Last updated: 2026-07-14
This policy explains how Torbay Psychotherapy (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you visit torbaypsychotherapy.com (the “Site”) or contact us through it or through our Facebook Page.
Who we are
Torbay Psychotherapy is a person-centred counselling practice run by John McGeechan, based in Torbay, South Devon, and registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and accredited by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
For the purposes of UK data protection law, John McGeechan is the data controller for information collected through this Site.
Contact for any privacy question or request: john@torbaypsychotherapy.com
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (Registration reference : ZB654187)
What information we collect
When you use our contact form, we collect: - Your name - Your email address - Your phone number(s) (landline and/or mobile, ifprovided) - Whatever you choose to write in the message/details field.
We only ask for what the form requests - we don’t collect anything beyond what you submit.
When you browse the Site, we (via Google Tag Manager) may use cookies and similar technologies to understand how the Site is used - see “Cookies” below.
When you interact with our Facebook Page (following, commenting, messaging, reacting), that interaction is also governed by Meta’s own Privacy Policy, since Meta processes that data as well as us. We only see what Facebook’s Page tools show any Page admin (e.g. public comments, or messages sent to the Page) - we don’t receive any additional data from Meta beyond that.
Special category data (health information)
Because we’re a counselling practice, messages sent through our contact form may include sensitive information about your mental health, personal circumstances, or history. Under UK GDPR this is “special category data” and we treat it with extra care: - It’s used only to respond to your enquiry and, if you go on to become a client, to arrange your first session. - It is not used for marketing, profiling, or shared with any third party for their own purposes. - If you become a client, notes relating to your counselling are kept separately (see “Case notes” below) and are covered by our professional obligations under BACP’s Ethical Framework, not just this website privacy policy.
Our lawful basis for processing this enquiry data is your explicit consent, given by choosing to submit the form.
How long we keep information
Enquiry details submitted through the contact form are kept for 6 months. If no ongoing client relationship results within that time, they’re deleted. If you become a client, your contact details and case notes are retained for as long as our professional and insurance obligations require after therapy ends, in line with BACP guidance.
Who we share information with
We don’t sell or rent your information. It may be processed by:
- Google, as our email provider (Gmail/Google Workspace), to receive and respond to contact form submissions. - Google, via Google Tag Manager, for site usage statistics - see “Cookies” below.
- Meta (Facebook), only for the interactions you have directly with our Facebook Page, as described above.
If you become a client, session notes are kept in SuiteCRM, case-management software installed on our own local computer rather than a third-party cloud service - this data isn’t shared with, or processed by, any outside company.
We don’t use any other third-party tools (booking systems, payment processors, live chat) on the Site at the time of writing.
Some of the providers above (Google, Meta) may process data on servers outside the UK/EEA. Where that happens, it’s covered by their own standard contractual safeguards as global providers - see Google’s and Meta’s own privacy policies for details.
Cookies
Our Site uses a cookie notice to ask for your consent before non-essential cookies are set. Broadly:
- Essential cookies - needed for the Site to function (e.g. remembering your cookie preference itself). These don’t require consent.
- Analytics cookies - Google Tag Manager is installed on the Site and may be used to set analytics cookies to help us understand how visitors use it (e.g. which pagesare popular), so we can improve it.
You can withdraw consent or clear cookies at any time via your browser settings, or by using the cookie notice on the Site if it offers a way to change your choice.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
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Ask what personal data we hold about you and get a copy of it (right of access)
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Ask us to correct inaccurate data (rectification)
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Ask us to delete your data, subject to any legal/professional reason we may need to keep it (erasure)
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Object to or restrict certain processing
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Withdraw consent at any time (e.g. for cookies, or for us holding your enquiry details)
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Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we’ve mishandled your data
To exercise any of these, contact us at john@torbaypsychotherapy.com.
Children
This Site is not directed at children, and we don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 16 through the contact form.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time - the “last updated” date at the top will reflect the most recent change. Significant changes will be reflected here; there’s no separate notification mechanism at this time.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or about your data: john@torbaypsychotherapy.com.