Effective Date: 1 September 2025
Website: christiancounsellingni.com
Christian Counselling NI (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Information We Collect
When you use our website or counselling services, we may collect the following types of information:
- Personal details (such as your name, email address, phone number, postal address).
- Sensitive personal data (such as information relating to your mental health, wellbeing, faith, or other details you choose to share with us during counselling).
- Technical information (such as IP address, browser type, and device information when you visit our website).
- Communication data (such as messages or enquiries submitted through our contact forms).
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information to:
- Provide and manage counselling services.
- Respond to your enquiries and communicate with you.
- Maintain proper records of counselling sessions.
- Improve our website and services.
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
We will always ask for your explicit consent before collecting or processing sensitive personal data related to your health or faith.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data based on one or more of the following:
- Consent – where you have given us clear permission.
- Contract – where processing is necessary to provide counselling services.
- Legal obligation – where processing is required by law.
- Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for the safe and effective operation of our services.
4. Sharing Your Information
We will never sell your data. We may share your information only with:
- Professional counsellors working within Christian Counselling NI.
- Trusted third-party service providers (e.g. secure email or website hosting).
- Regulators or authorities if legally required.
5. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep your information secure, including encryption, secure storage, and restricted access.
6. Data Retention
We keep your personal information only as long as necessary for counselling and record-keeping purposes, or as required by law. Counselling records are typically retained for [insert retention period, e.g. 7 years] after the end of your sessions.
7. Your Rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Request deletion of your data (subject to legal obligations).
- Restrict or object to certain processing.
- Withdraw consent at any time.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (www.ico.org.uk).
8. Cookies and Website Data
Our website may use cookies to improve user experience and monitor website performance. You can control cookie settings through your browser.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us:
Christian Counselling NI
Email: hello@christiancounsellingni.com
Website: christiancounsellingni.com
