Dragonfly Pond Counselling — Privacy Policy
Last updated 27 September 2026
Who we are
Dragonfly Pond Counselling Ltd ("we", "us", "our") provides counselling services to individuals, children and organisations in Gateshead and beyond. We are the data controller for the personal information we hold about you.
This policy explains what personal data we collect when you visit our website, get in touch, or become a client, how we use it, and what rights you have. It applies to dragonflypond.co.uk and lgbtq.dragonflypond.co.uk.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, you can contact us at dragonflypond.co.uk@gmail.com.
What personal data we collect
We may collect and process the following:
- Contact form submissions: name, email address, and any message content you provide.
- Booking information: when you book a free consultation or session (for example, via Calendly), we collect the details you provide as part of that process, such as your name, email address, and preferred appointment time.
- Client and session information: if you become a client, we hold information you share with us in the course of counselling, including notes relating to your sessions. This may include special category data (such as information about your health, sexual orientation, or gender identity) which you choose to share with us.
- Website usage data: basic technical information such as browser type and pages visited, collected via cookies or similar technologies (see the Cookies section below).
We only collect the information we need to provide our services and respond to your enquiries.
How and why we use your data
| Purpose | What we use | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to enquiries made via the contact form | Name, email, message | Legitimate interests (responding to people who contact us) |
| Booking and managing consultations or sessions | Name, email, appointment details | Contract (taking steps to enter into, or performing, a service you've requested) |
| Providing counselling services | Client and session information, including special category data you share | Explicit consent (Article 9 UK GDPR), and contract |
| Keeping records for professional, ethical and legal obligations (e.g. NCPS membership requirements) | Client records | Legal obligation, and legitimate interests |
| Improving our website | Basic usage data | Legitimate interests, or consent where cookie rules require it |
Where we rely on your consent (for example, to hold sensitive information shared in counselling), you can withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us, though this will not affect anything we've already done based on it.
Storage, security and how long we keep your data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Client records are held securely and confidentially, in line with the standards required by the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
We hold enhanced DBS clearance and are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected:
- Contact form enquiries that don't lead to booked sessions are kept for a short period and then deleted.
- Client and session records are retained in line with NCPS professional guidance and our own record-keeping policy, after which they are securely destroyed.
If you'd like more detail on our specific retention periods, contact us at dragonflypond.co.uk@gmail.com.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We may share limited information with:
- Service providers who help us run our practice, such as our booking platform (Calendly) and email provider, who process data on our behalf.
- Clinical supervisor, in line with professional practice, where anonymised or limited case material may be discussed for the purposes of ethical supervision. Your identity is protected wherever possible.
- Regulatory or professional bodies, such as the NCPS or ICO, where required.
- Legal or safeguarding authorities, where we are required to by law, or where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else.
Any third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in line with UK data protection law.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request). If your request is unclear or very broad, we may contact you for clarification before starting the clock on our response.
- Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure of your data in certain circumstances (please note this does not apply to clinical records, which we are required by professional guidelines and insurance to retain for a minimum of 5 years).
- Restriction of how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Object to certain uses of your data, including direct marketing.
- Data portability, where relevant.
- Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
We will respond to requests within one month, and any searches we carry out will be reasonable and proportionate to the request.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at dragonflypond.co.uk@gmail.com.
Data protection complaints
If you believe we have not handled your personal data correctly, you have the right to complain to us directly, before or instead of raising it with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
How to complain: email us at dragonflypond.co.uk@gmail.com with details of your concern. There's no set form to fill in — just tell us what's happened and what you'd like us to look into.
What happens next:
- We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it.
- We will look into your complaint, making reasonable enquiries where needed, and keep you informed of our progress.
- We will respond to you without undue delay, setting out the outcome of our investigation and any action we've taken.
If you're not satisfied with our response, or you'd prefer to complain directly, you can also contact the ICO:
- Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Cookies
Our website may use cookies for basic functionality and analytics, such as understanding how visitors use the site. Cookies used only for essential functions or basic analytics do not require your explicit consent, provided you're given the option to opt out.
Any cookies used for other purposes, such as marketing or advertising, will only be set with your consent.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time.
Changes to this policy and contact details
We may update this policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or how we operate. Any updates will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.
Contact us
Dragonfly Pond Counselling Ltd
Email: dragonflypond.co.uk@gmail.com