Counselling Privacy Policy
At Yambuko, your data matters. This counselling privacy policy explains how we handle your personal data with care, confidentiality and in full compliance with UK GDPR and data protection law.
Who we are
Our website address is: https://yambuko.co.uk
This is a UK-based counselling practice, governed by the UK Law for England and Wales.
Last updated August 2026
The information I collect and why
Enquiries and inital contact
If you contact me, for example, through my website’s contact form, by email or by phone, to ask about counselling, I will collect the details you provide. This may include your name, email address and phone number and the content of your message. I use this information only to respond to your enquiry and arrange an initial contact or session.
I process your data in order to respond to your enquiry and take the necessary steps before we begin working together.
If we do not go on to work together, I will delete your enquiry within one week, unless you ask me to keep it or contact me again.
Becoming a client
If you decide to become a client, I will collect the following, which are added to my confidential client records, as described in your Counselling Agreement.:
- The contact details you provide at the enquiry stage,
- Along with any further information gathered during our work together, such as session notes and assessment information.
I’ll process this data to deliver your counselling sessions. Where it includes health ot sensitive information, it is processed with your explicit consent, given when you sign the Counselling Agreement.
I retain these records for the period set out in your Counselling Agreement (currently three years after counselling ends, unless there is a professional or legal reason to keep them longer). I store them securely in line with the confidentiality and data protection terms of that Agreement.
Newsletter sign-up
If you choose to sign up to my newsletter, I will use your name and email address to send you updates, articles or information about my practice. Signing up is entirely optional and separate from becoming a client. I will only add you to the newsletter list if you actively opt in, and I will never add enquiry or client contact details to the newsletter list without your separate consent.
Cookies
My webste does not use cookies.
Who I share your data with
I do not sell or share your personal information with thirs parties for marketing purposes.
As set out in your Counselling Agreement, I discuss my clinical work with a supervisor as part of safe practice. In those cases, your identity is protected in those discussions. Information may also be shared where I am required to do so by law, where there is serious risk of harm, where there are safeguarding concerns, or where a court requires it – again, as described in your Counselling Agreement.
If I use third-party services to help run my website and send newsletters, or manage bookings, those providers will process personal data on my behalf as data processors, under contracts that require them to protect your information.
How long I retain your data
I don’t keep enquiry details of those who do not go on to become clients for more than one week.
I retain:
- Client records for the period set out in your Counselling Agreement, currently three years after counselling ends, unless there is a professional or legal reason to retain them for longer.
- Newsletter contact details for as long as you are subscribed and delete them promptly once you unsubscribe.
Your rights over your data
Under UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to:
- Request a copy of the personal data I hold of you
- Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
- Ask me to erase personal data I hold about you, where this does not conflict with a legal, professional or safeguarding obligation to retain it
- Withdraw consent at any time, for example by subscribing from the newsletter
- Object to or restrict certain kinds of processing
To exercise any of these rights, please get in touch with me using the details on this website. If you’re still concerned about how your data is handled after raising it with me, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk
Where your data is sent
The information on the contact form is sent to me via email. The contact details collected on the contact form are deleted after one week.