Privacy Notice

Route to Root Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy
Last updated: August 2026

Your privacy is important to me. This Privacy Notice explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit this website, make an enquiry or engage in counselling with Route to Root.

I aim to handle your personal information responsibly, securely and transparently, in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

1. Who I am

I am Harry Stewart O'Neill, trading as Route to Root Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy.

I am the Data Controller for the personal information I collect in connection with my counselling practice.

Email: harry@routetoroot.co.uk
Telephone: 07463 802660

2. Information I collect

The information I collect depends on how you interact with my practice.

When you initially contact me, I may collect:

  • your name

  • email address and telephone number

  • information you choose to include in your enquiry

  • information relating to arranging an introductory call or counselling session.

If you decide to begin counselling, I may also collect information such as:

  • your date of birth and contact details

  • GP details

  • emergency contact details

  • appointment and attendance information

  • relevant health and wellbeing information

  • information relating to risk or safeguarding

  • correspondence

  • payment records

  • brief counselling or therapeutic records.

Some of this information, particularly information about your physical or mental health, is classed as special category data and is given additional protection under data protection law.

3. Website enquiries

If you contact me through the enquiry form on this website, the information you provide will be used to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, arrange an introductory call or counselling session.

Please avoid including highly sensitive or detailed clinical information in the website contact form. We can discuss this more securely if you decide to proceed with counselling.

Submitting an enquiry does not commit you to beginning counselling.

4. Why I use your information

I use personal information where necessary to:

  • respond to enquiries

  • provide counselling and psychotherapy

  • arrange and manage appointments

  • communicate with clients

  • maintain appropriate professional records

  • process payments

  • support client safety and safeguarding

  • participate appropriately in professional supervision

  • meet my legal, ethical, professional and insurance obligations.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK data protection legislation, personal information must only be processed where there is a lawful basis for doing so.

Depending on the circumstances, I may process your information because it is necessary to provide or arrange counselling services, because I have a legitimate professional interest in operating and maintaining my counselling practice, or because I have a legal obligation to do so.

Information concerning physical or mental health is considered special category data. Where I process this information, I do so where permitted under UK data protection legislation and where necessary for the provision and management of counselling and related professional services.

6. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an important part of the counselling relationship.

Information you share with me will normally remain confidential. There are, however, circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be limited. These may include:

  • serious concerns about your safety or the safety of another person

  • safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable person

  • a legal requirement to disclose information

  • a court order

  • other circumstances in which disclosure is necessary to meet legal, ethical or professional responsibilities.

Where possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss this with you before sharing information.

7. Professional supervision

As a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I undertake regular professional supervision.

As part of this process, aspects of client work may be discussed with my supervisor. I use the minimum amount of identifying information necessary when doing so.

8. How your information is stored and protected

I take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality and security of your information.

Electronic records are stored using password-protected and encrypted devices and secure digital storage. Access to counselling records is restricted.

I aim to keep identifying information separate from therapeutic information where reasonably practicable.

Information sent electronically, including by email or through online services, can never be guaranteed to be completely secure. I therefore take care to limit the amount of sensitive information communicated through these methods.

9. Third-party services

I use selected third-party services to support the operation of my practice. This may include services used for:

  • website hosting and website enquiries

  • professional email

  • secure digital storage

  • video counselling

  • payment processing

  • administration and record keeping.

These organisations may process limited personal information on my behalf where this is necessary to provide their services.

Where third-party providers are used, I aim to select services with appropriate privacy and security arrangements and limit the information shared to what is reasonably necessary.

10. Sharing your information

I do not routinely share your personal information with other people or organisations.

Information may be shared where:

  • you have asked me or given permission to do so

  • this is necessary to protect you or another person from serious harm

  • there is a safeguarding concern

  • I am legally required to disclose information

  • disclosure is otherwise necessary to meet an appropriate legal or professional obligation.

Only information reasonably necessary for the purpose will be shared.

11. GP and emergency contact information

If you become a counselling client, I may ask you to provide details of your GP and an emergency contact.

These details would not normally be used or contacted as part of counselling. They may be used where there are significant concerns regarding your safety or welfare, or where there is another appropriate safeguarding, legal or professional reason to do so.

12. How long I keep your information

Adult counselling records are normally retained for 7 years after counselling ends.

For clients who were under 18 during counselling, records are normally retained until their 25th birthday.

Information may need to be retained for longer in some circumstances, including where this is necessary in relation to legal proceedings, complaints, safeguarding matters or insurance requirements.

Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted or destroyed.

13. Children and young people

Route to Root provides counselling to young people aged 11 and over.

Additional consideration is given to the privacy, confidentiality and safeguarding of children and young people.

Depending on the young person's age and circumstances, a parent or carer may be involved in the contracting and consent process. However, the content of counselling sessions will normally remain confidential unless there is an appropriate reason for information to be shared.

The limits of confidentiality will be discussed with the young person and, where appropriate, their parent or carer.

14. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights under data protection legislation including the right to:

  • ask what personal information I hold about you

  • request a copy of your personal information

  • ask for inaccurate information to be corrected

  • ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances

  • object to certain types of processing

  • request deletion of information in certain circumstances.

These rights are not absolute and may sometimes be limited by legal, safeguarding, professional or insurance requirements.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below.

15. Data breaches

If a personal data breach occurs, I will take appropriate steps to contain and assess it.

Where required, I will report a breach to the Information Commissioner's Office and/or inform affected individuals in accordance with data protection legislation.

16. Complaints

If you have concerns about how I have handled your personal information, I would encourage you to contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address them.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Information Commissioner's Office

17. Changes to this Privacy Notice

I may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in my practice, the services I use or relevant legal and professional requirements.

The date at the top of this page will show when the notice was last updated.

18. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or how your personal information is handled, please contact:

Harry Stewart O'Neill MBACP
Route to Root Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy
Email: harry@routetoroot.co.uk
Telephone: 07463 802660