Privacy Notice

Last updated: July 2026

Zsofia Vari Counselling is committed to respecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, transparency and confidentiality.

This privacy notice explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and stored, and your rights under UK data-protection law.

Who is responsible for your information?

The data controller is:

Zsofia Vari, trading as Zsofia Vari Counselling

Email: counselling@zsofiavari.co.uk
Telephone: 07731 801829
Website: www.zsofiavari.co.uk

I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a data controller.

What information I may collect

When you contact me, book an introductory call or use my counselling service, I may collect:

• your name and contact details;

• information you provide through email, telephone, WhatsApp or a booking form;

• your address, date of birth, GP details and emergency-contact details, where appropriate;

• information about your health, wellbeing, relationships, identity and personal circumstances;

• information discussed during assessment and counselling sessions;

• counselling agreements, correspondence and brief session notes;

• appointment, cancellation and payment information;

• information required to meet professional, insurance, safeguarding or legal responsibilities; and

• limited technical information collected through the website or its service providers, where applicable.

Information relating to your physical or mental health is classed as special-category personal data and receives additional protection under data-protection law.

Why I use your information

I may use your personal information to:

• respond to your enquiry;

• arrange an introductory call or counselling appointment;

• assess whether my service is suitable for your needs;

• provide counselling safely and professionally;

• communicate with you about appointments, cancellations and payments;

• maintain appropriate and accurate professional records;

• manage the administration of my private practice;

• protect your safety or the safety of another person where necessary;

• meet safeguarding, professional, insurance, tax and legal responsibilities; and

• respond to complaints, legal claims or requests relating to your information.

I will not sell your personal information or use it for unrelated marketing without your clear permission.

Lawful basis for using your information

Under UK data-protection law, I must have a lawful reason for collecting and using personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on:

• Contract: where the information is needed to take steps at your request before counselling begins or to provide counselling under our agreement.

• Legitimate interests: where using the information is reasonably necessary to operate my practice safely, professionally and effectively.

• Legal obligation: where I need to use or retain information to comply with the law.

• Vital interests: where using information may be necessary to protect your life or another person’s life.

• Consent: where consent is the appropriate lawful basis and you have freely agreed.

Where I process health information or other special-category information, I also rely on an appropriate condition under data-protection law relating to the provision and management of health or social-care services, professional confidentiality, legal claims, safeguarding or your explicit consent, depending on the circumstances.

Special-category information requires both a lawful basis and a separate condition under UK data-protection law. 

Confidentiality and sharing information

Information you share with me is treated confidentially.

I do not routinely share identifiable information about clients. However, information may be shared where:

• you have asked me to do so or provided your permission;

• there is a serious concern about your safety or another person’s safety;

• safeguarding responsibilities require action;

• disclosure is required by law, a court order or another legal obligation;

• it is necessary to respond to a complaint or legal claim; or

• a trusted service provider processes information on my behalf, such as an email, booking, payment, accounting, video-calling or secure electronic-storage provider.

Where information must be shared, I will aim to share only what is relevant and necessary.

I receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional requirements. Aspects of client work may be discussed during supervision to support safe and ethical practice. Identifying information is kept to a minimum wherever possible, and my supervisor is also required to maintain confidentiality.

How your information is stored

All counselling and practice records are stored electronically.

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or accidental disclosure. This includes using password-protected devices and accounts, appropriate security settings and access controls.

Access to your information is limited to me and, where necessary, trusted service providers acting on my behalf.

Some technology providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, I take reasonable steps to use providers that apply appropriate data-protection safeguards.

Please be aware that ordinary email and messaging services cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please avoid including highly sensitive or extensive personal information in your first enquiry.

How long I keep your information

Counselling records, relevant correspondence and associated information are normally retained for six years after our counselling work ends.

Financial and payment records may also be retained for six years where required for accounting and tax purposes.

Information relating to an enquiry that does not lead to counselling will normally be retained for up to six months, unless there is a professional, safeguarding or legal reason to keep it for longer.

When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted.

Personal information should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. 

Website and cookies

This website is hosted through Google Sites. The website and embedded services may use cookies or similar technologies for security, functionality and basic service operation.

Third-party booking, video-calling or embedded services may also use their own cookies and process limited technical information in accordance with their own privacy notices.

I do not use information collected through this website to make automated decisions about you.

Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you;

• ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;

• ask for your information to be deleted;

• ask me to restrict how your information is used;

• object to certain uses of your information;

• ask for certain information to be transferred to you or another provider; and

• withdraw your consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

These rights are not always absolute. In some circumstances, I may need to retain information because of professional, safeguarding, insurance or legal responsibilities.

To make a request, please contact:

counselling@zsofiavari.co.uk

I will respond as soon as reasonably possible and normally within one month.

The ICO requires privacy notices to explain people’s rights and how they can raise concerns about the use of their information. 

Data-protection concerns or complaints

Please contact me first if you have a concern or complaint about how your personal information has been collected, used, stored or shared:

Email: counselling@zsofiavari.co.uk
Telephone: 07731 801829

I will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days and take appropriate steps to investigate and respond.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the UK regulator for data protection.

Changes to this privacy notice

I may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, technology, legal responsibilities or the services I use.

The latest version will remain available on this website, and the date at the top of the notice will show when it was last updated.