Privacy Policy

Contact Details

Name: Karen Sargison
Phone Number: 07423167491

Karen Sargison, Total Focus Therapy is the data controller responsible for your personal information. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

The type of personal information we collect
We collect and process personal data including your name, contact details, date of birth, contact details (including address, telephone number, e-mail), emergency contact details and special category data (health/mental health information) for the purpose of providing counselling services. This data is processed on the lawful basis of contract and, where applicable, explicit consent for special category health data under Article 9 UK GDPR.

How we get the personal information and why we have it
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting me on 07423167491 or totalfocustherapy@gmail.com
(b) We have a contractual obligation
(c) We have a vital interest
(d) We have a legitimate interest

The information is collected by me for these reasons below:

Vital Interest – in the event of a medical emergency, details may be passed on to medical professionals to protect your life.
Legitimate Interest – to fulfil contractual obligations and process data in a way that is expected for the role we undertake.

Your data is used solely to deliver and administer your counselling sessions, maintain clinical records, comply with our professional obligations (e.g. safeguarding duties), and — where required — liaise with supervising bodies. We will never sell your data or use it for marketing purposes.

How we store your personal information
Your personal information is securely stored in paper format in a locked file separately from other anonymised session notes.

Electronic information such as e-mail addresses, e-mails and some notes are kept on a secure laptop that is password protected and each file is encrypted and additionally password protected.
Phone numbers are kept on a locked mobile with additional security software and texts are deleted after being read unless they are relevant to the working process in which case they will be transferred to paper format then deleted.

Counselling records are retained for 7 years, or for those under 18 when they start counselling sessions, for 5 years after they turn 18 following the end of the therapeutic relationship, in line with professional guidance from BACP and NCPS. Records are then securely destroyed.

Third Parties
We do not share your information with any third parties unless there is a medical emergency or disclosure of serious crime (as described above).

My website totalfocustherapy.co.uk uses third party cookies. You can opt out of these by using the opt out button on the home page. See https://www.allaboutcookies.org/ for more information on cookies.
we use third party computer software and anti-virus protection, if there is a data breach we will inform you as soon as possible.

Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data; to restrict or object to processing; and to data portability, subject to applicable exemptions. To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below.

Your right of access - You have the right to ask for copies of your personal information.
Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact me at 07423167491 or totalfocustherapy@gmail.com if you wish to make a request.

How to complain
Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Section 164A, Data Protection Act 2018, in force 19 June 2026), you have a statutory right to raise a data protection complaint directly with me before escalating to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal data, please submit your complaint in writing to: totalfocustherapy@gmail.com.

• We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receipt.

• We will investigate and provide a full response without undue delay.

• You will be kept informed throughout the process.

If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may then escalate your complaint to the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.