Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 23 July 2026

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Collective Counselling collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you:

• visit our website;
• contact us with an enquiry;
• book or pay for a session;
• attend an individual, couples counselling or life-coaching session;
• communicate with either practitioner; or
• otherwise use our services.

Collective Counselling provides online services to adults aged 18 and over.

Collective Counselling is not an emergency or crisis service. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call the emergency services applicable in your location. In the UK, call 999. You can also contact Samaritans free at any time in the UK and Republic of Ireland by calling 116 123.

2. Who is responsible for your information?

Collective Counselling is a trading name used by two independent sole traders:

• Sherylynn Tetley
• Jack Newhouse

Our shared privacy and general contact email is:

collectivelycounselling@gmail.com

Shared enquiries, bookings and administration

Sherylynn Tetley and Jack Newhouse jointly decide how personal information used for the Collective Counselling website, shared enquiry inbox, booking administration and general administration is handled.

They act as joint controllers for these shared activities.

Both practitioners can access the shared Collective Counselling Gmail inbox and the booking notifications delivered to that inbox. Only Sherylynn and Jack are authorised to access the shared inbox.

You may use collectivelycounselling@gmail.com as the main contact point for privacy questions, requests or complaints. The practitioner responsible for the relevant information will handle your request, and the practitioners will coordinate where necessary.

Confidential practitioner records

The practitioner who provides your sessions is separately responsible for the confidential information created or received while providing those sessions, including their limited session notes.

Sherylynn is responsible for the confidential practitioner records relating to the clients she works with. Jack is responsible for the confidential practitioner records relating to the clients he works with.

Confidential practitioner records are not routinely available to the other practitioner.

Information from a confidential practitioner record will only be shared with the other practitioner or another recipient where:

• you have requested or authorised the sharing;
• it is reasonably necessary to respond to a serious risk or safeguarding concern;
• disclosure is required or permitted by law;
• it is necessary to obtain confidential legal, insurance or professional advice; or
• it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

3. Information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Website and technical information

When you visit the website, our hosting provider may process ordinary technical information generated when a website loads, including:

• your internet protocol address;
• the date and time of the request;
• the pages or files requested;
• browser and device information;
• referring-page information;
• diagnostic information;
• security information; and
• server logs.

We use this information only where reasonably necessary to operate, secure and maintain the website.

Enquiry information

When you use the website enquiry form, we collect:

• your name;
• your email address;
• the contents of your message;
• the date and time of your enquiry; and
• any other information you voluntarily include.

The enquiry form is intended for general enquiries.

Please avoid providing highly sensitive or detailed medical, mental-health or emergency information through the enquiry form.

If you send sensitive information to the shared email address, both Sherylynn and Jack may be able to see it. Confidential matters intended only for your chosen practitioner should be sent using the practitioner-specific contact method provided to you.

The website does not save enquiry-form submissions in a separate website database. The submission is converted into an email and delivered to the Collective Counselling Gmail inbox using Resend.

Booking information

When you make a booking through Cal ID, we may receive or process information including:

• your name;
• your email address;
• an optional phone number, where requested;
• the service selected;
• your chosen practitioner;
• the appointment date and time;
• your selected timezone;
• booking status;
• cancellation or rescheduling information;
• payment status; and
• related booking communications.

Cal ID may also process additional technical and usage information under its own privacy policy, such as your internet protocol address, browser or device information, cookies and interaction information.

We do not currently ask for your country as a standard booking field. However, Cal ID, Stripe or another service provider may process or infer approximate location information from technical details, your selected timezone, payment currency or transaction information.

Payment information

Payments are processed through Stripe as part of the Cal ID booking process.

Payment-related information may include:

• your name and email address;
• the amount and currency paid;
• the payment date;
• payment status;
• transaction identifiers;
• billing information;
• refund information; and
• payment-verification or fraud-prevention information.

Your complete payment-card details are entered on an external payment interface and processed by Stripe.

The Collective Counselling website does not receive or store your complete card number or card security code.

We may receive limited transaction information needed to confirm that payment was successful, issue a refund, maintain financial records or respond to a payment dispute.

Information shared during sessions

During a session, you may choose to discuss personal information concerning matters such as:

• your emotional wellbeing;
• your mental or physical health;
• your relationships;
• your work or family circumstances;
• past experiences;
• stressful or traumatic events;
• your identity;
• your beliefs;
• your sexuality;
• your behaviours or concerns;
• your goals; and
• other people in your life.

Some of this information may be classed as special-category personal information under UK data protection law and receives additional legal protection.

Limited session notes

Practitioners keep limited session records rather than detailed transcripts or comprehensive accounts of everything discussed.

A limited session note may include:

• the date of the session;
• the type of session;
• a brief description of the general themes or nature of the conversation;
• relevant actions, resources, referrals or agreed next steps; and
• whether any current serious-risk or safeguarding concern was identified or disclosed.

We do not routinely record:

• verbatim transcripts of sessions;
• extensive quotations of what you said;
• a detailed chronological account of the conversation;
• unnecessary intimate or personal details;
• the names of family members, partners, friends, colleagues or other people you mention; or
• information that is not reasonably needed for the provision, continuity, safety or protection of the service.

There may be limited circumstances in which a more specific detail, statement or name needs to be recorded.

This may occur where it is reasonably necessary to document:

• a serious or immediate risk;
• a safeguarding concern;
• advice to contact emergency or crisis support;
• a referral to another service;
• a disclosure made to protect somebody;
• a complaint or dispute;
• the reasoning behind a significant decision; or
• information relevant to a potential legal claim.

Practitioners aim to keep all records factual, proportionate and limited to what is reasonably necessary.

Communications

We may retain practical communications relating to:

• appointments;
• cancellations or rescheduling;
• payments;
• online-session links;
• follow-up resources;
• referrals;
• complaints;
• privacy requests; and
• other service administration.

WhatsApp should ordinarily be used for video sessions or brief practical communication rather than detailed confidential discussions.

Couples counselling

For couples counselling, we process information relating to both partners.

Information shared during a joint session may form part of the practitioner’s limited record of the couples counselling.

The record may also contain limited information relating to other people who are mentioned during counselling. We avoid identifying those people unless identification is reasonably necessary.

Both partners should receive access to this Privacy Policy and the applicable couples counselling agreement.

The couples counselling agreement will explain how information communicated separately by one partner is handled. A practitioner cannot necessarily promise that information which materially affects the joint couples work will remain confidential from the other partner.

Requests for copies of couples counselling records may require us to consider the privacy and confidentiality rights of both partners and any other identifiable person. This may affect what information can lawfully be disclosed.

4. How we obtain personal information

We normally obtain personal information:

• directly from you;
• through the website enquiry form;
• through emails or messages you send;
• through the Cal ID booking process;
• through Stripe when a payment is made;
• during sessions;
• from the other participant in couples counselling;
• from our website, booking and communications providers;
• from a person you have authorised to communicate with us; or
• from another person or organisation where receiving the information is legally permitted.

5. How and why we use personal information

Responding to enquiries

We use your name, contact details and message to:

• respond to your enquiry;
• provide information about our services;
• help you identify a potentially appropriate service or practitioner; and
• take steps at your request before you enter into an agreement with us.

Our lawful bases are taking steps at your request before entering into a contract and our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and operating the service.

Arranging and administering sessions

We use booking and contact information to:

• arrange appointments;
• send booking confirmations and session links;
• manage cancellations and rescheduling;
• communicate with you about the service;
• maintain basic administrative records; and
• provide the service you have booked.

Our lawful bases are performing our agreement with you and our legitimate interests in managing the service effectively.

Providing counselling or coaching

Your chosen practitioner uses information you provide to:

• understand the matters with which you would like support;
• provide individual counselling, couples counselling or life coaching;
• maintain appropriate continuity between sessions;
• provide relevant resources or referrals;
• manage the working relationship;
• maintain limited records of the service; and
• protect the practitioner’s and client’s legal interests.

Our ordinary lawful bases are performing our agreement with you and our legitimate interests in providing, documenting, managing and protecting the service.

Special-category information

Information discussed during counselling may include information concerning:

• physical or mental health;
• sexual life;
• sexual orientation;
• racial or ethnic origin;
• religious or philosophical beliefs;
• political opinions; or
• other legally protected categories.

Where required, we generally rely on your explicit consent to process this information for the purpose of providing the service.

Any explicit consent relied upon must be separately and clearly obtained. Merely visiting the website does not amount to explicit consent to the processing of special-category information.

You may withdraw your consent by contacting us.

Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.

Because sensitive personal information may be central to the counselling service, withdrawing consent may mean that the practitioner cannot continue providing sessions.

Withdrawal of consent does not necessarily require the deletion of information where continued retention is permitted or required for another lawful reason, including financial obligations, complaints, safeguarding documentation or legal claims.

In exceptional circumstances, we may rely on another special-category condition permitted by law. This may include processing necessary for legal claims or, where the strict legal requirements are met, protecting somebody’s vital interests or addressing a safeguarding matter.

Safety, safeguarding and referrals

Confidentiality is important, but it is not absolute.

Where permitted by law, we may process or disclose limited personal information where it is reasonably necessary to:

• respond to a serious or immediate risk of harm;
• protect your life or another person’s life;
• respond to a safeguarding concern;
• contact emergency or crisis services;
• make or document an appropriate referral;
• comply with a court order or another legal requirement;
• obtain confidential legal or insurance advice; or
• establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Any disclosure will be considered carefully and limited to information that is reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

Depending on the circumstances, our lawful basis may include legitimate interests, legal obligation, the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, vital interests where the strict legal requirements are satisfied, or another basis or condition permitted by law.

Payments, tax and financial administration

We use transaction and payment information to:

• collect payments;
• confirm payment status;
• issue receipts;
• process refunds;
• maintain accounting and tax records;
• prevent or investigate fraud; and
• respond to payment disputes.

Our lawful bases are performing our agreement with you, complying with legal obligations and our legitimate interests in managing payments and preventing fraud.

Complaints, privacy requests and legal matters

We may use relevant information to:

• investigate and respond to a complaint;
• respond to a request concerning personal information;
• obtain professional, legal or insurance advice;
• respond to an insurance matter;
• resolve a dispute;
• comply with a legal requirement; or
• establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.

Our lawful bases are legitimate interests, legal obligation and the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Website operation and security

Technical information may be used to:

• operate the website;
• maintain website availability;
• diagnose technical faults;
• prevent misuse or malicious activity;
• protect accounts and systems; and
• investigate a security incident.

Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in maintaining a secure and functioning website.

Marketing

We do not currently use client or enquiry information to send newsletters or promotional marketing.

Booking a session or sending an enquiry does not subscribe you to marketing.

If we introduce marketing in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy, provide appropriate information, offer a clear choice and obtain consent where required before sending marketing communications.

6. Is providing personal information required?

Certain information, including your name, email address, selected service and appointment information, is required to arrange and provide a session.

Without this information, we may be unable to accept or manage a booking.

You decide what personal information to discuss during a session. However, a practitioner may be unable to provide appropriate support where important information relevant to the service or an immediate safety concern is withheld.

7. Who receives personal information?

We do not sell personal information.

We may share or allow access to personal information as described below.

Sherylynn Tetley and Jack Newhouse

Both practitioners can access the shared Collective Counselling inbox and the booking notifications delivered to that inbox.

Confidential session records remain under the control of the practitioner providing the service and are not routinely shared with the other practitioner.

Vercel

Vercel hosts the Collective Counselling website.

Its systems may process ordinary server and technical information, including internet protocol addresses, device or browser information and request logs.

The website enquiry form also runs through infrastructure hosted by Vercel.

Resend

Resend is used to transmit submissions from the website enquiry form to the Collective Counselling Gmail inbox.

The name, email address and message submitted through the form pass through Resend’s systems for the purpose of delivering the email.

Google and Gmail

The shared Collective Counselling inbox is hosted through Gmail.

Google therefore stores and processes enquiry emails, administrative communications and associated account and technical information.

Google Meet is the standard platform used for online sessions.

Cal ID

Cal ID, available at cal.id, provides the online booking system.

Cal ID may process:

• names and contact details;
• selected services and practitioners;
• appointment details;
• selected timezones;
• booking confirmations;
• cancellations and rescheduling;
• payment status;
• cookies;
• internet protocol addresses;
• browser or device information; and
• other technical or usage information.

Cal ID processes this information under its own privacy policy and contractual terms.

Stripe

Stripe processes card payments and related transaction, verification and fraud-prevention information.

Stripe receives payment details directly through its hosted payment interface. Collective Counselling does not receive your complete card details.

WhatsApp and Meta

WhatsApp video may be offered as an alternative to Google Meet where agreed with the practitioner.

Using WhatsApp may make your phone number, profile information, communication metadata and related technical information available to WhatsApp, Meta and the other participant in the communication.

WhatsApp may also be used for limited practical communications where agreed.

Clients should avoid sending detailed sensitive information through ordinary WhatsApp messages.

Professional advisers and insurers

Where reasonably necessary, relevant information may be shared confidentially with:

• accountants or tax advisers;
• solicitors or other legal advisers;
• insurers;
• information-security specialists; or
• another professional adviser who is subject to an appropriate duty of confidentiality.

Emergency, safeguarding and legal recipients

Where necessary and legally permitted, limited information may be disclosed to:

• emergency services;
• crisis or suicide-prevention services;
• safeguarding bodies;
• healthcare or support services;
• courts or tribunals;
• law-enforcement bodies;
• regulators; or
• another person where disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect somebody from serious harm.

The amount of information disclosed will be limited to what is reasonably necessary.

Provider privacy information

Third-party providers process information under their own terms and privacy notices.

You may review the privacy information published by Vercel, Resend, Google, Cal ID, Stripe, WhatsApp and Meta for more information about how they process personal information.

8. Video sessions and recordings

Google Meet is our standard platform for online sessions.

WhatsApp video may be available as an alternative where agreed between you and your practitioner.

Collective Counselling and its practitioners do not:

• record sessions;
• create automated transcripts;
• use automated meeting summaries;
• use artificial-intelligence tools to listen to sessions; or
• use artificial-intelligence tools to produce session notes.

You must not record a session without the prior express agreement of everybody participating.

9. International clients and overseas processing

Collective Counselling may provide online services to adults in different countries, subject to legal, insurance, professional, safety and practical restrictions.

Availability in a particular country is not guaranteed.

Sherylynn may provide sessions and securely access relevant personal information while located outside the United Kingdom. Her working location may change from time to time.

Some of our technology providers may also store, process or make personal information accessible in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK international-transfer rules apply, we take reasonable steps to use providers and arrangements that are intended to provide the protections required by UK data protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, a transfer may be covered by:

• UK adequacy regulations;
• appropriate contractual safeguards;
• another transfer mechanism permitted by UK data protection law; or
• a specific legal exception where its requirements are satisfied.

You may contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.

The relevant practitioner is responsible for protecting locally held practitioner records and account access while working outside the United Kingdom.

10. How long we retain personal information

We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected.

We consider matters including:

• continuity of the service;
• the sensitivity of the information;
• safety and safeguarding;
• complaints;
• financial and tax obligations;
• insurance requirements;
• possible legal claims; and
• the rights and interests of the people concerned.

Our normal retention periods are set out below.

General enquiries that do not lead to a service

General enquiry information is normally retained for 12 months after the last meaningful contact.

Cancelled or incomplete bookings

Cancelled or incomplete booking information is normally retained for 12 months after the scheduled booking or last contact.

Information may be retained for longer where reasonably necessary for payment administration, fraud prevention, a complaint or a legal matter.

Booking and routine administrative records

Booking and routine administrative records are normally retained for three years after the final session or last provision of the service.

Limited session notes

Limited session notes are normally retained by the relevant practitioner for three years after the final session.

These records are intentionally limited and do not routinely contain transcripts, extensive quotations, names of people mentioned during sessions or unnecessary details.

Serious-risk, safeguarding and emergency-referral records

Records specifically documenting a serious-risk concern, safeguarding concern or emergency referral are normally retained for seven years after the relevant event or the final session, whichever is later.

The longer period applies only to the information reasonably needed to document:

• the concern identified;
• relevant information on which a decision was based;
• advice or a referral provided;
• any disclosure made;
• the reason for the action taken; and
• relevant follow-up action.

Complaints, disputes and potential legal claims

Information relevant to a complaint, dispute or potential legal claim is retained while the matter is active and normally for up to seven years after it is resolved, where continued retention is reasonably necessary.

Information may be retained for longer where court proceedings, regulatory action or another legal requirement remains active.

Financial, transaction and tax records

Financial, payment, refund and tax records are normally retained for six years after the end of the relevant financial or accounting period, or longer where required by law.

Third-party provider records

Third-party providers may apply their own retention periods to information they process under their own terms.

Review and destruction

Retention periods may be extended where reasonably necessary because of:

• a complaint;
• a safeguarding concern;
• an insurance requirement;
• a legal obligation;
• threatened or ongoing proceedings; or
• another documented reason.

When information is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, securely destroyed or anonymised.

11. How we protect personal information

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, use, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.

These measures may include:

• limiting access to authorised people;
• using password-protected accounts and devices;
• using device encryption where available;
• securing account-recovery methods;
• locking paper records away;
• limiting session notes to necessary information;
• keeping confidential records under the control of the relevant practitioner;
• securely deleting electronic records;
• securely shredding paper records; and
• reviewing access when working arrangements change.

Practitioner notes may be stored:

• locally on a secured electronic device;
• in securely stored paper form; or
• through a combination of local electronic and paper records.

Practitioner notes are not routinely stored in a shared cloud-based clinical-record system.

No online service or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We nevertheless take reasonable steps to reduce foreseeable risks and will respond appropriately if a personal-data breach occurs.

12. Cookies, analytics and website tracking

The main Collective Counselling website currently:

• sets no cookies of its own;
• stores no information in the visitor’s browser;
• uses no Google Analytics;
• uses no advertising or tracking pixels;
• uses no session-replay technology;
• uses no marketing-tracking technology; and
• contains no embedded Instagram content.

The website’s Lato typeface is self-hosted. A normal page visit does not contact Google Fonts.

The Instagram link is a standard external link. Clicking it takes you away from the Collective Counselling website to Instagram, where Meta’s own privacy and cookie practices apply.

When you visit an external Cal ID booking page or Stripe payment interface, that provider may use cookies or similar technologies under its own privacy and cookie settings.

Depending on the provider and its configuration, these may include cookies used for:

• operating the service;
• security;
• remembering preferences;
• fraud prevention;
• analytics; or
• other purposes described in the provider’s policy.

Collective Counselling does not control cookies placed by an external provider after you visit that provider’s website.

If we introduce analytics, advertising technology or another non-essential tracking technology on the Collective Counselling website in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and implement consent controls where required before activating it.

13. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.

14. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, you may have the right to:

• ask whether we hold personal information about you;
• request a copy of your personal information;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete personal information;
• ask us to restrict the use of personal information;
• object to certain uses of personal information;
• request the transfer of certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• complain about how personal information has been handled.

These rights are not absolute.

For example, we may need to retain or withhold information where this is necessary to:

• comply with a legal obligation;
• protect another person’s rights or confidentiality;
• document a safeguarding matter;
• maintain required financial records; or
• establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.

A request relating to couples counselling may involve information about another person. We may need to withhold, redact or summarise information where disclosure would improperly affect somebody else’s privacy or confidentiality.

To exercise a data protection right, contact:

collectivelycounselling@gmail.com

Please describe what you are requesting and provide enough information for us to identify the relevant records.

We may need to request information to confirm your identity before disclosing personal information.

We will respond without undue delay and within the period required by applicable data protection law.

Your right to object

Where we rely on legitimate interests to use your personal information, you have the right to object.

If you object, we will stop the relevant processing unless:

• we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue which override your rights and interests; or
• the information is needed for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

You may contact us at collectivelycounselling@gmail.com to make an objection.

15. Data protection complaints

You may make a data protection complaint by emailing:

collectivelycounselling@gmail.com

Please explain:

• what you believe happened;
• which personal information is affected;
• why you are concerned; and
• what outcome you are seeking.

We will review your complaint and respond without undue delay.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
United Kingdom

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You can also submit a complaint through the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

We encourage you to contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and address your concern.

16. People under 18

Our services are intended only for adults aged 18 and over.

We do not knowingly accept people under 18 as clients.

Information about a person under 18 may occasionally be mentioned by an adult client during a session.

We will only record identifying information about a child where it is reasonably necessary, including where a safeguarding concern arises.

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy where:

• our services or working arrangements change;
• we introduce or stop using a provider or technology;
• our retention arrangements change;
• legal or regulatory requirements change; or
• further information is needed to explain how personal information is handled.

The latest version will be published on the Collective Counselling website with the date on which it was last updated.

Where a change materially affects how existing client information is used, we will take reasonable steps to bring the change to the attention of affected clients.

18. Contact us

For privacy questions, data protection requests, complaints or questions about how your information is handled, contact:

Collective Counselling

Data controllers:
Sherylynn Tetley and Jack Newhouse

Email:
collectivelycounselling@gmail.com

Correspondence address:
21 Manor Way
Sutton in Craven
North Yorkshire
BD20 7PN
UK

This address is provided for legal and administrative correspondence.

Collective Counselling provides its services online. No in-person counselling or coaching sessions are offered at this address, and the address should not be understood as the residential address or usual working location of both practitioners.