Who I am
This website is run by Alexia Bylett, integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor and coach, practising in Sandhurst, Berkshire and online. I am the data controller for personal information collected through this website and in the course of my work. You can contact me about privacy through the enquiry form.
What this website collects
Enquiry and booking forms. When you send a form, I receive the details you choose to give: your name, email address, phone number (optional), your preferred contact method, preferred start date and your message. Because messages may include information about your health or wellbeing, which is “special category” data, I only process it with your explicit consent, which you give by ticking the box on the form.
Security information. To protect the forms from spam and abuse, the site keeps a scrambled (one-way “hashed”) version of your IP address for a short time to limit how many messages can be sent. The real IP address is not stored.
No tracking cookies. The public website does not set cookies and does not use analytics, advertising or tracking tools. A cookie is used only in the private admin area, by me.
WhatsApp. If you choose to message me on WhatsApp, your message is carried by WhatsApp (Meta) under its own privacy policy, and your phone number is shared with me. Please keep first messages brief – we can talk about personal details on the phone or in a session.
Video. The introductory video on the home page is hosted by Vimeo and only loads if you press play. Vimeo may then process data according to its own privacy policy.
How your enquiry is used and protected
I use your enquiry only to reply to you and arrange a discovery call or session. It is emailed to me and stored in this website’s secure, private inbox. Your name, contact details and message are encrypted in the website database. All connections to the website use HTTPS.
Enquiries are automatically deleted from the website’s inbox after 12 months. I never sell or share your information for marketing.
If you become a client
If we work together, I keep brief session notes and contact details. Records are kept for 5 years after therapy ends and then securely destroyed; for clients under 18, records are kept for 5 years after they turn 18. This is because insurers and professional bodies require records to be available for this period. My work is supervised within the ethical code of my accrediting body; no names or identifying details are shared in supervision.
Confidentiality has limits: where there is a child safeguarding concern, information about an act of terrorism, or a risk to the safety of others. If I feel you may be at risk to your own life, I will encourage you to seek further help, or ask that I act on your behalf by contacting your GP or a person of your choosing.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to: see the information I hold about you (including your notes, by making a formal request); have inaccurate information corrected; ask for your information to be erased (with the exceptions above); restrict or object to processing; withdraw consent at any time; and complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113).
Changes
I may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.