Privacy Policy

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Last updated: June 2026

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At Pontes Psychology (“we”, “our”, or “us”) we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled safely, confidentially, and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you visit our website or use our counselling and psychological therapy services.

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1. Who We Are

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Pontes Psychology Services Limited is a registered company in England and Wales providing counselling, psychotherapy, and psychological support services.

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Company Registration Number: 13945636

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Registered Office:

61 Bridge Street
Kington
Herefordshire
HR5 3DJ

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Pontes Psychology Services Limited is the Data Controller for the personal information processed through this website and in connection with the provision of psychological services.

ICO Registration Number: ZB434806

Data Protection Officer

Dr Livia Pontes

61 Bridge Street
Kington
Herefordshire
HR5 3DJ

Email: livia@pontespsychology.com

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, please contact us using the details above.

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2. Information We Collect

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We may collect and process the following information.

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Information You Provide Directly

• Name

• Email address

•  Telephone number

• Date of birth

• GP name and practice details

• Emergency contact details

• Information submitted through contact forms or appointment requests

• Health and personal information relevant to therapy services

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Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address

• Browser type and version

• Device information

• Pages visited

• Time spent on pages

• Cookies and website usage data

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3. How We Use Your Information

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• We use your information to:

• Respond to enquiries

• Arrange and manage appointments

• Provide counselling and therapy services

• Maintain clinical records

• improve our website and services

• Meet legal, ethical, and professional obligations. 

• Send service-related communications

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If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter, download a free resource, or register your interest in one of our programmes, we will use your contact details to send the information you have requested. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time using the unsubscribe link included in our emails. 

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We will only use your personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.

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4. Confidentiality

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All therapy sessions and personal information are treated confidentially and in accordance with professional ethical standards.

Clinical records are maintained in accordance with applicable UK legislation, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics, the British Psychological Society (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct and the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) Code of Ethics and Conduct. 

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Confidentiality may only be broken where:

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• There is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others

• Disclosure is required by law

• There are safeguarding concerns involving children or vulnerable adults

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Where possible, this will be discussed with you first.

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5. Legal Basis for Processing Data

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Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we process your personal information using one or more of the following lawful bases:

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• Performance of a contract – to provide psychological therapy and related services that you have requested.

• Compliance with legal obligations – where we are required to process or disclose information by law.

• Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for the effective and secure operation of our practice, provided your rights and freedoms are not overridden.

• Provision of health or therapeutic care – to deliver psychological assessment and therapy, in accordance with Article 9(2)(h) of the UK GDPR where applicable.

• Consent – where required, such as when you subscribe to our newsletter, request marketing communications, or where we seek your permission for specific disclosures.

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Any sensitive personal information shared during therapy is treated as Special Category Data and handled with additional safeguards in accordance with UK GDPR.

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6. Data Storage and Security

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• We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against:

•  Unauthorised access

•  Loss or theft

• Misuse

• Disclosure or alteration

• Your information may be stored securely:

• Electronically using password-protected systems

• In secure physical files, where applicable

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Where personal information is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR.

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7. How Long We Keep Your Information

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We retain client records only for as long as necessary to meet legal, ethical, and professional obligations. Typically:

• Adult clinical records are generally retained for seven years after therapy ends, unless a longer retention period is required by law or professional guidance.

•  Records relating to children are retained in accordance with legal and professional guidance, which may require retention until the individual reaches the age of 25.

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After this period, records are securely deleted or destroyed.

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8. Sharing Your Information

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We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

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• Clinical supervisors (where appropriate and anonymised whenever possible)

• Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law

• Trusted third-party service providers supporting our business operations

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Our trusted third-party providers include:

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• Wix – website hosting

• Google Workspace – email services

• Brevo – mailing list and email communications

• Stripe – secure payment processing

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These providers process personal information only where necessary to provide their services. They each maintain their own Privacy Policy and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to comply with UK GDPR and other applicable data protection legislation.

All third parties are expected to keep your information secure and confidential.

9. Cookies

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Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure the website functions correctly and provides a secure, user-friendly experience. These include:

* Essential cookies, which are necessary for the operation, security and functionality of the website.

* Functional cookies, which enable features such as displaying Google Reviews and loading website fonts correctly.

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We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. Should this change in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or, where available, through our website’s cookie consent banner.

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10. Your Rights

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Under data protection law, you have the right to:

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• Access your personal information

• Correct inaccurate information

• Request deletion of your personal data (where legally applicable)

• Restrict or object to processing

• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

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For more information, please visit the ICO website.

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11. Third-Party Links

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Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

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12. Changes to This Policy

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We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any updates will be posted on this page together with a revised “Last updated” date.

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13. Contact Us

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:

Pontes Psychology Services Limited

61 Bridge Street
Kington
Herefordshire
HR5 3DJ

Data Protection Officer: Dr Livia Pontes

Email: livia@pontespsychology.com