Privacy Policy

The Listening Booth Ltd
Last updated: 29/08/2026

At The Listening Booth, your privacy matters. I understand that getting in touch with a counsellor can involve sharing personal, and sometimes sensitive, information. This privacy policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it is looked after and the rights you have over your personal information.

I handle personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The Listening Booth Ltd is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

Business address: 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
Email:hello@thelisteningbooth.uk
ICO registration number: [TO ADD BEFORE LAUNCH]

Information I may collect about you

The information I collect will depend on whether you are simply visiting the website, making an enquiry, booking an initial consultation or becoming a client.

When you visit the website

The website may collect limited technical information about your visit, such as your IP address, browser or device information and how you use the website.

Cookies and similar technologies may also be used. More information can be found in the Cookie Policy.

When you make an enquiry

If you use the contact form on my website, I may collect:

your first and last name;
your email address;
what you are getting in touch about; and
any information you choose to include in the message box.

You don't need to tell me your whole story when you first get in touch. Please only share what feels necessary and comfortable at this stage.

Because this is a counselling service, information you choose to share may include information about your physical or mental health or other particularly sensitive information. Under data protection law, some of this is known as special category data and is given additional protection.

When you book an initial consultation

Initial consultations are booked through Calendly, which collects information such as your name, email address and appointment details.

The booking form also includes an optional question asking, “Is there anything you'd like me to know before our consultation?” This gives you the opportunity to let me know anything you feel would be helpful for me to know before we speak.

You don't need to answer this question. If you choose to, please only share what you feel is necessary at this stage.

If you go on to become a counselling client, ongoing counselling appointments are arranged separately and are not booked through Calendly.

If you become a client

If we agree to work together, I will need to collect and keep some additional information in order to provide counselling safely and professionally.

This may include:

your contact details;
your GP and emergency contact details;
relevant information about your physical or mental health;
information relevant to risk or safeguarding;
your client agreement;
appointment and attendance information;
relevant information you share during our work;
counselling/session notes;
communications between us; and
payment and financial records.

Some information may be collected through a secure new-client form before our first counselling session and discussed with you as part of the assessment process.

I aim to collect only the information that is genuinely necessary for our work together.

Why I use your information

I may use your personal information to:

respond to enquiries;
arrange and manage initial consultations;
assess whether I am able to offer you an appropriate counselling service;
provide counselling services to you;
communicate with you about appointments or our work together;
maintain appropriate professional records;
manage payments, invoices and business records;
meet my professional, ethical, safeguarding and legal responsibilities;
protect your vital interests or those of another person in an emergency; and
establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

I will not use information you provide through counselling for unrelated marketing purposes.

My lawful basis for using your information

Data protection law requires me to have a lawful reason for processing your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, I may process your information because:

Contract – where information is needed to take steps towards or provide counselling under our agreement.

Legitimate interests – where information is reasonably necessary to respond to enquiries or operate a safe and professional counselling practice, provided this does not override your rights and interests.

Legal obligation – where I am required to process or retain information by law.

Vital interests – in exceptional circumstances where processing is necessary to protect someone's life.

Sensitive and special category information

Counselling naturally involves information about emotional wellbeing, mental health and life experiences. Some of this may be classed as special category personal data and receives additional protection under UK data protection law.

Where I process special category information, I will only do so where an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR applies. This may include your explicit consent.

In certain circumstances, other conditions may apply, for example where processing is necessary to protect someone's vital interests, for legal claims, or for reasons of substantial public interest in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, including where relevant to confidential counselling or safeguarding.

Confidentiality and sharing your information

Your confidentiality is an important part of our work together. What you share with me during counselling is treated confidentially, and I work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

There are limited circumstances in which I may need to share information. These may include:

discussing my client work in clinical supervision as part of safe and ethical practice;
where there is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person;
where safeguarding concerns arise;
where I am legally required to disclose information;
for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; or
with service providers that securely process information on behalf of The Listening Booth.

Where possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss a disclosure with you before it takes place.

I receive regular clinical supervision in line with professional requirements. Supervision is confidential and, wherever possible, I will avoid using information that unnecessarily identifies you.

I do not sell your personal information to anyone.

The services I use

The Listening Booth uses carefully selected third-party services to operate the practice and website.

These include:

Squarespace – website hosting and enquiries.

Calendly – booking and managing free initial consultations.

Microsoft 365 – secure practice communications, client records, forms and online counselling sessions. Counselling sessions held through Microsoft Teams are not recorded by The Listening Booth.

Stripe – providing an alternative payment option for clients who prefer not to pay by bank transfer.

Xero – bookkeeping, accounting and financial records.

These organisations may process information on behalf of The Listening Booth or have their own responsibilities under data protection law.

Some technology providers may process or store information outside the UK. Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards will be used in accordance with UK data protection law.

How I store and protect your information

I take reasonable and appropriate steps to keep your information secure and to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

Practice and client information is stored electronically using secure, access-controlled systems. I do not routinely keep paper copies of client records.

Where appropriate, identifying information and counselling records may be separated or referenced using a client code to reduce unnecessary identification.

Access to client information is limited to what is necessary to provide and manage the service.

How long I keep your information

I do not keep personal information for longer than is necessary.

As a general guide:

enquiries and initial consultation information where counselling does not proceed will normally be retained for up to 6 months after our last contact;
client counselling records will normally be retained for 7 years after our work together ends;
financial and accounting records will normally be retained for 6 years from the end of the relevant company financial year, in line with applicable legal and tax requirements.

Some information may need to be retained for longer where there is a legal, safeguarding, insurance or professional reason to do so.

Once information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or destroyed where appropriate.

Website cookies and analytics

The Listening Booth website uses cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are necessary for the website to function, while others help me understand how visitors use the website.

I use Squarespace's built-in analytics to understand general website traffic and activity. Non-essential analytics cookies are only used where you have given your consent.

You can accept, decline or manage non-essential cookies through the website's cookie settings and change your preferences at any time.

More information can be found in the Cookie Policy.

Email and online communication

Email and other forms of electronic communication can never be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Please consider this when deciding what information to include in an email or website enquiry. You do not need to provide detailed personal or sensitive information when making your first enquiry.

Client communications are currently managed by email using Microsoft Outlook.

Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you;
ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;
ask me to restrict how your information is used;
object to certain uses of your information; and
receive certain information in a portable format where applicable.

Not every right applies in every situation, and there may be circumstances in which information needs to be retained despite a request for deletion.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights or have a question about how your information is handled, please contact:

hello@thelisteningbooth.uk

I may need to confirm your identity before responding to a request.

Concerns or complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first at: