Document Version: 1.0
Effective Date: 22 September 2026
Last Reviewed: 22 September 2026
Practice Website: kindsoulpsych.co.uk
Kind Soul Psych is an independent private healthcare and professional development practice operated by Sabbir Ahmed, offering psychological therapy and therapeutic coaching.
This policy sets out how Kind Soul Psych collects, holds, protects, and processes personal data and special category health data in full compliance with:
This document applies to:
Kind Soul Psych provides two distinct professional services:
To maintain ethical clarity and data protection boundaries, client records for psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching are maintained separately and are never merged or switched without explicit consultation and distinct contractual agreements.
For the purposes of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data Controller is:
Kind Soul Psych is committed to handling your personal data transparently, securely, and with the utmost professional respect.
Kind Soul Psych collects only the information necessary to provide professional therapy, therapeutic coaching, safe practice administration, and website security.
When you contact Kind Soul Psych through the website enquiry forms (including Forminator Form 9363 in modal popups or Form 3142 on the Contact page), or directly via email or telephone, we collect:
If you proceed to an initial clinical assessment or ongoing psychotherapy, we collect detailed personal and health data required for safe clinical practice:
If you engage in therapeutic coaching, we collect:
To manage bookings and accounts, we collect:
When you navigate kindsoulpsych.co.uk, automated technical data may be processed:
Data protection law requires a clear lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR for all personal data, and an additional condition under Article 9 for processing special category health data.
| Purpose of Processing | Data Categories Involved | Lawful Basis (UK GDPR Article 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to Initial Enquiries | Name, email, phone, enquiry context | Article 6(1)(b) (Contract): Taking steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract, and Article 6(1)(f) (Legitimate Interests) in responding efficiently to prospective clients. |
| Delivering Therapy or Coaching | Session notes, scheduling, client communications | Article 6(1)(b) (Contract): Performance of a contract to deliver agreed therapeutic or coaching services. |
| Emergency & Safeguarding Actions | Contact details, GP details, emergency contact | Article 6(1)(c) (Legal Obligation) and Article 6(1)(d) (Vital Interests): Protecting the life, health, or safety of the client or others where serious risk exists. |
| Practice Accounts & Invoicing | Invoices, receipts, session attendance dates | Article 6(1)(c) (Legal Obligation): Compliance with statutory tax, accounting, and HMRC financial reporting obligations. |
| Website Operation & Security | IP address, necessary cookies, anti-spam tokens | Article 6(1)(f) (Legitimate Interests): Ensuring site security, fraud prevention, and uninterrupted accessibility. |
| Website Analytics & Advertising | Pseudonymised analytical identifiers, ad click metrics | Article 6(1)(a) (Consent): Optional cookies activated solely when you grant affirmative consent via the CookieYes banner. |
Psychotherapy notes, assessment disclosures, and medical context constitute Special Category Data (health data) under Article 9(1) of the UK GDPR. Kind Soul Psych processes this data under the following strict conditions:
Processing is necessary for the provision of health or social care or treatment, administered by or under the responsibility of a qualified healthcare professional. Sabbir Ahmed is a UKCP-registered psychotherapist bound by a strict professional duty of confidentiality under UK law and the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
Maintaining contemporaneous, accurate clinical session records is required to meet professional indemnity insurance standards and defend against potential clinical or regulatory claims.
Where specific external disclosures are agreed—such as voluntary clinical liaison with your GP, psychiatrist, or medical specialist—Kind Soul Psych relies on your explicit, informed written consent, which you may withdraw at any time.
Confidentiality is the fundamental cornerstone of psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching. What you discuss during sessions is held in the strictest professional confidence.
Sabbir Ahmed is registered with and accountable to:
In accordance with UKCP and EMCC regulatory standards, all practising psychotherapists and coaches must attend regular consultative supervision with an accredited senior clinical supervisor. Supervision ensures that clinical work remains safe, ethical, and effective.
Confidentiality is treated with the highest gravity. However, in line with UK law, statutory safeguarding regulations, and the UKCP Code of Ethics, confidentiality is not absolute. There are specific, legally mandated exceptions where a psychotherapist is obliged to share information:
If there is reasonable cause to believe that you, or another identifiable person, are at immediate and serious risk of significant harm, suicide, or severe injury.
Where concerns arise regarding the safety, abuse, or neglect of a child (under 18) or a vulnerable adult, in accordance with the Children Act 1989/2004 and the Care Act 2014.
Where disclosure is explicitly ordered by a judge in a court of law, or where there is a mandatory statutory obligation to report specific matters under UK law (including the Terrorism Act 2000, Drug Trafficking Act 1994, or Proceeds of Crime Act 2002).
Should an exceptional situation arise where confidentiality must be breached:
Kind Soul Psych does not write reports, fit notes, character references, or third-party letters on behalf of clients (such as for housing appeals, court disputes, or insurer assessments), unless under a direct statutory obligation or formal court order. Proof of attendance and invoices can be provided upon request.
In compliance with UK healthcare standards, professional indemnity requirements, and HMRC regulations, Kind Soul Psych maintains a formal data retention schedule. We hold records only for as long as necessary to satisfy clinical, professional, and legal obligations.
| Record Type | Description | Retention Period | Lawful Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Clinical Psychotherapy Records | Assessment forms, case history, brief session notes, risk notes | 7 years following the date of discharge / last session | Standard UK health record guideline; aligns with professional indemnity requirements and the Limitation Act 1980 for clinical negligence claims. |
| Young Person Clinical Records (under 18) | Assessment notes and clinical files for clients seen under age 18 | 7 years post-discharge, or until the client’s 25th birthday, whichever is longer | Ensures records are retained until 7 years past the age of majority (18), in line with NHS and British psychotherapy standards. |
| Therapeutic Coaching Records | Coaching notes, goal plans, sponsor agreements | 6 years following conclusion of coaching work | Aligns with standard UK statutory limitation periods for breach of contract claims under the Limitation Act 1980. |
| Uncompleted Website Enquiries | Form submissions and emails that do not proceed to an assessment | 6 to 12 months from the date of the last message | Retained temporarily to facilitate follow-up should you re-enquire, then securely purged. |
| Financial and Accounting Records | Invoices, receipts, bank statements, session date logs | 6 full tax years following the end of the relevant financial year | Statutory requirement mandated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for financial audit and tax compliance. |
| Cookie Consent Logs | Anonymised records of cookie banner choices logged by CookieYes | Up to 12 months | Validates consent state in accordance with PECR and ICO guidance; refreshed annually. |
Upon the expiry of the relevant retention period, data is permanently and irreversibly destroyed:
Kind Soul Psych implements robust technical and organisational security measures to ensure all personal data is protected against unauthorised access, alteration, loss, or disclosure.
To minimise risk and uphold client privacy:
Online psychotherapy and coaching sessions are conducted via secure, business-grade video conferencing platforms (such as Google Meet or Zoom for Healthcare) that feature:
Clients are requested to ensure they attend online appointments from a private, confidential, and uninterrupted space.
Kind Soul Psych does not sell, rent, trade, or monetize personal data to any third party under any circumstances.
To deliver professional services, maintain practice operations, and secure the website, we engage carefully selected third-party service providers who act as Data Processors. All processors are subject to binding contracts requiring them to adhere to UK GDPR data protection standards:
Kind Soul Psych stores and processes data primarily within the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Where cloud infrastructure providers (such as Google Workspace) process data across international server networks (including in the United States), transfers are safeguarded through lawful transfer mechanisms approved by the UK Government and the Information Commissioner’s Office, including:
Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you possess several individual rights regarding your personal data:
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data held about you. If you request a copy of your clinical psychotherapy notes, this will be handled with professional clinical care. In rare circumstances, access to clinical health records may be partially redacted or withheld under the Data Protection Act 2018 (Health Data Test) if, in the clinician’s professional judgment, disclosure would be likely to cause serious harm to your physical or mental health or that of another individual.
You have the right to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information (such as an outdated telephone number or address). Factual clinical opinions recorded contemporaneously during sessions cannot be rewritten, but a supplementary note explaining your perspective can be added to the file.
You may request the deletion of your personal data. Please note that this right is not absolute. Under UK GDPR Article 17(3)(b) and (e), the right to erasure does not apply where retention is necessary to comply with a legal obligation or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims (including the mandatory 7-year retention period for clinical healthcare records).
You have the right to request that we restrict or pause the processing of your data in specific circumstances (for instance, while the accuracy of details is being contested).
You have the right to object to the processing of personal data that is based on our legitimate interests.
You have the right to obtain personal data that you provided directly to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, where the processing was based on contract or consent and carried out by automated means.
Where processing relies on your voluntary consent (such as optional non-essential website cookies or voluntary GP liaison), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without detriment.
To exercise any of your data protection rights, please email Sabbir Ahmed at:
Email: [email protected]
We will verify your identity to ensure personal data is never disclosed to unauthorised third parties, and will respond to your request within one calendar month, free of charge (unless requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive).
Kind Soul Psych takes privacy and ethical data handling with the utmost seriousness. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding how your data is handled, we encourage you to contact us directly in the first instance so we can resolve the matter promptly:
If your concern relates to professional conduct, ethical standards, or the therapeutic contract, you may contact the relevant professional regulatory body:
You also have the statutory right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
This website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure site security, remember your preferences, and understand website performance. Strictly necessary cookies are deployed automatically, while non-essential analytics and advertising cookies are blocked until you give explicit consent.
For a full breakdown of all active cookies, retention periods, third-party disclosures (including Google reCAPTCHA v2 and our strict No Screen-Recording policy), and how to manage your preferences, please see our dedicated Cookie Policy.
We review this Privacy Policy regularly to ensure ongoing alignment with UK data protection legislation, professional regulatory requirements, and technical site updates.
Any updates will be published directly on this page with an updated “Last Reviewed” date. If significant changes are made to how we handle client data, existing clients will be informed via direct email or during sessions.
