Privacy Policy

Who I am

Karen Britter Therapies is run by Karen Britter, a clinical hypnotherapist based at YOMA Therapies, 135 The Broadway, Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 3EX. I am the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number ZA315359.

I take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what personal information I collect, why, how long I keep it and the rights you have, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What I collect

• Contact details — your name, phone number and email address when you call, text, WhatsApp, email or book a call.
• Booking details — the date, time and type of any call or session you book.
• Therapy information — what you tell me before and during therapy, including information about your physical and mental health, and my session notes.
• Payment details — a record of the fees you have paid. I do not store card details.
• Newsletter sign-ups — your email address, if you ask to receive my articles by email.

Information about your health is “special category” data. I only collect what I need to provide therapy safely and effectively, and I keep it confidential.

Why I use it

• To reply to your enquiry and arrange calls and sessions — because you have asked me to (taking steps to enter into a contract with you).
• To provide therapy and keep accurate records — to fulfil our agreement, and for health information, because it is necessary to provide care and treatment and with your explicit consent.
• To keep financial records — because the law requires it.
• To send you my articles by email — because you have asked me to (your consent), which you can withdraw at any time.

I will never sell your information or use it for marketing without your consent.

Children and young people

When I work with clients under 18, I collect a parent or guardian’s contact details and consent before therapy begins.

Who I share it with

I only share your information when it is needed to provide my service, or when the law requires it:

• Service providers who handle information on my behalf, such as my online booking system (Calendly), video calls (Zoom or FaceTime), email and secure storage. They may only use it to provide their service to me.
• Your GP or other healthcare professionals — only with your permission.
• Others, without your consent — only in the rare event that I believe you or someone else is at serious risk of harm, or if the law requires it.

Some service providers may store information outside the UK. Where they do, they protect it with safeguards approved under UK law.

How long I keep it

I keep therapy records for 7 years after our last session, or for clients under 18, until they turn 25. Financial records are kept for 6 years, as required by HMRC. Enquiries that don’t lead to therapy are deleted within 12 months. Newsletter sign-ups are kept until you unsubscribe.

Your rights

You have the right to ask for a copy of the information I hold about you, and to ask me to correct it, delete it, or restrict or object to how I use it. Where I rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. To use any of these rights, contact me using the details below. I will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your information, please let me know so I can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

This website

This website doesn’t use analytics or advertising, and the only form on it is the newsletter sign-up. Like most websites, the hosting company keeps standard server logs, which include IP addresses, for a short time to keep the website secure.

Booking links take you to Calendly, which has its own privacy policy. Videos are hosted on YouTube but only load when you press play; YouTube (Google) may then set cookies and collect information about your device and viewing, as described in Google’s privacy policy. See the cookie policy for details.

Newsletter

If you sign up for my articles by email, the website sends your email address to me by email, and I use it only to send you my articles and occasional news. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying to any email or contacting me, and I’ll remove your address.

To stop the form being misused, the website keeps a scrambled (hashed) copy of your IP address for one hour after you sign up.

Changes to this policy

I may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of the page shows when it was last changed.

Contact

For any questions about this policy or your information, please get in touch:

• Karen Britter Therapies
• YOMA Therapies, 135 The Broadway, Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 3EX
• Email: karen.britter@gmail.com
• Phone: 07941 349743