Privacy Policy | Sayed Shajaat Hussain Kazmi Counselling

Your privacy is important to me. This policy explains how I collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use this website or engage with my counselling services.

Last updated: January 2024

Who I Am

I am Sayed Shajaat Hussain Kazmi, a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I operate as a sole practitioner providing counselling services in Swindon and online.

Contact:
The Shaftesbury Centre, Percy Street, Rodbourne, Swindon, SN2
Telephone: 01793 569339

Information I Collect

Information you provide directly

When you contact me or use my services, I may collect:

Your name and contact details (email, phone number, address)
Information you share in the contact form on this website
Health and wellbeing information relevant to counselling
Session notes and records related to your therapy
Payment information (for invoicing purposes only)

Information collected automatically

This website may collect limited technical information such as:

Your IP address
Browser type and version
Pages you visit on this site
Date and time of your visit

This information is used only to ensure the website functions correctly and is not used for tracking or marketing purposes.

How I Use Your Information

I use your personal information to:

Respond to your enquiries and arrange appointments
Provide counselling services
Maintain accurate clinical records as required by my professional body (BACP)
Manage payments and invoicing
Communicate with you about your appointments
Comply with legal and professional obligations

Legal Basis for Processing

I process your personal information on the following legal bases:

Consent: When you contact me or engage my services, you consent to the collection and use of your information for the purposes described.
Contract: Processing is necessary to provide counselling services you have requested.
Legal obligation: I may need to process information to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for my legitimate business interests, provided this doesn't override your rights.

Counselling Records and Confidentiality

Confidentiality is fundamental to counselling. Information you share in sessions is kept strictly confidential, with limited exceptions:

If there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others
If required by law (e.g., court orders, certain safeguarding situations)
If you provide explicit consent to share information

I keep brief, factual session notes as required by my professional body. These notes are stored securely and are not shared with anyone without your consent, except in the limited circumstances described above.

How I Protect Your Information

I take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate measures to protect it, including:

Secure storage of paper records in locked cabinets
Password protection and encryption for electronic records
Secure video platforms for online sessions
Regular review of security practices

Data Retention

I retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

Enquiries: Contact form submissions are retained for up to 2 years if you don't become a client.
Client records: Counselling records are retained for 7 years after our last session, as recommended by my professional body and insurance requirements.
Financial records: Payment records are retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes.

After these periods, records are securely destroyed.

Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal information I hold about you.
Right to rectification: You can ask me to correct inaccurate information.
Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask me to delete your information.
Right to restrict processing: You can ask me to limit how I use your information.
Right to data portability: You can request your data in a portable format.
Right to object: You can object to certain types of processing.
Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details above. I will respond within one month.

Sharing Your Information

I do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. I may share information with:

Professional supervisors: I discuss my work in supervision (a professional requirement), but clients are not identified by name or identifiable details.
Legal authorities: If required by law or to protect safety.
Service providers: Such as website hosting or payment processing, who are contractually bound to protect your information.

Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to external websites. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies.

Changes to This Policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Significant changes will be communicated to existing clients directly.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how I handle your personal information, please contact me first so I can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Website: ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Contact Me

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how I handle your personal information, please contact me:

Sayed Shajaat Hussain Kazmi
The Shaftesbury Centre, Percy Street, Rodbourne, Swindon, SN2
Telephone: 01793 569339