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Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

This privacy policy explains how Karen Ashley Hypnotherapy (trading as Mind Power Hypnotherapy Cheshire) collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information. I take your privacy seriously and am committed to protecting your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who I Am

  • Business name: Karen Ashley Hypnotherapy (trading as Mind Power Hypnotherapy Cheshire)
  • Practitioner: Karen Ashley
  • Address: 40 Nursery Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5JQ
  • Phone: 07776 133247
  • Email: karen@karenashley.co.uk
  • Website: karenashley.co.uk

I am registered with the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH), the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), and the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). I am professionally insured and bound by the NCH Code of Ethics regarding client confidentiality.

What Information I Collect

When you contact me

If you use the contact form on my website, phone me, or send an email, I may collect:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • The content of your message or enquiry

When you become a client

If you go on to book sessions with me, I may also collect:

  • Your address and date of birth
  • Medical history and relevant health information
  • Details of medications you are taking
  • Session notes and treatment records
  • Payment information (card details are processed by your payment provider, not stored by me)

When you pay for sessions

I accept payments by card, bank transfer, cash and PayPal. I keep records of payments received for accounting purposes, but I do not store your full card details.

How I Use Your Information

I use your personal information to:

  • Respond to your enquiries
  • Provide hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP, CBT, creative coaching and counselling services
  • Keep accurate clinical records as required by my professional bodies
  • Process payments for sessions
  • Contact you about upcoming appointments
  • Comply with legal and professional obligations

I will never use your information for marketing purposes without your explicit consent, and I will never sell or share your data with third parties for marketing.

Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, I process your personal data on the following legal bases:

  • Consent — you give me permission when you submit a contact form, book a session or provide your health information
  • Legitimate interest — to manage appointments, respond to enquiries and run my practice
  • Legal obligation — to comply with tax, accounting and professional regulatory requirements
  • Vital interests — in rare cases where there is a risk of serious harm to you or others

For health-related data (which is classified as special category data), I rely on your explicit consent and the provision of health treatment as the legal basis.

How Long I Keep Your Data

  • Clinical records and session notes are kept for 7 years after your last session, in line with NCH professional guidelines and insurance requirements
  • Contact form enquiries from people who do not become clients are deleted within 12 months
  • Financial records are kept for 6 years as required by HMRC
  • Email correspondence is kept for as long as necessary and then securely deleted

Children's Data

I work with children from age 6. For clients under 16, I require written consent from a parent or guardian before collecting any personal data or providing treatment. Parents and guardians have the right to access, amend or request deletion of their child's data at any time.

Third-Party Sharing

I do not share your personal information with third parties except in these limited circumstances:

  • Payment processors (your bank, PayPal) to process payments — they have their own privacy policies
  • Professional supervisors — I may discuss cases in clinical supervision, but your identity is anonymised
  • Legal or safeguarding obligations — if required by law, court order, or where there is a serious risk of harm to you or others

I will never sell your data or share it with marketing companies.

Online Sessions

For online sessions, I use encrypted video platforms to protect your privacy. While I take all reasonable steps to ensure a secure connection, please be aware that no internet-based communication is completely risk-free. I recommend that you join online sessions from a private location using a secure internet connection.

Cookies

This website currently uses minimal cookies that are necessary for the site to function. I do not use tracking cookies or share data with advertisers. If analytics tools are added in the future, this policy will be updated accordingly.

Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data I hold about you
  • Rectification — ask me to correct any inaccurate information
  • Erasure — ask me to delete your data (subject to my legal and professional obligations to retain certain records)
  • Restriction — ask me to limit how I use your data
  • Portability — request your data in a commonly used format so you can transfer it to another provider
  • Object — object to my processing of your data in certain circumstances
  • Withdraw consent — withdraw your consent to data processing at any time (this does not affect any processing that has already taken place)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at karen@karenashley.co.uk or call 07776 133247.

Professional Confidentiality

As a registered hypnotherapist, I am bound by the NCH Code of Ethics. Everything discussed in our sessions is treated as strictly confidential. The only exceptions are:

  • Where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else (safeguarding)
  • Where I am required to disclose information by law or court order
  • Where you give me explicit written consent to share information (for example, with your GP)

Data Security

I take appropriate measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • Keeping paper records in a locked cabinet
  • Using password-protected devices and encrypted storage for electronic records
  • Using secure, encrypted platforms for online sessions
  • Limiting access to your information to myself only

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your personal data, please contact me first at karen@karenashley.co.uk so I can try to resolve the issue.

If you are not satisfied with my response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection authority:

Changes to This Policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page. If I make significant changes, I will note the date of the last update at the top of this page.

Contact Me

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how I handle your data, please get in touch:

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