Tree Space Therapy
Data Controller: Natasha Coleman
Email: treespacetherapy@gmail.com
Last updated: September 2026
 
About this privacy notice
Your privacy is important to me. This privacy notice explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how I store and protect it, who I may share it with, and your rights in relation to your personal information.
 
I am committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of the information you share with me. I process personal information in accordance with UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This notice applies to information collected through my website, when you contact me about counselling, and when you become a counselling client.
 
What information do I collect?
 I keep the personal information I collect to a minimum and only collect information that is necessary for my work.
If you contact me about counselling I may collect your:

• name

• telephone number and email

• information you choose to provide when making an enquiry

My website includes contact information. Please avoid including detailed or sensitive personal information about your circumstances in the contact form. If counselling is arranged, I will explain how information is collected and managed as part of the counselling agreement.

If you become a counselling client I collect and retain:

• your name

• telephone number

• the name of your GP practice in case I believe you are a risk to yourself

• counselling notes, which are assigned an anonymised client code

Counselling notes may contain information relating to your mental or physical health. This is classed as special category data under UK data protection law and is handled with additional care. I only collect information that is necessary for the provision of counselling and for safe and ethical professional practice.

Why do I collect and use your information?
I collect and use your information because it is necessary for me to:

• provide counselling to you;

• communicate with you about your counselling;

• maintain appropriate professional records;

• support safe and ethical counselling practice;

• meet my professional responsibilities;

• respond appropriately where there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person.

I do not collect or use personal information for purposes unrelated to my counselling practice.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Lawful basis for processing your information

I process your personal information where this is necessary to provide the counselling service you have requested and to manage my professional practice. Where I process information about your physical or mental health, this is special category data and I rely on the applicable conditions under UK data protection law for processing such information in connection with counselling.
I do not ask you to provide information that is unnecessary for the counselling work.

How is your information stored?
I take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.
Your identifying information — including your name, telephone number and GP practice is kept in a locked cabinet, to which only I have a key.
Your counselling notes are kept separately from your identifying information. They are assigned an anonymised client code and are stored electronically on a password-protected hard drive. Only I have access to these records.

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is fundamental to my counselling practice.
Information you share during counselling will normally remain confidential and will not be shared with other people without your knowledge and agreement, except where there is a lawful and ethically justified reason to do so.
There are circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be limited. For example, if I have serious concerns that you are at risk of significant harm, or that another person is at serious risk of harm, I may need to share relevant information in order to protect you or someone else.

For example, if I believed that you had a clear plan and intent to take your own life and that there was a serious and immediate concern for your safety, I may need to contact your GP or another appropriate service. Where possible and appropriate, I would discuss this with you before making such a disclosure. Information may also need to be disclosed where I am legally required or authorised to do so.
The limits of confidentiality are discussed with you as part of the counselling agreement.

Professional supervision
As part of my professional practice, I undertake regular clinical supervision. Supervision is an essential part of safe and ethical counselling practice. I may discuss aspects of my counselling work with my supervisor/s so that I can reflect on my practice and ensure that I am working safely and appropriately. I use thoroughly anonymised information in supervision wherever possible. My supervisor is not given your full name, telephone number, GP practice or other identifying information.

BACP's Ethical Framework recognises supervision as an appropriate and necessary part of professional practice and specifically supports the use of thoroughly anonymised client information where this is a practical alternative to sharing identifiable information.

Website and Wix
My website is hosted by Wix. If you use the website, Wix may collect technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device information and information about how you use the website. I may use Wix Analytics to understand how visitors use my website and to help me improve its content and functionality.

Email
I use treespace​therapy@gmail.com as my dedicated professional email address for communicating with clients and responding to counselling enquiries. Please be aware that ordinary email is not completely secure. I therefore ask that you avoid sending highly sensitive therapeutic information by email. Email will generally be used for practical communication, such as arranging appointments and responding to enquiries.

Online counselling
Where counselling takes place online, I use Zoom. I do not routinely record counselling sessions. Zoom is an independent service provider and its own privacy and data protection practices apply when you use the service.

​

Substack and newsletter

I may use Substack to publish writing and, where you choose to subscribe, to send newsletters. If you subscribe to my Substack newsletter, your email address will be processed by Substack for the purpose of delivering the newsletter to you.

Subscribing to my newsletter is entirely separate from counselling. Subscribing to the newsletter does not make you a counselling client.
You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link provided by Substack. My website may also display or embed content from Substack. When you interact with Substack content, Substack may process information in accordance with its own privacy policy.
 

Who do I share your information with?
I do not sell, rent or share your personal information for marketing purposes. I do not routinely share identifiable client information with anyone. The only person with whom I discuss aspects of my counselling work is my clinical supervisor/s, and information discussed in supervision is anonymised so that you are not identifiable. In exceptional circumstances, information may need to be shared where this is necessary to protect you or another person from serious harm, to meet safeguarding responsibilities, or where I am legally required or authorised to disclose it by a court of law. Where possible and appropriate, I will discuss any proposed disclosure with you beforehand.                                                                                                                  
How long do I keep your information?
I retain counselling records for six years after the end of counselling. This is in accordance with my professional record-keeping responsibilities and BACP guidance. After the relevant retention period, records will be securely destroyed or permanently deleted.                                                                                                            
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have rights in relation to the personal information I hold about you.

These may include:

• asking to see the personal information I hold about you;

• asking for inaccurate information to be corrected;

• asking for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;

• asking for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances;

• objecting to certain types of processing; and

• other rights provided by UK data protection legislation.

These rights are subject to certain legal limitations and are not absolute in every circumstance.
If you would like to exercise one of these rights, or if you have a question about how I use your information, please contact me at:
treespace​therapy@gmail.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Complaints
If you have concerns about the way I have handled your personal information, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve your concerns.
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which is the UK's independent regulator for data protection where I am registered. Further information about the ICO and making a complaint is available from the ICO's website.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Changes to this privacy notice
I may update this privacy notice from time to time if my practice, the technology I use or data protection requirements change.
The most recent version will always be available on the Tree Space Therapy website.

Last updated: September 2026