Last updated: October 2025

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Welcome to Alma Psychotherapy.

Your privacy is very important to me, and I am committed to handling your personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

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This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store, and protect your personal information, as well as your rights regarding this data.

 

1. Overview

This policy outlines your rights and my responsibilities when you share personal information with me as part of your psychotherapy.

 

It explains:

• What personal data I collect and why.

• How your data is used, stored and protected.

• How long I retain it.

• The circumstances in which it may be shared.

 

Alma Psychotherapy operates in accordance with the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, which places a strong emphasis on confidentiality, data protection and professional integrity.

 

2. What Is Personal Information?

Personal information refers to any data that can be used to identify you as an individual, for example, your name, address, telephone number or email address.

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Some data is considered special category information, meaning it is more sensitive and requires greater protection. This includes details about your physical and mental health, race, sexuality, religion or other personal matters discussed during psychotherapy.

 

3. Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data

The lawful bases under which I process your personal data are:

• Performance of a contract: Processing is necessary for providing psychotherapy services to you.

• Legitimate interests: For retaining minimal records after therapy for professional or legal purposes.

• Provision of health treatment: For special category information, as psychotherapy is a form of healthcare delivered under a professional contract.

 

4. How I Collect Your Information

I may collect information from you in the following ways:

• Through the contact form on my website.

• Over the telephone or email when arranging appointments.

• During in-person or online sessions.

• Through written forms completed at the start of therapy.

 

5. What Information I Collect

Depending on the stage of contact, I may collect:

 

Before Therapy Begins:

• Your name, contact details and availability.

• Brief information about the issues you wish to address.

 

During Therapy:

• Your goals for treatment.

• GP and emergency contact details.

• Relevant health, medication, and mental health history.

• Information about your relationships, family, work and support network.

• Notes and recordings from sessions that help guide our therapeutic work and my professional practice.

 

Website Use:

• IP address, browser type and visit data collected via Google Analytics (see Section 12).

 

Administrative and Financial Information:

• Appointment dates, payments, and invoicing records.

 

6. How Your Information Is Used

Your personal data is used solely to:

• Arrange, confirm or reschedule appointments.

• Provide effective psychotherapy.

• Maintain appropriate clinical and administrative records.

• Comply with professional, ethical, legal and insurance obligations.

 

Your personal data is never used for marketing or research and is never shared for sales or promotional purposes.

 

7. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Everything shared in therapy is confidential. Information will only be shared in the following circumstances:

• If required by a court of law.

• If there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.

• If there are legal safeguarding obligations (e.g. concerns about the abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult).

• In clinical supervision, where I may discuss your case anonymously to ensure the quality of work, in line with UKCP ethical standards.

• With your explicit written consent, for example, to share information with your GP, insurer or another health professional.

 

Wherever possible, I will discuss the need to share information with you before doing so.

 

8. How Your Information Is Stored

Your data is securely stored both physically and electronically:

• Paper notes are kept in a locked filing cabinet, accessible only to me.

• Electronic records are password-protected, encrypted, and stored on secure devices.

• Emails are printed for your file if relevant and electronic versions are deleted.

• Identifying details (e.g. your name and contact information) are stored separately from therapy notes in anonymised form.

 

9. How Long Information Is Retained

Your personal information is held no longer than necessary.
Typically:

• Therapy notes are retained for seven years after your therapy ends (in line with UKCP and insurance requirements).

• Session recordings are kept only as long as necessary, usually no longer than 30 days or until therapy ends, after which they are permanently deleted. 

• Financial and administrative records are kept for as long as legally required for accounting purposes. After this period, all data is securely and confidentially destroyed.

 

10. Data Security

I take your privacy and data protection seriously:

• Devices used to process your data are password and fingerprint protected, with up-to-date antivirus protection.

• Email correspondence is encrypted via TLS/SSL protocols.

• Paper notes are stored securely and separately from personal identifiers.

• Only I have access to your personal information.

 

11. Online Therapy

Online sessions are conducted through Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

• Sessions are encrypted and password protected.

• Sessions are not recorded unless explicitly agreed in writing.

• Zoom may collect limited session data (e.g. meeting times, IP addresses) under its own privacy policy.

• You are responsible for ensuring your device and location are private and secure during sessions.

 

12. Website and Cookies

When you visit www.alma-psychotherapy.com, certain information may be collected automatically through cookies and Google Analytics, including:

• IP address, location, browser type and pages visited.

 

Cookies help improve website functionality and user experience. You can disable cookies through your browser settings at any time.

 

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. 

 

The website may include embedded features (e.g. Google Maps) that use their own cookies.

 

13. Third-Party Data Processors

In limited cases, I may share minimal data with trusted third parties who support the operation of Alma Psychotherapy, such as:

• Accountants (for invoicing or tax compliance).

• Website hosting or email providers (for secure communication).

 

All third parties comply with data protection law and act only under my instruction. Your data is never sold or used for marketing.

 

14. Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

1. Right to be informed – to know how your data is used.

2. Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data I hold about you.

3. Right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.

4. Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data (subject to legal obligations).

5. Right to restrict processing – to limit how your data is used.

6. Right to data portability – to request transfer of your data to another provider.

7. Right to object – to object to the processing of your data in certain cases.

8. Rights related to automated decision-making – not applicable in this Practice.

 

Subject Access Requests can be made in writing to suzanna@alma-psychotherapy.com. I will respond within one month. In certain cases, an administrative fee may apply for complex or excessive requests.

 

15. Data Controller

The Data Controller responsible for your personal data is Suzanna Lopez. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

 

16. Complaints

If you have any concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact me directly at suzanna@alma-psychotherapy.com.

 

If you remain dissatisfied, you can raise your concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on 0303 123 1113 or at https://ico.org.uk/concerns

 

17. Updates to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in legislation or professional practice. The latest version will always be available on this website. Please check occasionally for updates.

 

Suzanna Lopez / Alma Psychotherapy
Registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) - Registration Number: ZC017002
Trainee membership of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
Committed to ethical practice, confidentiality and your right to privacy.