Privacy Policy

This privacy notice explains how George Mastin (“I”, “me”, “my”) collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information when you visit this website, make an enquiry, or work with me for psychotherapy or coaching. I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

I am the data controller responsible for your personal data. You can contact me using the contact form on my About page.

The information I collect

• Identity & contact details — such as your name, email address and phone number.
• Booking information — the sessions you book and related scheduling details.
• Health and therapeutic information — information you share during enquiries and sessions. Under UK GDPR this is “special category data” and is treated with particular care.
• Payment information — payments are processed securely by my booking and payment providers; I do not store your full card details.
• Website usage — limited technical information needed to run the site and the embedded booking calendar.

How I use your information and my lawful basis

Under UK GDPR I rely on the following lawful bases:

• Contract — to arrange and deliver the sessions you book and to manage payment.
• Legitimate interests — to respond to your enquiries and run my practice safely and effectively.
• Legal obligation — where I am required by law to retain or disclose information.

Because therapeutic notes can include health information (special category data), I also rely on an additional condition under Article 9 UK GDPR — the provision of health and social care, and/or your explicit consent.

Confidentiality and its limits

What you share with me is treated as confidential and in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework. There are, however, important limits. I may need to break confidentiality where there is a legal or ethical obligation to do so — for example, where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person, a safeguarding concern involving a child or vulnerable adult, certain legal requirements (such as a court order), or disclosures required by law. Wherever possible, I will discuss this with you first. I also discuss my work in confidential clinical supervision, in which your identity is protected.

Who I share your information with

• Clinical supervisor — in anonymised form, as part of ethical practice.
• Service providers — trusted processors who help me run my practice, including my online booking provider (Cal.com), payment provider, email/contact-form provider and website host. These providers process data on my behalf under appropriate agreements.
• Emergency or legal disclosure — e.g. your GP, emergency services or relevant authorities, only where necessary as described under “Confidentiality and its limits”.

I do not sell your personal information.

How long I keep your information

I keep personal and therapeutic records only for as long as necessary, in line with BACP guidance and my professional, insurance and legal obligations. For adult clients I normally keep records for at least 7 years after our last contact. Where a client was under 18, records are kept until they reach the age of 25 (or for 8 years, whichever is longer). After this, records are securely deleted or destroyed.

How I keep your information secure

I take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against loss, misuse or unauthorised access, including secure storage and limiting access to your data.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access the personal information I hold about you;
• ask me to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• ask me to delete your information, where applicable;
• object to or restrict how I use your information, in certain circumstances;
• request a copy of your information in a portable format, where applicable;
• withdraw consent at any time, where I rely on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details above.

Cookies

This website uses only the cookies necessary for it to function, including those set by the embedded booking calendar. I do not use the site for advertising or tracking.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how I handle your data, please contact me first so I can try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Changes to this notice

I may update this privacy notice from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.