Privacy & Data Protection Policy

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Respecting your privacy

At See Change Hypnotherapy, your privacy and the protection of your personal information are extremely important to me.

This privacy policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and stored, who it may be shared with, how long it is retained, and the rights you have in relation to your information.

Personal information is handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, as amended from time to time.

For the purposes of data protection law, Tamara Emery, trading as See Change Hypnotherapy, is the data controllerfor the personal information described in this policy.

Last updated: September 2026

What information do you hold?

From the moment you enquire about my services – whether through the website contact form, by email, telephone or text message – I may collect personal information about you.

This may include your:

• name;

• address;

• telephone number and email address;

• date of birth or age, where relevant;

• reason for contacting See Change Hypnotherapy;

• appointment and payment information;

• correspondence with me;

• information provided during your initial consultation; and

• notes and information relevant to your hypnotherapy sessions.

Because hypnotherapy may involve discussion of your physical or mental health, some information you provide may be special category personal data, particularly information concerning your health.

I only collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide my services, maintain appropriate clinical records and meet my professional or legal obligations.

Why do you need this information?

Your personal information may be used to:

• respond to enquiries;

• arrange and manage appointments;

• provide hypnotherapy services;

• understand relevant aspects of your circumstances and treatment;

• maintain appropriate clinical and session records;

• communicate with you about appointments or treatment;

• maintain financial and administrative records;

• comply with professional, insurance, safeguarding and legal obligations; and

• establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

What is your lawful basis for using my information?

Under UK data protection law, personal information must only be processed where there is an appropriate lawful basis.

Depending on the circumstances, I may process your ordinary personal information because:

• it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract for hypnotherapy services;

• it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation;

• it is necessary for my legitimate interests in operating and protecting my practice and maintaining appropriate professional records, provided those interests do not override your rights and interests; or

• you have given consent where consent is the appropriate lawful basis.

Where information concerning your health or other special category personal data is processed, an additional condition under UK data protection law must apply. Depending on the circumstances, this may include your explicit consent or processing that is necessary for the provision or management of health-related treatment or services by a person subject to an appropriate duty of confidentiality.

Where I rely upon consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before consent was withdrawn, and I may still need to retain certain information where another lawful basis or legal obligation applies.

How long do you keep my information?

Clinical and treatment records are normally retained for 8 years following your final session, in accordance with the professional retention requirements applicable to my practice.

For clients who are children, records may need to be retained for longer. Records relating to a child under 17 at the conclusion of treatment are normally retained until their 25th birthday. Where a client is 17 at the conclusion of treatment, records are normally retained until their 26th birthday.

Other information, such as enquiries that do not result in treatment, correspondence and financial records, may be retained for different periods according to the reason the information is held and any applicable legal, tax, insurance or professional requirements.

Information will not be retained for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is held.

How is my information stored securely?

I take appropriate steps to protect your information against accidental or unlawful loss, alteration, disclosure or access.

Measures used by See Change Hypnotherapy include:

• storing paper clinical records securely;

• password-protecting computers and electronic devices used for the practice;

• protecting work mobile devices using appropriate device security, such as a password, PIN or biometric access;

• limiting access to confidential client information; and

• taking reasonable precautions when communicating confidential information electronically.

Access to identifiable clinical information is restricted to those who have a legitimate need to access it.

Is my information still confidential?

Yes. Information you provide during enquiries, consultations and hypnotherapy sessions is treated as confidential.

For professional supervision, I may discuss aspects of my clinical work with an appropriately qualified supervisor. Wherever reasonably possible, information discussed for supervision purposes will be anonymised so that you cannot be identified.

There are limited circumstances in which information may need to be disclosed. These include where:

• I believe disclosure is necessary to protect you or another person from serious harm;

• there is an applicable safeguarding obligation;

• I am required to disclose information by law, a court order or another legally enforceable requirement;

• disclosure is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim; or

• you have authorised me to share information with another person or healthcare professional.

If it is appropriate for me to contact your GP or another healthcare professional in connection with your treatment, I would normally seek your explicit consent unless there is another compelling lawful reason for disclosure.

Do you share my information with anyone else?

In operating See Change Hypnotherapy, I may use third-party organisations that process limited personal information on my behalf, for example providers of email, website, IT, accounting, appointment or other administrative services.

Where another organisation processes personal information on my behalf, I take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate data-protection and confidentiality arrangements are in place.

I do not sell your personal information.

What are my data protection rights?

Depending upon the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you a number of rights in relation to your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• be informed about how your information is used;

• request access to personal information held about you;

• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;

• request deletion of your information in certain circumstances;

• request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;

• object to certain types of processing;

• receive certain information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies; and

• withdraw consent where processing is based upon consent.

Not every right applies in every situation, and some rights are subject to legal exemptions.

Can I see the information you hold about me?

Yes. You may make a subject access request if you would like to know whether I hold personal information about you or would like a copy of that information.

Please contact:

Tamara Emery
See Change Hypnotherapy
The Practice Rooms
15–16 Castle Street
Exeter
EX4 3PT

Email: tamara@seechangehypnotherapy.com

I may need to ask for information to confirm your identity before releasing personal information.

Requests will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable statutory timescales. If I reasonably require further information from you to identify the information you are requesting, I may ask you to clarify your request.

Can I request for my data to be deleted?

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances.

However, the right to erasure is not absolute. This means that receiving a deletion request does not necessarily require me to destroy every record I hold about you.

For example, I may need or be entitled to retain information where retention is necessary to comply with a legal or professional obligation, to maintain appropriate clinical records, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Where information can lawfully be deleted following your request, I will take appropriate steps to delete it securely. Where information must be retained, I will explain this to you where appropriate.

Deletion requests can be sent to tamara@seechangehypnotherapy.com or to the postal address above.

How do I make a data protection complaint?

If you have concerns about how See Change Hypnotherapy has collected, used, stored, disclosed or otherwise handled your personal information, you have the right to make a data protection complaint directly to me.

Please contact:

Tamara Emery
See Change Hypnotherapy
The Practice Rooms
15–16 Castle Street
Exeter
EX4 3PT

Email: tamara@seechangehypnotherapy.com

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 30 days of receipt.

I will take appropriate steps to investigate your complaint without undue delay. This may include asking you for further information where necessary, reviewing relevant records and considering whether any corrective action is required.

I will keep you appropriately informed about the progress of your complaint and will communicate the outcome to you once the investigation has been completed.

Can I complain to the Information Commissioner's Office?

Yes. You also have the right to raise concerns about the handling of your personal information with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

I would welcome the opportunity to address your concerns directly in the first instance, but this does not affect your right to approach the ICO.

Current information about making a data protection complaint and the ICO's contact details can be found on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in the law, regulatory guidance, professional requirements or the way See Change Hypnotherapy operates.

Policy last reviewed: September 2026