communication: While I take reasonable steps to secure email communications, please be aware that email is not 100% secure. Consider limiting sensitive information in initial email contact.
  • Website Security: [If your website has an SSL certificate, mention it: “My website uses an SSL certificate to encrypt data transmitted between your browser and my server.”]

9. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • The Right to Be Informed: About how your data is being used. This privacy policy serves this purpose.
  • The Right of Access: To request a copy of the information I hold about you.
  • The Right to Rectification: To request that I correct any information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The Right to Erasure (the “right to be forgotten”): To request the deletion of your personal data, subject to legal and ethical obligations (e.g., retention periods for clinical notes).
  • The Right to Restrict Processing: To request that I limit the way I use your data in certain circumstances.
  • The Right to Data Portability: To request that I transfer your data to another organisation or to you, in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
  • The Right to Object: To the processing of your personal data in certain situations.
  • Rights in Relation to Automated Decision Making and Profiling: I do not use automated decision-making or profiling.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details provided in Section 1. I will respond to your request within one month.

10. Links to Other Websites

My website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave my site, you should note that I do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, I cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy policy. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy policy applicable to the website in question.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. I encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how I am protecting your information.

12. Complaints

If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal data, please contact me in the first instance using the details in Section 1.

If you are not satisfied with my response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority for data protection.

  • ICO Website: www.ico.org.uk
  • ICO Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website Terms and Conditions


Last Updated: [June 18, 2025]

Please read these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) carefully before using the [marydarosapsychotherapy.com] website (“the Website”) operated by [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy] (“us”, “we”, or “our”).

Your access to and use of the Website is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Website.

By accessing or using the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms, then you may not access the Website.

1. Website Content and Disclaimer

The content on this Website is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment for any mental health condition or personal situation. The information on this Website does not create a therapist-client relationship.

  • While we strive to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the Website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the Website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
  • If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or require professional support, please seek advice from a qualified mental health professional or relevant emergency services immediately.
  • The information provided on this Website is not a substitute for professional therapeutic advice or treatment.

2. Intellectual Property

The Website and its original content, features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of [Your Name/Practice Name] and its licensors. The Website is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of both the United Kingdom and foreign countries. Our trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without the prior written consent of [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy].

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our Website, except as follows:

  • Your computer may temporarily store copies of such materials in RAM incidental to your accessing and viewing those materials.
  • You may store files that are automatically cached by your Web browser for display enhancement purposes.
  • You may print one copy of a reasonable number of pages of the Website for your own personal, non-commercial use and not for further reproduction, publication, or distribution.

3. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by [marydarosapsychotherapy.com].

[marydarosapsychotherapy.com] has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy] shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such websites or services.

We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

4. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to our Website immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach the Terms.

All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

5. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy] and its licensee and licensors, and their employees, contractors, agents, officers, and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees), resulting from or arising out of a) your use and access of the Website, or b) a breach of these Terms.

6. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall [Mary Da Rosa Psychotherapy], nor its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, or affiliates, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from (i) your access to or use of or inability to access or use the Website; (ii) any conduct or content of any third party on the Website; (iii) any content obtained from the Website; and (iv) unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), or any other legal theory, whether or not we have been informed of the possibility of such damage, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed of its essential purpose.

7. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Website, and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have between us regarding the Website.

8. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will try to provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Website after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please stop using the Website.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

  • By email: [[email protected]]
  • By visiting this page on our website: [marydarosapsychotherapy.com]