Counsellor offering online counselling and therapy in East Belfast and Northern Ireland, focused on emotional well-being support.

Counselling with Susan

Counselling & Psychotherapy Online and In-Person in Belfast

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

Who I Am

I'm Listening | Counselling with Susan provides counselling services to adults in Belfast and online across Northern Ireland, the UK and Ireland.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

I am committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Email: Imlistening@counsellingwithsusan.co.uk

ICO Registration Number: ZB856174

Information I Collect

Personal information may be collected through:


  • My website contact form
  • Email correspondence
  • Enquiries received through the BACP Therapist Directory and Counselling Directory
  • Enquiries received via Counselling Directory
  • Initial consultation calls
  • Setmore appointment scheduling
  • Counselling sessions
  • Forms completed before counselling, including my Counselling Agreement and Pre-Counselling Client Information Form


The information collected may include:


  • Your name, email address, telephone number and address
  • Emergency contact details and GP information
  • Appointment and payment information
  • Information relevant to your counselling, health and wellbeing
  • Information you share about your personal history and circumstances

Counselling records and relevant notes

Where payment is made by bank transfer, payment records may include the name and reference information provided with the transfer.


Information relating to your health and wellbeing is considered special category data under UK GDPR and receives additional protection.

How I Use Your Information

I use personal information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and arrange initial consultation calls
  • Arrange and manage appointments
  • Provide counselling services
  • Prepare for and support counselling sessions
  • Maintain appropriate client records
  • Meet legal, ethical and professional obligations
  • Maintain accurate financial records
  • Support safe and effective counselling practice

I only collect and use information that is relevant to these purposes.

Lawful Basis for Processing

I process personal information where there is a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

  • Contract – where processing is necessary to provide counselling services and manage the counselling agreement.
  • Legitimate Interests – where processing is necessary for the safe, ethical and effective operation of my counselling practice, provided these interests do not override your rights.
  • Legal obligation: where I need to process information to meet a legal requirement.


Special Category Personal Data

Counselling may involve sharing sensitive information about your physical and mental health, emotional wellbeing, personal history and other circumstances relevant to your counselling. This information is treated as special category personal data under the UK GDPR.

I process this information only where it is necessary for the purposes explained in this Privacy Policy and where an applicable condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR, together with any relevant requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, permits me to do so.

I take steps to ensure that the information I collect is relevant to providing counselling, that it is handled confidentially and that it is retained only for as long as necessary in accordance with my Data Retention Policy.

Withdrawing Consent

You can withdraw your consent to the processing of your health and other sensitive personal information at any time by contacting me.

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before your consent was withdrawn.

Depending on the circumstances, I may still need to retain certain records, or process information for another purpose, where permitted or required by data protection law. This may include retaining records where necessary for legal claims or to meet legal obligations.

If you withdraw your consent, I will discuss with you what this means for our counselling work and explain whether I can continue to provide counselling. I will handle any information I am permitted or required to retain in accordance with my data protection obligations and Data Retention Policy.

Confidentiality

Information shared during counselling is treated as confidential.

There are circumstances in which information may need to be disclosed, including:


  • Where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person
  • Where there are safeguarding concerns involving a child or an adult at risk
  • Where disclosure is required by law or court order
  • Where disclosure is necessary to meet relevant professional or legal obligations


Where possible and appropriate, I will discuss any proposed disclosure with you beforehand. Information shared will be limited to what is necessary.

Professional Supervision

I attend regular professional supervision to support safe, ethical and effective counselling practice.


Client work may be discussed during supervision. I take steps to protect clients' confidentiality, including using codes rather than names in my supervision notebook and removing identifying information wherever possible. Supervision is conducted in accordance with relevant professional confidentiality requirements.

Storage and Security

I take appropriate steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

Electronic information is held on password-protected systems with appropriate security measures. My laptop is protected by a password and two-step authentication.

I also keep a limited amount of information in paper form. This may include a supervision notebook using client codes and occasional notes from initial consultation calls. Paper records are kept at my home, separate from the counselling room. I take steps to protect their confidentiality and securely dispose of records when they are no longer required.

I use Setmore to manage appointments and record brief notes relating to initial consultation calls within the relevant client profile. I use two-factor authentication on my Setmore account.

Website and Third-Party Services

WebHealer hosts my website and supports my website contact form. Information submitted through the contact form may be processed to enable me to respond to your enquiry.

Roundcube/WebHealer Email — Email communication

I use email to respond to enquiries, arrange appointments and communicate with clients about counselling.

Setmore — Appointment scheduling

I use Setmore to manage appointments and record brief notes relating to initial consultation calls.

Setmore has confirmed to me that its Data Processing Addendum (DPA) covers UK GDPR requirements for UK-based businesses, including those in Northern Ireland. Setmore has advised that client information is stored in secure cloud data centres in the United States, and that its safeguards include Standard Contractual Clauses and technical and organisational security measures.

Setmore has also confirmed that data transmitted over public networks is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher, and that stored data and backups are encrypted using AES-256 or stronger encryption.

Jotform — Counselling agreements and client information forms

I use Jotform to collect pre-counselling client information and signed counselling agreements. The information submitted may include contact details, emergency contact and GP information, health and wellbeing information, and confirmation of agreement to counselling terms.

Jotform's published information states that personal data is usually stored in the United States unless an alternative data-storage arrangement has been agreed. Jotform states that its Data Processing Addendum includes contractual safeguards for international data transfers and that it uses technical and organisational security measures.

I will ensure that the arrangements applicable to my account are checked and that appropriate safeguards are in place for any international transfers of personal information.

Google Meet — Online counselling

I use Google Meet to conduct online counselling sessions. Information may be processed as necessary to facilitate online sessions and operate the service.

Google Analytics — Website analytics

My website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the website and to help improve its content and performance.

Each provider has its own privacy information and security arrangements. These services may process personal information on my behalf and may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where international transfer rules apply, I take steps to ensure that appropriate arrangements and safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Sharing Information

I do not sell personal information or share it for marketing purposes.

Information may be shared where necessary to:

  • Meet legal obligations
  • Address safeguarding concerns
  • Protect the safety of individuals
  • Obtain professional support through supervision
  • Use the service providers described in this policy to manage appointments, forms, email, online sessions and website services

Any disclosure will be limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.


How Long Information Is Kept

I retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking account of applicable legal, professional and insurance requirements.

Further information about retention periods and the disposal of records can be found in my Data Retention Policy.

If you make an enquiry but do not proceed with counselling, your information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to manage the enquiry and meet any applicable legal or professional obligations.

When information is no longer required, I take appropriate steps to dispose of it securely.

Your Rights

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

  • Under data protection law, you may have the right to:
  • Request access to your personal information
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request erasure of your information where applicable
  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
  • Object to certain types of processing
  • Request a copy of your information in a portable format where applicable
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
  • These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.

If you would like to exercise your rights or ask a question about how your information is handled, please contact me at imlistening@counsellingwithsusan.co.uk.

Cookies and Website Analytics

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to help it function and to understand how visitors use the site.

Google Analytics may collect information about website usage, such as pages visited and time spent on the site. The information collected depends on the website's analytics and cookie settings.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Where required, the website will provide appropriate information and controls for non-essential cookies.

Data Protection Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me in the first instance.

I will acknowledge and investigate complaints appropriately and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, the services I use or my working practices.

The most recent version will be available on my website.