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Privacy Policy

June 2026

Confidentiality is fundamental to my work. I am committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that all shared information is handled securely and professionally.

  1. Who I Am

I am Nicki Slaney, a Person-Centred, Attachment & Trauma Psychotherapeutic Counsellor running my private practice, Talk with Nicki.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller. My ICO registration number is: ZB685472.

My contact information is as follows:

Talk with Nicki

Oakwood Drive, Billericay, CM12 0SA

Email: nickislaney@gmail.com

Telephone: 07956108670

Website: talkwithnicki.co.uk

  1. What This Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you:

  • Visit my website at talkwithnicki.co.uk
  • Enquire about or use my counselling services
  • Communicate with me by phone, email, text or WhatsApp

I encourage you to read this in full. If anything is unclear or you have any questions, please do get in touch.

  1. The Information I Collect

Personal Information

When you contact me or begin working with me, I may collect:

  • Your name, email address and phone number
  • Your date of birth
  • Your full home address
  • Emergency contact details

Health and Sensitive Information

Because of the nature of counselling work, I may also hold:

  • Information about your mental health and emotional wellbeing
  • Relevant medical history that you choose to share with me
  • Session notes and any other information you share during our work together

This type of information is classified as special category data under UK GDPR, and I treat it with the utmost care and discretion.

Website Information

When you visit my website, some basic technical data may be collected automatically, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you visit. This is explained further in my Cookie Policy below.

  1. Why I Hold Your Information

I use your information only for the purposes it was shared with me, which include:

  • Providing you with counselling services and managing our therapeutic relationship
  • Communicating with you about appointments, fees and any relevant updates
  • Keeping accurate records as required by my professional body, BACP
  • Ensuring your safety and the safety of others where necessary
  • Meeting my legal obligations as a data controller

The legal basis I rely on for processing your information is primarily the performance of our contract (our counselling agreement), your consent where explicitly given, and legitimate interests in running a safe and professional practice.

  1. Confidentiality

There are a small number of situations where I may need to share information without your consent. These are rare and only occur when:

  • There is a serious and immediate risk of harm to you or to someone else
  • There are safeguarding concerns relating to a child or vulnerable adult
  • If you were to mention anything to do with drug trafficking, money laundering or acts of terrorism.
  • I am legally required to do so, for example by a court order

I also receive regular clinical supervision as part of my professional practice. Your information may be discussed in supervision, but I will always protect your identity. Your supervisor is bound by the same confidentiality obligations as I am.

  1. How Long I Keep Your Information

I retain client records for seven years following the end of our work together, in line with BACP guidance and professional best practice. After this period, your records are securely destroyed.

Your contact details such as telephone numbers, GP details and email addresses may be stored electronically or on a mobile phone, and will be deleted six months after your final session.

If you enquire about my services but we do not go on to work together, I will hold your contact details only for as long as is necessary and then delete them.

  1. Keeping Your Information Safe

I take the security of your personal information seriously. The steps I take include:

  • Using password-protected devices and encrypted storage for digital records
  • Using secure, confidential channels for any sensitive communication
  • Regularly reviewing my data handling practices

In the unlikely event of a data breach that could affect your rights or freedoms, I am legally required to notify the ICO within 72 hours and to inform you directly if necessary.

  1. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have a number of important rights in relation to your personal data. You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information I hold about you
  • Ask me to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Ask me to delete your information, subject to my legal and professional obligations
  • Object to or restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances
  • Withdraw your consent at any time, where consent is the basis for processing
  • Raise a complaint with me, and if you are not satisfied with my response, escalate it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To exercise any of these rights, simply get in touch with me directly. I will always respond as promptly as I can, and within one month at the latest.

  1. How to Make a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how I have handled your personal data, I would always encourage you to come to me directly in the first instance. I take any concern seriously and I will do my very best to resolve things promptly and fairly.

You can make a complaint by contacting me at the above contact information.

I will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and investigate it without undue delay. This is my commitment to you, and it is also a requirement under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

If you are not satisfied with my response, you can then escalate your complaint to the ICO at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

  1. Third Parties

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

I may use trusted third-party services to help me run my practice, such as secure email providers or scheduling tools. Where I do, I ensure they meet the same data protection standards that I hold myself to.

My website may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their policies separately.

  1. Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in how I work. Any updates will be posted on my website and the date at the top of this page will be revised.

 

Cookie Policy

June 2026

  1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the website remember information about your visit, which can make your next visit easier and the site more useful to you.

Cookies are very common and used by almost every website. They are not harmful and do not give anyone access to your device.

  1. How My Website Uses Cookies

My website at talkwithnicki.co.uk may use cookies for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies

These are necessary for the website to function properly. Without them, parts of the site may not work as expected. They do not collect any personally identifiable information.

Analytics Cookies

My website may use Google Analytics, a service provided by Google LLC, to help me understand how visitors use my site. This might include information such as which pages are visited most, how long visitors stay, and how they found the site. Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, low-risk analytics cookies of this kind are no longer subject to the same consent requirements as other cookies.

Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this data. The information generated is typically transferred to and stored on Google’s servers. I use this information only to improve the website experience. It does not identify you personally.

You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Functional Cookies

These cookies allow the website to remember your preferences and provide a more personalised experience. For example, they may remember your cookie consent choice.

  1. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You are in control of cookies. You can:

  • Accept or decline cookies when you first visit my website, if a consent banner is shown
  • Change your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings
  • Delete cookies that have already been placed on your device

Please be aware that disabling certain cookies may affect the way my website works for you.

For guidance on managing cookies in different browsers, visit www.allaboutcookies.org

  1. Third Party Cookies

Some cookies on my website may be set by third party services rather than by me directly. Where this is the case, those third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies, which I would encourage you to read.