Privacy Policy and Data Protection

Last updated: April 2026

1. Who We Are

SJRCounselling is operated by Sam Rawlings, a Children’s Creative Counsellor providing emotional wellbeing support, creative therapy sessions, and resources for children, young people, and parents.

Business Name: SJRCounselling
Address: 13 Austhorpe Road, Cross Gates, Leeds LS15 8BA, United Kingdom
Email: sam@sjrcounselling.com
Telephone: 01977 801654

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

Name
Email address
Telephone number (if provided)
Information submitted via enquiry or booking forms
Client information and session notes (where applicable)
Payment information (processed securely via Stripe or handled via bank transfer where applicable)
IP address and website usage data

Some of this data, particularly in relation to counselling services, may be considered special category (sensitive) data under UK GDPR.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect data in the following ways:

Through forms on our website (hosted on Wix)
When you sign up to emails or download resources via MailerLite
When you contact us directly
Through bookings and client onboarding processes
Via our client management system (Care Patron)
Through payments made via Stripe or direct bank transfer
Through cookies and website tracking technologies

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

Respond to enquiries
Provide counselling services
Manage client records and session notes securely
Deliver purchased services or resources
Send email communications where consent has been given
Maintain client relationships
Comply with legal and professional obligations
Improve our website and services

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data under the following lawful bases:

Consent – for email marketing and optional data collection
Contract – to provide agreed services
Legitimate Interests – to operate and improve the business
Legal Obligation – where required by law

For sensitive (special category) data, we rely on:

Explicit consent, and
Provision of health or social care services

6. How Your Data is Stored and Protected

We take appropriate steps to ensure your data is secure.

Your data is stored using secure systems, including:

Wix (website and forms)
MailerLite (email marketing)
Stripe (payment processing)
Care Patron (secure client records and session notes)
Secure banking systems for payments made via bank transfer

We do not store full payment details. All payments are processed via secure third-party systems.

We ensure that all third-party providers we use are GDPR compliant or meet equivalent data protection standards.

7. Third-Party Services

We share data only where necessary with trusted third parties:

Wix – website hosting and form collection
MailerLite – email marketing and communications
Stripe – secure online payment processing
Care Patron – secure client management and record keeping
Banking providers – for processing payments made via bank transfer

These providers process data on our behalf and are required to protect your information.

8. Data Retention

We only keep your data for as long as necessary:

General enquiries: retained for a reasonable period
Email subscribers: until you unsubscribe
Client records: retained in line with professional and legal requirements (typically up to 6–7 years after the end of services)

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request deletion of your data
Withdraw consent at any time
Restrict or object to processing
Request data portability

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details above.

10. Cookies and Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

Improve user experience
Analyse website traffic
Support marketing activity

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.

11. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact:

Email: sam@sjrcounselling.com
Telephone: 01977 801654

12. Complaints

If you have any concerns about how your data is handled, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.