Privacy policy
PRIVACY NOTICE (Data Processing) Who we are and how we process your personal data Alison Gifford, of Galene Therapy, complies with her obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by keeping personal data up to date; by storing (and destroying it) securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data. We use your personal data for the following purposes • To deliver the services that clients have requested • To contact those clients as necessary in accordance with the services they have requested • To contact clients via surveys to ascertain their opinions on the service they received from us • To maintain our own accounts and records N.B. In the event that our recorded data is utilised for research purposes, our own supervision or for the instruction or tuition of students, all such data will be sufficiently anonymised to the extent that individual clients cannot be identified. Should a client indicate that their data should not be used for these purposes, we would refrain from using that data. Individual client data will never be passed to a third party without the express consent of the respective client, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or that of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public, nor in contravention of any legal action or legal requirement. In accordance with my need to maintain the possibility of access to client data as a result of returning clients or those who may wish to lodge a complaint in respect of our professional services to either our professional body or our insurers (i.e. in all cases perhaps after a long period of time has elapsed), we retain client data for a minimum period of 7 years. For clients under the age of 18, data will be retained until their 25th birthday. Our Lawful Basis for processing client personal data The client has given clear consent for me to process their personal data for a specific purpose. Further, the processing is necessary for both my client’s and my own legitimate interests. Your rights and your personal data Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: • The right to request a copy of your personal data which Alison Gifford, of Galene Hypnotherapy, holds about you • The right to request that Alison Gifford corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date • The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for Alison Gifford to retain such data • The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time The right to request that the data controller provide the data subject with his/her personal data and where possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller, (known as the right to data portability), (where applicable) [N.B. This only applies where the processing is based on consent or is necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject and in either case the data controller processes the data by automated means]. The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing; The right to object to the processing of personal data, (where applicable) [N.B. This only applies where processing is based on legitimate interests (or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority); direct marketing and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics] The right to make complaint (see below) Making a Complaint The client has a right to make a complaint, and in the first instance, this should be by email to alison@galenetherapy.com. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it. The client has the right to escalate the complaint to the Independent Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if they think there is a problem with the way we are handling their data (see https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/).
Who I am
This website is run by Alison Gifford, trading as Galene Therapy, in Tansley, near Matlock, Derbyshire. I am the data controller for the information described here. You can contact me about your data at alison@galenetherapy.com.
What I collect through this website
If you use the contact form, I collect your name, your email address, the subject you choose, and the message you write. Nothing else is collected through the form. Messages are held securely and deleted 90 days after I have read them.
This website counts visits using the visitor statistics built into Lovable, the platform it is hosted on. To tell one visit from another it sets a cookie called session-id, holding a random number that expires after 30 minutes. It does not identify you, build a profile of you or follow you from one visit to the next: I see only totals, such as how many visits the site had, which pages were read, the type of device, the country, and the website that sent the visit. Lovable collects these figures for me, and I use them, on the basis of my legitimate interest in understanding how the site is used, to improve it. The site uses no advertising or marketing cookies. The cookie policy explains how to block cookies if you prefer.
What I collect when you book
Bookings are made through TidyCal, which collects the information needed to make and confirm your appointment. TidyCal's privacy policy applies to that information: tidycal.com/privacy-policy. Payment is taken by Stripe through TidyCal. I never see your card details.
What I collect during therapy
Before your first session I will send you a registration form asking about your health, any medication, and relevant history. I keep session notes. This information is held securely and kept in line with the requirements of my professional bodies. It is special category data under UK GDPR and I process it on the basis of your explicit consent and for the provision of health care. By law, basic contact and payment records are kept for six years after we finish working together, for tax purposes.
Who processes your data
The services that handle data on my behalf are: Lovable and Supabase (website hosting and the website's database), TidyCal (booking), Stripe (payment), Bluehost (email) and Kit (the newsletter, course waiting lists and course bookings). Each is bound by its own data processing terms.
Confidentiality and its limits
What you tell me in therapy is confidential. I would only share information without your consent where I am required to by law, or where I believe you or someone else is at serious risk of harm, in line with my professional codes. If you have reported a matter to the police and there may be proceedings, my notes could be requested; I will discuss this with you at the start.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to ask what information I hold about you, to have it corrected, to have it deleted where there is no overriding reason to keep it, and to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. To exercise any of these, contact me at alison@galenetherapy.com.
Changes
This policy was last updated on 26 September 2026.