Privacy Policy
Dobson Psychology Ltd
Last updated: 20 October 2026
Your Privacy Matters
At Dobson Psychology, I am committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. I understand that seeking psychological support can involve sharing sensitive and deeply personal experiences, and I take my responsibility to handle this information with care, respect and confidentiality seriously.
This Privacy Policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and protected, and what rights you have over your personal data.
It applies to anyone who visits my website, contacts me about my services or receives psychological therapy or assessment through Dobson Psychology. It also applies to information retained after our work together has ended.
Dobson Psychology Ltd handles personal information in accordance with relevant UK data protection legislation, including:
UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
Data Protection Act 2018
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR)
Guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Who Is Responsible for Your Information?
Dobson Psychology is operated by Dobson Psychology Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17464929.
The practice is run by Dr Georgina Dobson, an HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist.
Under UK data protection law, the data controller is the person or organisation responsible for deciding how and why personal information is collected, used and stored.
Dobson Psychology Ltd is the data controller for personal information processed through the practice. Dr Georgina Dobson oversees data protection and confidentiality within the practice.
Company name: Dobson Psychology Ltd
Trading name: Dobson Psychology
Company registration number: 17464929
ICO registration number: ZC264252
Email: dobsonpsychologyltd@gmail.com
Website: www.dobsonpsychology.co.uk
What Information Do I Collect?
ge appointments, issue invoices, maintain financial records and manage payments.
Clients pay for appointments by bank transfer. I do not collect or store debit or credit card details through my website.
Communications
I may retain relevant emails, messages, appointment correspondence and information provided through enquiry or assessment forms.
Website Information
When you visit my website, certain technical information may be collected, such as your IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data.
This information may be used to operate the website, maintain its security and understand how visitors use it.
Why Do I Collect and Use Your Information?
I use your personal information only where there is an appropriate reason to do so.
This may include:
Responding to enquiries
To answer your questions, discuss my services and arrange introductory consultations.
Providing therapy and psychological assessments
To understand your needs, provide appropriate psychological support, develop formulations, carry out assessments and maintain accurate clinical records.
Managing appointments
To arrange sessions, send appointment information and communicate about changes or cancellations.
Payments and administration
To issue invoices, record payments and maintain appropriate financial records.
Professional and legal responsibilities
To meet relevant professional, safeguarding, regulatory and legal requirements.
Maintaining safe and effective practice
To reflect on and maintain the quality of my clinical work, including through professional supervision.
I do not sell your personal information or use confidential clinical information for advertising or marketing purposes.
What Is My Legal Basis for Using Your Information?
UK GDPR requires a lawful reason for collecting and using your personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, Dobson Psychology Ltd may rely on:
Contract: Where information is needed to provide therapy or psychological assessment services, or to take steps towards providing those services.
Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for the appropriate operation and administration of the practice, provided these interests do not override your rights.
Legal obligation: Where processing or retention is required by law.
Vital interests: Where processing is necessary to protect someone's life.
Consent: Where I ask for your specific permission to use or share information for a particular purpose.
Information about your physical or mental health receives additional protection under UK GDPR.
Where appropriate, this information is processed for the purpose of providing health care or treatment by a registered healthcare professional who is subject to professional confidentiality obligations, in accordance with Article 9(2)(h) of UK GDPR and the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Your agreement to receive therapy is separate from the legal basis used to process the information necessary to provide that care.
Where processing relies specifically on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent.
Confidentiality and Sharing Information
Confidentiality is an important part of psychological therapy, and I will treat the information you share with me as private.
I will not ordinarily share information about your therapy with family members, partners, employers or other professionals without your permission.
However, there are some important limits to confidentiality.
There may be circumstances where I need to share relevant information without your consent, for example:
If I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else
If there is a safeguarding concern involving a child or an adult at risk
If disclosure is required by law or an appropriate legal order
Where sharing information is otherwise necessary and legally justified to protect someone's safety
Wherever possible and appropriate, I will discuss any concerns with you before sharing information. I will only share information that is relevant and necessary for the situation.
Clinical Supervision
As part of maintaining safe, ethical and effective practice, I undertake regular professional clinical supervision.
This involves reflecting on my clinical work with an appropriately qualified supervisor. Identifying details are removed or minimised wherever possible, and supervision discussions are subject to professional confidentiality obligations.
Service Providers
I use third-party service providers to support the running of my practice, including website hosting, electronic communications, online appointments and information storage.
These providers may process certain personal information as part of delivering their services. Appropriate data protection and confidentiality arrangements are required where applicable.
I do not share personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
How Is Your Information Stored and Protected?
I take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously.
Personal information, including clinical notes and assessment records, is stored electronically and protected through appropriate technical and organisational measures. Access to this information is restricted, and I take steps to prevent unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.
Some of the technology providers used by Dobson Psychology may process or store personal information outside the UK. Where this occurs, appropriate data protection safeguards are used in accordance with UK data protection law.
Although I take data security seriously, no method of electronic communication or storage can be guaranteed to be completely risk-free.
If a personal data breach occurs, I will assess it and take any steps required under applicable data protection law, including notifying affected individuals or the ICO where necessary.
How Long Do I Keep Your Information?
I only keep personal information for as long as necessary to provide my services and meet my professional and legal responsibilities.
Clinical records
Therapy notes, psychological assessments and other relevant clinical information are kept securely in accordance with applicable professional guidance and my clinical record-retention policy.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the circumstances of the person receiving support, including whether they are an adult or a child.
Enquiries
If you contact me about therapy or psychological assessment but decide not to proceed, I will normally keep your enquiry and related correspondence for up to 12 months after our last contact.
After this period, the information will be securely deleted unless there is a legitimate reason to retain it for longer.
Financial records
Invoices and payment information are retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting legislation.
Other communications
Other correspondence is retained only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or to meet relevant professional and legal responsibilities.
When information is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or destroyed.
You may request deletion of your personal information, although there may be circumstances where I am legally or professionally required to retain certain records.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have rights concerning how your personal information is used.
These include:
The right to be informed: To understand what information I collect and how I use it.
The right of access: To request a copy of personal information held about you.
The right to rectification: To ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.
The right to erasure: To request deletion of your information in certain circumstances.
The right to restrict processing: To ask for limits on how your information is used in certain circumstances.
The right to object: To object to certain uses of your personal information.
The right to data portability: To request transfer of certain information where this right applies.
Rights relating to automated decision-making: To receive relevant protections where applicable.
These rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.
You can contact me at dobsonpsychologyltd@gmail.com to exercise your rights or ask questions about your personal information.
I will normally respond to a valid request within one month, in accordance with applicable data protection law. There is usually no charge for making a request.
Online Therapy and Communication
Dobson Psychology provides psychological services online.
This means that some personal information may be shared electronically, including through emails, online forms, video appointments and electronic record-keeping systems.
I take appropriate steps to protect your privacy when using these services and encourage you to attend online appointments from a private space where you feel comfortable speaking openly.
Please be aware that ordinary email may not provide the same level of security as a dedicated clinical communication system. For this reason, I may recommend using a more secure method when sharing particularly sensitive information.
Website and Cookies
My website is hosted by Squarespace.
Like many websites, it uses cookies and similar technologies. Cookies are small pieces of information that help websites function properly and, where enabled, provide information about how visitors use them.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to work. Others may be used for website analytics or additional features.
Where required, optional cookies will be subject to the appropriate consent controls.
I do not use confidential information shared during therapy for website analytics or advertising.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to my services, the systems I use or relevant legal requirements.
The most recent version will be available on the Dobson Psychology website, with the date of the latest update shown at the top.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how your information is used or how your personal data is protected, please contact me:
Dr Georgina Dobson
Dobson Psychology Ltd
Email: dobsonpsychologyltd@gmail.com
Website: www.dobsonpsychology.co.uk
I welcome the opportunity to address any questions or concerns directly.
Making a Complaint
If you are unhappy with how your personal information has been handled, you can contact me directly at dobsonpsychologyltd@gmail.com.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.
Information Commissioner's Office
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk