How we collect, use, and look after your information.
Who we are
This privacy notice explains how Empowering Steps Counselling ("we", "us") collects and uses your personal information when you get in touch through this website. Empowering Steps Counselling is run by Katie Fry, an NCPS-accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor (NCS19-0878).
What we collect, and why
When you submit the contact form on this site, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if you provide one), and the content of your message. We use this only to respond to your enquiry and, if you choose to go ahead, to arrange and provide counselling sessions.
You may choose to share sensitive personal information in your message, including details about your mental health or wellbeing. Where you do this, we rely on your explicit consent — given by voluntarily including that information — to process it. For general enquiries that don't involve sensitive information, our legal basis is legitimate interests: responding to enquiries about our services.
Where your information comes from
Directly from you, when you submit the contact form, or email or phone us.
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry messages for up to 12 months from your last contact with us, unless we're actively working together, in which case records are kept in line with our professional and clinical supervision requirements. You can ask us to delete your information sooner — see "Your rights" below.
Who we share it with
This website's contact form is processed by Netlify, Inc., who host this site and handle form submissions on our behalf as a data processor. Netlify may process data outside the UK; see Netlify's own privacy and subprocessor documentation for details. We do not sell your information or share it for marketing purposes.
As part of our professional obligations, we may discuss client work in clinical supervision. Supervision is confidential, and identifying details are shared only where necessary.
Confidentiality
What you share with us is treated in confidence, in line with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society's (NCPS) Code of Ethics. There are limited circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken — including where there is a serious risk to your safety or someone else's, or where we are legally required to disclose information (for example, under the Children Acts, or by court order).
Cookies
This website does not currently use cookies or any analytics or tracking technology.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to ask us to: confirm what information we hold about you and provide a copy of it; correct inaccurate information; delete your information; restrict or object to how we use it; and receive your information in a portable format. Email info@empoweringstepscounselling.co.uk — including "Forget Me" in the subject helps us action a deletion request quickly, though any clear request will be honoured however it's worded. We aim to respond within one month.
Data Protection Complaints
You can contact us at any time at info@empoweringstepscounselling.co.uk to make a complaint about how we handle your personal data. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days, investigate the issues raised, keep you informed of progress where appropriate, and provide you with the outcome of our investigation without undue delay.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Contact us
Questions about this privacy notice: info@empoweringstepscounselling.co.uk.
Last updated: 19 July 2026