Midlands Affordable Counselling
Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
At Midlands Affordable Counselling CLG, your privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, store, and protect your personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant Irish data protection legislation.
If you have any questions or concerns about your data or this policy, you can contact us at:
Data Controller: Midlands Affordable Counselling CLG
Data Protection Contact: Ken Liddane, Founder
Email: ken.liddane@midlandsaffordablecounselling.com
2. Who We Are
Midlands Affordable Counselling CLG is a not-for-profit organisation based in Athlone, Ireland, providing low-cost counselling and psychotherapy services delivered by student therapists, pre-accredited practitioners, and fully qualified professionals. We operate from The Athlone Care Clinic and online.
Website: [ https://www.midlandsaffordablecounselling.com/ ]
3. What Data We Collect and Why
We collect and process the following types of data to provide effective therapeutic services:
Personal and contact details (name, address, phone, email)
Emergency contact information
Relevant medical, psychological or historical information
Session notes, intake forms, and consent forms
We process this data under the lawful bases set out by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:
Your explicit consent
Our legitimate interest in providing safe and effective therapeutic support
Legal obligations where applicable (e.g. safeguarding, record-keeping)
Consent is obtained at the outset of therapy, and you may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to professional and legal limitations.
4. Security of Your Data
We are committed to protecting your data and have implemented physical, digital, and procedural safeguards, including:
Locked filing cabinets for paper records
Password-protected devices and encrypted storage
Secure, GDPR-compliant third-party platforms (where used)
Email and Online Sessions
While we take reasonable precautions, online communication (including email) is not 100% secure. We advise clients to avoid sharing sensitive personal data by email where possible.
5. Data Access and Responsibility
Only authorised personnel have access to your personal data. Where Midlands Affordable Counselling provides referrals or administrative support, this access is limited to what is strictly necessary.
Note: Therapists operating under licence (e.g. student or independent practitioners) may act as separate data controllers. They are responsible for storing and securing their own clinical records in accordance with GDPR and their accrediting body’s ethical requirements.
6. Data Sharing
Your personal data will not be shared without your written consent, except in the following circumstances:
If required by law or court order
Where there is serious risk of harm to you or others
As part of clinical supervision (anonymised unless otherwise agreed)
For secure data storage using GDPR-compliant service providers
We do not sell, rent, or share your data for commercial purposes.
7. Data Retention
In accordance with legal and ethical obligations, we retain your personal data for 7 years after the conclusion of therapy. After this time, records are securely destroyed.
Non-identifiable data (e.g. session volumes, trends) may be retained for internal service review or reporting.
8. Your Rights
Under GDPR, you have the right to:
Be informed about how your data is used
Access a copy of your personal data
Request corrections if data is inaccurate
Withdraw consent at any time (within legal/ethical limits)
Request deletion of your data (where permissible)
Object to or restrict processing in certain circumstances
Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission
Website: www.dataprotection.ie
9. Updates to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in regulations, professional standards, or our organisational structure. All updates will be published on our website and are effective from the date posted.