Digital Policy

Professional boundaries and digital communication

My coaching, counselling and professional supervision services are provided within agreed professional boundaries. These apply whether we meet online, speak by telephone or communicate in writing.

Digital communication can make contact easier, but it does not replace the professional relationship established through our agreement.

Email, text messages and social media are not intended to provide ongoing coaching, counselling or supervisory support outside our agreed sessions, unless specific arrangements have been made.

The purpose and appropriate use of communication between sessions will be discussed when we begin working together.

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Social media and public content

I use professional social media accounts and other online platforms to share ideas, resources and information about my services and areas of professional interest.

This public-facing activity is separate from my work with individual clients and supervisees. I do not use public posts, comments or direct messages to discuss confidential client work.

You are welcome to view my publicly available content, but there is no expectation that you follow, like or interact with my accounts.

Please be aware that commenting on, following or interacting with a public social media account may make that activity visible to others.

I will not knowingly identify you publicly as a client or supervisee without an appropriate basis for doing so.

Social media messaging is not a suitable channel for discussing confidential client information, personal difficulties or urgent professional matters.

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Personal information and data protection

I take the confidentiality and protection of personal information seriously.

Information collected through enquiries, appointments, intake documents, purchases and our professional work is handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection law and my professional responsibilities.

Some information shared during coaching, counselling or professional supervision may be particularly sensitive. I take account of the nature of that information when considering how it is collected, communicated, stored and retained.

If you make an enquiry but decide not to proceed, information you have supplied will only be retained where there is an appropriate reason to do so, and will be deleted in accordance with the relevant retention arrangements.

My separate Privacy Notice provides further information about how personal data is processed, the lawful bases for doing so, retention periods, relevant third parties and your data protection rights.

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Email, telephone, text messages and WhatsApp

My business email address and telephone number are available in the footer of this website. You can contact me by email, telephone, text message or WhatsApp to make an initial enquiry about my services.

I aim to make it straightforward to get in touch, while recognising that different communication methods offer different levels of privacy and suitability.

Email and messaging services are generally used for initial enquiries, appointment arrangements and other practical matters. They are not intended for detailed discussion of confidential client work or ongoing professional support outside agreed sessions.

For confidential counselling documentation, including professional agreements, completed intake forms and other sensitive information needed for our work, I use Proton Mail. I will provide the appropriate email address or secure method for exchanging these documents.

Proton Mail offers additional privacy and security features, although the level of protection depends on how messages are sent and the email service used by the recipient. Where appropriate, additional measures may be used to protect sensitive information.

Although WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for personal messages, this does not eliminate all privacy considerations, including those relating to devices, notifications, backups and information processed by the service.

Please avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive personal information in an initial message. Once we begin working together, we can agree the most appropriate ways to communicate, taking account of the nature of the service and your preferences.

I check messages during my working hours rather than continuously. I do not routinely monitor messages during weekends or holidays.

Please do not use these contact methods for emergencies or assume that a message has been read immediately.

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Online and telephone sessions

Most coaching, counselling and professional supervision sessions take place online using Zoom. Telephone sessions may also be arranged where appropriate.

Live text-based counselling may also be available by individual agreement. Where this is arranged, we will agree the platform, session arrangements and appropriate confidentiality measures before beginning.

I use available privacy and security settings to support confidential online working. However, as with other digital services, security also depends on the technology, its configuration, the devices being used and the reliability of the connection.

Please arrange to attend sessions from a private space where you are unlikely to be overheard or interrupted.

Using headphones may help protect your privacy, and a reliable internet or telephone connection will help us make effective use of our time together.

If privacy cannot be maintained in your chosen location, please let me know so that we can consider what arrangements would be appropriate.

If technical difficulties interrupt a session, we will discuss whether to reconnect, continue by telephone or make alternative arrangements, depending on the circumstances.

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Recording, transcription and AI-assisted tools

Recording or transcribing a professional session raises additional considerations around confidentiality, privacy, consent and the storage and use of information.

Sessions must not be recorded by either party without prior discussion and an explicit agreement about the purpose and arrangements.

This also applies to automated transcription, AI meeting assistants and other tools that may record, analyse or summarise session content.

Any proposed use of these technologies would need to be considered in relation to confidentiality, data protection, professional responsibilities and the nature of our work.

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Booking appointments through Calendly

I use Calendly to arrange initial conversations, including Clarity Calls.

Calendly may appear as an embedded booking window on this website or through a link to its own website.

The booking system works with Google Calendar to identify available appointment times. Unavailable periods are used to prevent bookings without displaying the details of other appointments or commitments.

When making a booking, you may be asked to provide your name, contact details and information relevant to your appointment.

Please avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in booking fields.

Further information is available in the Calendly Privacy Notice and the Google Privacy Policy.

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Pre-session questionnaires and documents

Some services involve preparation before a session to help us make effective use of our time together.

For The Mighty 90, I provide an editable Word questionnaire by email.

This gives you the opportunity to reflect on the situation you would like to explore, organise your thoughts and consider what you would like to achieve without feeling rushed.

You can complete the document in your own time and return it to me by email before our agreed session.

Your responses provide a starting point for our coaching conversation and help us use the session to explore the issues, options and decisions that matter to you.

Please include only information relevant to the session. Because ordinary email is not completely secure, you can discuss an alternative way of sharing sensitive information with me if you have concerns.

Completed questionnaires are treated as confidential client information and managed in accordance with my professional responsibilities and data retention arrangements.

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Mailing lists and MailerLite

I use MailerLite to manage email subscriptions and distribute newsletters, updates and other information to people who have chosen to receive them.

Joining my mailing list is separate from becoming a coaching, counselling or professional supervision client.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in those messages.

MailerLite processes subscriber information in connection with the mailing list service.

Further information is available in the MailerLite Privacy Policy.

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Online purchases, payments and invoices

I use Stripe to process card payments and other supported online payment transactions.

Some product and sales pages are hosted through ThriveCart, which provides facilities for purchasing products and services through online checkout pages.

Depending on what you purchase, information processed may include your name, contact details, billing information, purchase details and transaction information.

These external services have their own security and privacy arrangements. I remain responsible for handling the personal information I process in connection with my business.

Invoices and payment information may also be provided electronically.

Fees, payment deadlines, cancellation arrangements and any applicable refunds are set out in the relevant purchase terms or professional service agreement.

Further information is available in the Stripe Privacy Policy and the ThriveCart Privacy Policy.

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Cookies and embedded services

This website uses external services to provide particular functions, including Calendly for appointment booking.

The embedded Calendly booking facility requires certain cookie permissions to display and function. If you do not accept these, the embedded booking facility may not be available.

Cookies and similar technologies may also be used by external services according to how they are configured. Where consent is required by UK privacy law, it must be obtained before the relevant technologies are used.

You can manage cookies through the available consent controls and your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect website functionality.

If you are unable or do not wish to use the embedded booking facility, you can contact me directly using the details in the website footer to discuss arranging an appointment.

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Questions and concerns about personal information

If you have questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled, or wish to make a data protection complaint, you can contact me using the business email address or telephone number provided in the footer of this website.

You may make a data protection complaint directly to me if you believe your personal information has not been handled appropriately.

I will acknowledge data protection complaints within 30 days of receipt, take appropriate steps to investigate without undue delay and communicate the outcome of my consideration.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

Further information is available through the ICO complaints service.