Privacy Policy

Who is responsible for your information

Maxine E King, Psychodynamic Psychotherapist, is the data controller for this website. This means Maxine decides how and why your personal information is used. She is responsible for looking after it under UK data protection law.

Maxine is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Email: maxineekingtherapy@gmail.com Mobile: 07939 000725

About this policy

This policy explains how your personal information is used when you visit this website or contact Maxine to ask about therapy.

It does not describe how therapy records are kept. If you become a client, that information is provided to you separately.

What information is collected

Information you give. When you contact Maxine by email or mobile, you share your name, your contact details and anything you choose to say about why you are getting in touch. This website does not have a contact form.

Email and text messages are not fully secure. Please keep your first message brief and keep personal details for your first conversation.

Sensitive information. Some of what you share may relate to your health or personal circumstances. This is called special category data and it is treated with extra care.

Technical information. Like most websites, this one records basic technical details when you visit. These include your IP address, your browser type and the pages you view. They are held in server logs by the website host and are used to keep the site secure and working.

How your information is used and why

Your information is used for these purposes only.

• To reply to your enquiry and to arrange an initial consultation. The legal basis is taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• To keep this website secure and working. The legal basis is legitimate interests.
• To meet legal and professional obligations. The legal basis is legal obligation.
• To handle any health information you choose to share when you get in touch. The legal basis is your explicit consent, which you give by choosing to share it. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Your details are not used for marketing. They are not sold and they are not used to make automated decisions about you.

Who your information is shared with

Your information is kept confidential. It is shared only where it is necessary.

• With service providers who help run Maxine’s practice and website, such as her email provider (Google) and the website host. They act on Maxine’s instructions.
• With professional bodies, insurers or legal advisers, if this is needed to handle a complaint or claim.
• Where the law requires it, or where there is a serious risk of harm to you or to someone else.

Some providers, including Google, may process information outside the UK. Where this happens, safeguards approved under UK data protection law are used to protect it.

How long information is kept

• Enquiries that do not lead to therapy are deleted after six months.
• Server logs are kept by the website host for a limited period. This is set by the host and is used for security.

Information about how therapy records are kept is provided to clients separately.

Cookies and links to other websites

This website uses only the cookies it needs in order to work. It does not use advertising, tracking or analytics cookies.

The Contact page links to Google Maps. If you follow those links, Google’s own privacy policy applies. You can read it at policies.google.com/privacy.

How your information is kept safe

Maxine takes reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. This website uses a secure (HTTPS) connection.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information held about you
• ask for anything that is wrong to be corrected
• ask for your information to be deleted
• ask for its use to be restricted, or object to how it is used
• ask for your information to be sent to you or to another organisation in a usable format
• withdraw your consent at any time

To use any of these rights, contact Maxine by email or mobile. A reply is normally given within one month. There is usually no charge.

If you are unhappy with how your information has been handled, please tell Maxine first so that she can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or call 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last changed.