General Data Protection Regulation
Protecting your personal data is a top priority. This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Uses and Access Act (DUAA 2025).
I want you to feel confident that your privacy is respected every step of the way. I will never sell your personal information or use it for marketing without your consent.
When you first contact me through my website, you will only provide basic details, name, email address, telephone number and a message to indicate what you need help with.
During your initial consultation, I’ll gather some personal information from you and record it on an iPad, where it will be stored securely in an encrypted, password-protected vault before you leave the room. This helps me support you in the best and most effective way possible. Please rest assured that your privacy is very important to me, and I’m fully committed to looking after your information with care and in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including updates under the Data Uses and Access Act (2025), as well as the ethical guidelines of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH) and the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).
I’m insured through Holistic Insurance Services, and my practice Maureen Watson Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If you’d like to learn more about that, you can find further information on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website.
As a sole trader, I am the Data Controller for Maureen Watson Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
While you are not legally obligated to provide any personal information, withholding it may affect my ability to work with you effectively.
Lawful Basis for Processing your Data
My lawful basis for collecting and processing your personal information is ‘legitimate interests’. This means I process your data in order to provide safe, ethical and effective hypnotherapy services.
- Purpose: The purpose of collecting your personal information is to assess your needs, provide appropriate therapeutic support, maintain records of our work together, and ensure your safety and wellbeing.
- Necessity: I only collect and process personal information that is necessary for the delivery of hypnotherapy services. This includes basic contact details, relevant medical information, and session notes.
- Balance: I take care to ensure that your privacy rights are not overridden. I only collect the minimum information required and handle it with strict confidentiality, ensuring minimal impact on your privacy.
In certain circumstances, I may process or share personal data under ‘recognised legitimate interests’ as defined by the Data Uses and Access Act (2025). This may include situations where sharing information is necessary to protect public safety or comply with legal obligations (for example, responding to requests from law enforcement). If a situation arises where information needs to be shared for legal or safeguarding reasons, I will always aim to do so responsibly and in line with professional guidance. Where appropriate, I may seek advice from the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH) or my insurance provider before taking any further action.
What kind of personal information will I ask for?
To give you the best possible care and support, I’ll need to gather a few important details like your name, contact information, an emergency contact, a brief overview of your medical history, and what you’d like support with. During our sessions, I’ll also take some notes to help me keep track of your progress and any insights we explore together.
Everything you share is treated with complete confidentiality and care. These notes and details help me stay connected to your journey, so I can tailor each session to you and reflect on what’s been helpful along the way. Your contact information will only ever be used if I need to get in touch with you urgently.
Will you discuss information about me with other health and social care professionals?
Your privacy is deeply respected, and everything you share with me is kept in confidence. That said, part of my professional responsibility is to make sure that you and others are safe. If I’m ever genuinely concerned that you may be at risk of harming yourself or someone else, I may need to share that information with the appropriate people or services who can help.
If this ever becomes necessary, I’ll always aim to talk with you about it first and involve you in the process wherever possible.
There are also rare occasions where I may be legally required to share information, such as if it’s requested by a court or the police through a proper legal order.
I will only contact your GP or another health or social care professional with your explicit consent, unless I have a safeguarding concern or I am legally required to share information.
How will my Data be stored?
Your privacy and trust mean a lot to me, and I take great care in keeping your personal information safe and secure. Here’s how I do that:
- Session Notes and Electronic Documents: Any notes I take during our sessions are recorded on an iPad and stored securely in an encrypted, password-protected vault. Any electronic documents containing your personal information, such as letters to your GP or invoices, are stored securely in the same way. My devices are protected by strong passwords and facial and/or fingerprint recognition to help keep your information safe.
- Text Messages: If we communicate by text, please know that my phone is locked with both a PIN and biometric security to keep everything private.
- Emails: My email account is protected with two-step verification to add an extra layer of security.
How long will you store my Data?
As a registered member of the NCH and AfSFH, I’m required to keep your records for 8 years after our final session together. This is in line with NHS guidelines and helps ensure I meet professional and legal standards.
After that time, your records will be securely deleted the following January. Until then, they’ll be stored safely and handled with the same level of care and confidentiality as always.
What if I don’t want you to hold onto my records that long?
As part of my professional duties, I’m required to keep certain records like session notes and messages related to our work. However, if you’d prefer, you can ask for your data to be anonymized. That means I’ll remove any personal or identifying information and store the remaining documents under a coded name, so they can no longer be linked back to you.
If you’d like to request this, just send an email to contact@maureenwatsonhypnotherapy.co.uk. I’ll take care of it promptly, and there’s absolutely no charge for this service.
Can I see or get a copy of the information held by Maureen Watson Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?
You have the right to see the personal information I hold about you. If you would like a copy, you can contact me to request access to your personal information. I may need to confirm your identity to help keep your information secure before providing the information, normally within one month.
In line with current data protection law, I will carry out reasonable and proportionate searches for your personal data. This means I will search systems and records where your information is likely to be held, but I am not required to review information sources that are unlikely to contain relevant data or would be disproportionately difficult to access.
There is normally no charge for this, though in some cases, my insurance provider’s legal team may need to review the request before I share the information, just to make sure everything is handled properly.
Data Protection Complaints
If you have any concerns about how your personal information has been collected, used, or stored, you have the right to make a complaint. I am committed to making this process as straightforward as possible and will take reasonable steps to assist you in making a complaint if needed.
You can submit a complaint by email to: contact@maureenwatsonhypnotherapy.co.uk, or by using the contact form located on my website. Please include as much detail as possible about your concern so that I can investigate it fully.
- I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days.
- I will investigate the matter thoroughly and provide a full response within 30 days in line with data protection requirements.
- If more time is needed, I will keep you informed of the reasons for the delay and provide an updated timescale.
- If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you have the right to escalate the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.
Is what we discuss confidential?
Everything you share with me in our sessions is treated with the utmost care and kept completely confidential.
As part of my commitment to offering you the best possible support, I sometimes reflect on my work with a qualified Supervisor. This is a normal part of safe and ethical practice, and it helps me stay grounded, supported, and effective. If I do talk about our sessions, I’ll never share your name or any identifying details, and my Supervisor also follows strict GDPR guidelines and confidentiality standards.
What if I see you outside of a session?
If we run into each other outside of our sessions, I will just smile and keep walking, I will not initiate a conversation. This is just to make sure your privacy is always protected. Of course, if you’d like to share with others that you’re in hypnotherapy, that’s completely up to you, and you’re welcome to do so.
Who is the Data Controller and what is their ICO Registration number?
The Data Controller is Maureen Watson.
Trading name is Maureen Watson Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
My ICO Registration number is: ZC182391
This Policy was last updated: July 2026.