Privacy Policy

 

Demi Shakespeare Therapy
Last updated: August 2026

Your privacy is important to Demi Shakespeare Therapy. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you use this website or contact Demi Shakespeare Therapy, in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

  1. Who We Are

    Demi Shakespeare Therapy is a counselling and therapy service based in Brierley Hill, West Midlands. We support those who want to feel better about themselves, improve self-esteem, help them navigate low self-confidence and trust themselves again. Our mission is to provide a safe, confidential space for clients.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

  • Contact us via phone, email, or text

  • Complete contact forms on our website or directory websites

  • Use our services

The types of personal information we collect include:

  • Personal Identification Data: Name, email address, phone number, address, date of birth

  • Health Information: Information related to your mental and physical health relevant to our counselling services

  • Payment Data: Payment details for booking and paying for sessions

  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and website usage data through cookies

Information collected automatically: When you use our website, certain information about you and your device will be collected, including your IP address, operating system type, browser type, referring website, pages you viewed, and the dates/times when you accessed the website. Information about the actions you take, such as links clicked, may also be logged.

We do not collect more information than necessary to provide our services, and we ensure that all sensitive data is handled with the utmost care.

3. How We Use This Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide you with professional counselling services

  • Manage bookings and appointments

  • Communicate with you, including responding to queries and providing service updates

  • Process payments

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulations

  • Improve the functionality and experience of our website

We will only use your data where we have a legal basis, such as your consent, contract performance, compliance with legal obligations, or legitimate interests in managing our services.

3a. Teacher Check-In, Mailing List and Resources

Demi Shakespeare Therapy offers an optional online teacher check-in. This is a reflective resource and is not a diagnostic tool, mental health assessment or substitute for professional care.

When you complete the check-in, your answers are recorded. Other people completing the check-in cannot see your answers. Demi Shakespeare can access individual responses and overall survey reports.

You may also choose to provide your email address to receive occasional blogs, reflective prompts and resources. Providing an email address is optional. If you subscribe, you will be asked to confirm your email address before receiving these communications.

MailerLite is used to host the check-in, collect responses, manage subscribers and send emails. MailerLite processes this information on behalf of Demi Shakespeare Therapy. Information collected may include:

  • Your check-in responses

  • Your email address, if provided

  • The date and time you subscribed

  • Your IP address and general location

  • Whether an email was delivered or a link was selected, where this information is available

Check-in responses are used to provide the reflective resource and understand general themes that may help improve future blogs and resources. They are not used to diagnose you, assess your mental health, make automated decisions about you or create clinical records.

The legal basis for sending blogs and resources is your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time by selecting the unsubscribe link in an email or contacting demi@dstherapy.co.uk.

Check-in responses will be retained for no longer than 24 months and will then be deleted or anonymised. Subscriber information will be retained while you remain subscribed. After you unsubscribe, limited information may be retained to ensure that you are not contacted again unless you choose to resubscribe.

MailerLite processes this information on behalf of Demi Shakespeare Therapy. You can read more about how MailerLite handles personal information in its privacy policy: https://www.mailerlite.com/legal/privacy-policy

4. Legal Basis for Processing Data

The legal bases for processing your personal data under UK GDPR are:

  • Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for specific purposes

  • Contract: Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract (e.g., to provide counselling services)

  • Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with legal obligations and professional requirements

  • Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, such as improving our services, except where your interests or fundamental rights override these

  • Vital Interests: In emergency situations concerning your safety

5. How We Store and Protect Your Data

We are committed to ensuring your information is secure. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard the information we collect.

  • Electronic Data: Some information, such as emails, enquiry messages, contact details, appointment information and payment records, may be held electronically. Devices and accounts used to access this information are password protected and appropriate security measures are used.

    Therapy session notes are not stored in general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

  • Physical Data: Therapy records, including session notes, are stored securely in locked filing cabinets. Session notes are coded, and identifying information is stored separately where appropriate. We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services and meet legal and regulatory requirements. After this period, we will securely delete or anonymise your data.

6. Sharing Your Information

We respect the confidentiality of your data and will not share your personal information with third parties unless:

  • You provide explicit consent

  • We are required to by law or regulatory authorities

  • It is necessary for the performance of services (e.g., payment processors)

  • There is a legal or safeguarding obligation to protect your health, safety, or the safety of others

  • For clinical supervision (anonymised where possible)

  • For professional body requirements or investigations

  • For insurance purposes (with your consent)

  • With trusted service providers that process information on our behalf, including MailerLite for hosting the teacher check-in, managing mailing-list subscriptions and sending emails

Where necessary, we ensure that any third-party service providers comply with UK GDPR regulations.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

  • Right to Access: Request copies of the personal data we hold about you

  • Right to Rectification: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Right to Erasure: Request that we erase your personal data, subject to legal requirements

  • Right to Restrict Processing: Ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances

  • Right to Data Portability: Request that we transfer your data to another organisation or provide it in a structured format

  • Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at Demi@dstherapy.co.uk.We will respond to your request within one month.

Important Note: Some rights may be limited by professional and legal obligations for therapy records.

7a.Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Demi Shakespeare Therapy may use artificial intelligence tools to support general administrative and creative tasks. This may include helping with the structure or wording of general communications, developing educational or self-help resources, and supporting public-facing content such as website pages, blogs, and social media posts.

AI is not used to record or transcribe therapy sessions, create clinical session notes, analyse individual clients, assess risk, make therapeutic decisions, or replace professional judgement.

Client records, session notes, and identifiable or client-specific therapeutic information are not entered into general-purpose AI tools.

Where AI is used to support written material, the final content is reviewed by Demi Shakespeare. Responsibility for professional, clinical, and ethical decisions remains with the therapist.

General themes arising from professional experience may inform educational and public-facing content. Individual client stories or identifying details are not used for this purpose

8. Data Protection Complaints

If you have a concern about how your personal information has been collected, used, stored, shared, or otherwise handled, you can raise a complaint by email at demi@dstherapy.co.uk.

To help us understand and investigate your concerns, please include as much of the following information as possible:

• Your name and contact details

• Details of what has happened and/or what your concerns are

• Any relevant dates, times, or correspondence

• Copies of any relevant documents or communications, where available

• The outcome you are hoping for, if you have one

You do not need to provide all of this information or make a formal complaint. However, providing as much detail as possible will help us understand your concerns and respond appropriately.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days and investigate it without undue delay. We will keep you informed where appropriate and let you know the outcome of our investigation as soon as reasonably possible.

We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so that we have the opportunity to investigate and respond.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Website: ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

9. Data Retention

Data is retained only for as long as necessary to provide services and meet legal, professional, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

Where therapy services are provided, records may be retained for the periods outlined within the relevant Privacy Notice and Therapy Agreement.

Once records are no longer required, they will be securely deleted or destroyed.

10. Data Security

We take reasonable physical, technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore aim to minimise the amount of personal information held electronically and use appropriate security measures for the information that is required.

Artificial intelligence tools are not used as a storage system for client records or clinical notes.

11. Cookies and Website Data

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files placed on your computer to collect standard internet information and visitor behaviour data. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being used. However, this may affect the functionality of our website.

We may use third-party analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Console) to collect anonymised data about website usage, helping us understand how visitors engage with our site. This data does not personally identify you.

11a.Email Updates and Teacher Check-in

If you choose to join my mailing list or complete the teacher check-in, I may collect your email address, your check-in responses and technical information such as your IP address and the date and time of signup.

The check-in is intended for reflection. It is not a diagnostic tool or a substitute for professional care. Other people completing the check-in cannot see your answers. Demi Shakespeare can access responses through the survey report.

MailerLite is used to collect signups, record check-in responses, send confirmation and welcome emails, and provide occasional blogs and resources. MailerLite processes this information on behalf of Demi Shakespeare Therapy.

Joining the mailing list is optional. Marketing emails are sent with your consent, and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link included in every email. Email open tracking is disabled. MailerLite may still record delivery information and link clicks where necessary for managing and understanding email communications.

Check-in responses are reviewed regularly and deleted or anonymised when no longer needed, normally within 24 months. Mailing-list information is retained until you unsubscribe or ask for it to be deleted, unless it must be retained for a legal reason.

You can request access, correction or deletion of this information by emailing demi@dstherapy.co.uk

12. External Links

Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites. Please review their privacy policies independently.

13. Terms of Use and Copyright

By accessing this website, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and accept responsibility for compliance with any applicable local laws.

The design, text, and graphics are the copyright of Demi Shakespeare. Any unauthorised reproduction of the contents of this site without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

You must not:

  • Republish material from our website without prior written consent

  • Sell or rent material from our website

  • Reproduce, duplicate, create derivative works, copy or otherwise exploit material on our website for any purpose

  • Redistribute any content from our website, including onto another website

14. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy at any time to reflect our practices or legal requirements. Updated versions will be posted on our website with the revision date.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this policy or your dealings with our website, please contact us:

Email:Demi@dstherapy.co.uk
Address: Brierley Hill, West Midlands