Privacy Policy
Last updated: 10/07/2026
Introduction
Welcome to the website of Ellie Ferguson / Therapy with Ell (“I”, “me”, “my”, or “the practice”).
I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, securely and transparently.
This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit my website, contact me, enquire about therapy services, attend therapy sessions, subscribe to my newsletter, or interact with my online services.
This policy applies to information collected through:
My website: https://www.therapywithell.com (and any variations)
Contact forms
Newsletter subscriptions
Email correspondence
Therapy enquiries
Cookies and website analytics
Any other communication channels connected to my practice
I process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and relevant professional and ethical guidance.
About Me and Data Controller Information
The data controller responsible for your personal information is:
Ellie Ferguson
Therapy with Ell
therapywithell @ gmail . com
As the data controller, I am responsible for deciding how your personal information is collected and used.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact me using the details above.
What Personal Information I Collect
The information I collect depends on how you interact with my website and services.
Website visitors
When you visit my website, I may automatically collect information including:
IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Operating system
Pages visited
Time spent on pages
Website interactions
Referring website or search terms
This information is collected through cookies and analytics tools to help me understand website usage and improve my services.
Therapy enquiries
If you contact me about therapy, I may collect information including:
Name
Contact details
Email address
Telephone number
Your preferred method of contact
Information you choose to share about why you are seeking therapy
Availability preferences
Any relevant information needed to respond to your enquiry
Please avoid sharing detailed personal or sensitive information through the website contact form. If therapy appears appropriate, we can discuss your situation more securely during an initial conversation.
Therapy clients
If you become a client, I may process additional information including:
Contact details
Appointment information
Therapy notes
Information relating to your mental health and wellbeing
Relevant background information
Payment information
Records relating to your therapy sessions
Mental health information is classed as special category data under UK GDPR and receives additional protection.
Newsletter subscribers
If you choose to subscribe to my newsletter, I may collect:
Your name
Email address
Your subscription preferences
Information about whether emails are opened or interacted with
Newsletter information is processed through a third-party email marketing provider. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every newsletter.
How I Use Your Information
I use personal information for the following purposes:
Providing therapy services
Including:
Responding to enquiries
Arranging appointments
Providing counselling and psychotherapy services
Maintaining appropriate professional records
Supporting safe and ethical therapeutic practice
Managing my practice
Including:
Appointment administration
Payment processing
Maintaining professional records
Meeting legal and professional obligations
Improving my website
Including:
Understanding how visitors use my website
Improving website content and accessibility
Monitoring website performance
Sending newsletters
Where you have provided consent, I may send:
Information about my services
Articles and resources relating to therapy and wellbeing
Practice updates
You can withdraw consent at any time.
Lawful Basis for Processing Information
Under UK GDPR, I process personal information using the following lawful bases:
Legitimate interests
I may process information where it is necessary for my legitimate interests, including:
Responding to enquiries
Managing my website
Improving my services
Running my therapy practice effectively
Contract
Where processing is necessary to provide agreed services, including therapy appointments.
Legal obligations
Where I am required to retain or disclose information to meet legal requirements.
Consent
Where you have specifically provided consent, including:
Newsletter subscriptions
Certain cookies
Optional communications
You may withdraw consent at any time.
Special Category Data
Information relating to your mental health and wellbeing is considered special category data under UK GDPR.
I only process this information where:
You have provided it voluntarily for the purpose of receiving therapy;
Processing is necessary to provide appropriate therapeutic support;
Processing is necessary for professional, legal or ethical obligations.
I take additional care to protect sensitive information and maintain confidentiality in line with professional standards.
How I Store and Protect Your Information
I take appropriate measures to protect your personal information from:
Unauthorised access
Loss
Misuse
Alteration
Disclosure
Security measures may include:
Secure passwords
Device security
Encryption where available
Secure storage systems
Restricted access to personal information
However, no online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Therapy Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a fundamental part of therapy.
Information shared during therapy sessions is kept confidential except in circumstances where:
There is a serious concern about your safety or the safety of another person;
There is a legal requirement to disclose information;
Information is required for professional supervision or safeguarding purposes.
Any limits to confidentiality will be discussed as part of the therapy process and adhered to inline with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
Data Retention
I retain personal information only for as long as necessary.
Therapy records are retained in accordance with:
Professional ethical guidance
Legal requirements
Insurance requirements
Good practice standards
Website enquiries and communications are retained only for as long as necessary to manage your enquiry or maintain appropriate records.
Newsletter information is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.
My website uses cookies to:
Ensure the website functions properly
Improve website performance
Understand how visitors use the website
Improve user experience
Cookies may be used by:
WordPress
Google Analytics
Security plugins
Website performance plugins
Third-party services connected to the website
Google Analytics
I use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use my website.
Google Analytics may collect information such as:
Pages visited
Time spent on pages
Device information
General location information
How visitors found the website
This information helps me improve website content and understand what information visitors find useful. Where required, cookies used by Google Analytics will only operate after appropriate consent has been provided.
For more information about Google’s privacy practices, please visit:
https://policies.google.com/privacy
Google Search Console
I use Google Search Console to monitor website performance in Google search results.
Search Console may provide information such as:
Search terms used to find my website
Website performance data
Technical website information
This information does not identify individual visitors.
Third-Party Services and Plugins
My website is built using WordPress and may use third-party plugins and services.
These may include:
Website security plugins
Contact form plugins
SEO plugins
Website performance plugins
Newsletter subscription services
Booking or scheduling tools
Payment providers
These providers may process limited information necessary to provide their services.
I take reasonable steps to use reputable providers and keep third-party integrations secure.
However, each third-party provider has its own privacy policy, and I recommend reviewing these where applicable.
Contact Forms
If you submit a contact form:
The information you provide will be used only to respond to your enquiry.
Your information will not be sold or used for unrelated marketing purposes.
Please avoid including highly sensitive personal information in website forms.
Information submitted through forms may be stored securely by:
WordPress
My email provider
My website hosting provider
My form plugin provider
Newsletter Communications
If you subscribe to my newsletter:
Your information will be stored securely by my email marketing provider.
You may unsubscribe at any time.
Your information will not be sold or shared for marketing purposes.
The newsletter provider I use is:
Mail Chimp
Their privacy policy can be found on their website.
Sharing Your Information
I do not sell, rent or trade personal information.
I may share information only where necessary, including with:
Professional supervisors (where appropriate and within confidentiality agreements)
Professional advisers
Service providers supporting my practice
Authorities where legally required
Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have rights including:
The right to access your personal information
The right to request correction of inaccurate information
The right to request deletion where appropriate
The right to restrict processing
The right to object to certain processing
The right to withdraw consent
To exercise your rights, please contact:
therapywithell @ gmail . com
I aim to respond within one month of receiving a valid request.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how I handle your personal information, please contact me first so I can try to resolve the issue.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in:
My services
Legal requirements
Website technology
Data protection practices
The latest version will always be available on this website.
Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:
Ellie Ferguson
therapywithell.com