Privacy Policy — Existential Therapy

Last updated: 06.01.2026

At Existential Therapy, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, transparency and in compliance with UK data protection laws, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This privacy policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, how we protect it and your rights in relation to your data when you visit our website or engage in our online therapy services.

Who We Are

Existential Therapy provides online counselling and psychotherapy services to clients across the United Kingdom. We are a data controller in respect of the personal information you provide to us.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can contact us at:
Email: juliethomas@existentialtherapy.online
This Privacy Policy applies only to activities of Existential Therapy in relation to your personal data.

What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

a. Contact Information

Your name
Email address
Telephone number
Address (if provided voluntarily)

b. Therapy Information

Assessment and session notes
Emotional and mental health information disclosed during therapy
Appointment records and communications

c. Website Usage Data

IP address and browser information
Pages visited and interaction data
Cookies and analytics data (see Cookies section)

Some of your therapy information may fall into special category personal data (e.g. health and mental health details). We handle this with additional safeguards in line with UK GDPR obligations for sensitive data.

How We Use Your Personal Information

We process your data for the following purposes:

a. To Provide Therapy Services
We use your personal and therapy information to deliver online counselling services, manage appointments, and communicate with you about therapy needs.

b. To Administer Your Relationship with Us
This includes booking, cancellations, invoicing, billing, payments and record keeping.

c. For Legal, Regulatory and Safety Purposes
We may process your data where necessary to comply with legal obligations (e.g. safeguarding concerns or to defend legal claims).

d. To Improve Our Services
We may use website usage data to understand how clients interact with our site and to improve user experience.

We do not use your personal data for marketing unless you have provided explicit consent to receive marketing communications.

Lawful Basis for Data Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data:

Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to provide therapy services you request (e.g. session notes and contact info).
Legal obligation: Processing to meet our legal duties such as record keeping and safeguarding.
Legitimate interests: For administrative and service improvement purposes where not overridden by your rights.
Explicit consent: Where required (e.g. marketing emails).

Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. These may include:

Essential cookies (necessary for site function)
Analytics cookies (to understand how visitors use the site)

You may manage cookie preferences via your browser settings. Cookies do not generally collect personal information. However, if we ever use cookies that collect identifiable data, we will inform you and request consent.

How We Store and Protect Your Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss or misuse. These measures include:

Secure, encrypted digital storage
Restricted access to therapy records
Password‑protected systems
Regular review of data security practices

We retain your personal and therapy records only as long as necessary to fulfil contractual obligations, clinical record‑keeping standards and legal requirements, after which your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Who We May Share Your Data With

We will not share your personal or therapy information with third parties except in the following circumstances:

With your explicit consent
To meet legal or regulatory obligations
To protect your vital interests or those of others (e.g. serious risk of harm)
With trusted service providers who assist with administrative tasks (e.g. payment processors), where we ensure adequate protections are in place

We do not sell or trade your personal data to external marketers.

our Privacy Rights

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights:

The right to know what personal data we hold about you
The right to request access to your data
The right to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
The right to request deletion (where legal obligations allow)
The right to restrict or object to certain processing
The right to withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Insert contact email]. We will respond in accordance with legal timeframes.

Data Breach Procedures

In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal data, we will notify you and relevant authorities, including the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), in accordance with legal requirements. We take breaches seriously and will act promptly to mitigate risks.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or how we operate. The revised policy will be posted on this website with an updated date. Continued use of our services after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, complaints or requests regarding this privacy policy or how your data is used, please contact:

Email: juliethomas@existentialtherapy.online
Existential Therapy
UK online counselling provider