Your privacy is important to us.

As a UK-based practice, this policy explains how DAVID SOFFER THERAPY collects, uses, protects, and discloses your Personal Data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Personal Data is any information relating to an identifiable person (a data subject). Given the nature of our work, this includes highly sensitive health information, which we treat with the highest ethical and legal rigor.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to gain a clear understanding of how we handle your Personal Data across our website, online platform, and during the provision of all our therapeutic services, regardless of the device you use.

Privacy Policy effective since: 28th November 2025

This Privacy Policy describes the information that "we", DAVID SOFFER THERAPY collect about "you" when you use our "Services" (including but not limited to our website, online platform, and other interactions with us), how we use and share that information, and what options you have to protect your privacy.

BY ACCESSING OR USING OUR SERVICES, YOU CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION AND USE OF YOUR DATA AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY.

DAVID SOFFER THERAPY is based in North West London. For further queries on our Privacy Policy please contact us at info@soffertherapy.com or by phone, on 07999001224.

1. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update and change the terms in this Privacy Policy, in accordance with our needs, at any time and in our sole discretion. Users will be notified of these changes on this page by updating the date on the top left of the screen. Your continued use of our Services following any modifications in our Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such changes. By using our Services, you agree to frequently review this Privacy Policy, understanding how these conditions affect the use of our Services.

2. When and why do we collect data from you

DAVID SOFFER THERAPY collects information from you when you register on our website/online platform (by creating an account and updating your profile), book and pay for a service, subscribe to a newsletter, subscribe to a membership, respond to a survey, fill out a form (including but not limited to costumer support, contact and queries forms, contest, promotions or surveys forms), use our live chat, communicate with us via e-mail and/or mobile phone or enter information on our online platform. 

This information is collected in order to help you with your experience, improve our service and personalise your journey with us (for example, by designing personalised coping and skill-building regimens according to your unique therapeutic goals).

When we process personal data about you, we do so with your explicit, informed consent and/or as necessary to provide you with effective therapeutic services, meet our ethical, contractual, and legal obligations, and ensure the confidentiality and security of your clinical records.

Most of this data is recorded by you (such as personal details entered during registration, information you write in between-session via e-mail, messages or through our platform, mood or thought logs, journaling exercises you share, or feedback you submit after a session, etc.), and some other is documented by the counsellor or psychotherapist, with your ongoing consent and in alignment with professional standards, as you attend different appointments with us. This documentation includes (a) clinical case notes summarising session content, therapeutic process, and interventions used; (b) assessment data detailing your symptoms, goals, diagnosis (where applicable), and treatment plan; (c) safety planning information (if required for risk management); (d) referral and liaison communication (if you have consented to us coordinating care with other professionals, such as your GP or psychiatrist); (e) your response to therapeutic techniques and overall progress toward your goals.

We also collect data from third parties when you join our platform by logging in through Facebook or Google, to collect your name, profile picture, e-mail address, mobile phone and address. This also includes details collected when paying for a service with a third party, such as PayPal.

Certain fields, such as your full legal name, primary contact details (e-mail, phone number, address), and date of birth will be mandatory. We require these details to establish your confidential client file, confirm your identity for billing and scheduling, and ensure we can fulfil our professional and legal duty to make contact if there is an urgent concern. Additionally, certain medical, psychological, and crisis-related information will be mandatory, as this is required for ethical practice and safety management. This will include: (a) emergency contact details (name, relationship, and mobile number) so we can act in case of a health or safety crisis during or immediately after a session; (b) present and past mental health history, including previous diagnoses, hospitalisation history, and current medications relevant to your mental wellbeing; (c) a current risk assessment and safety profile, addressing any present thoughts of self-harm, harm to others, or significant addiction risks; (d) information regarding any concurrent treatment you are receiving (e.g., from a psychiatrist or GP), as coordinating care is often essential for safety and effective treatment. 

You have the right to refuse to give us any personal details. However, if this information falls into a mandatory field (particularly those related to safety and crisis management), we will not be able to provide you with therapeutic services. This is because ethical guidelines and legal duties mandate that we cannot practice without sufficient information to protect your well-being and meet our duty of care. Lack of information, even for non-mandatory details, will inevitably limit the effectiveness and depth of our therapeutic services. We highly recommend that you disclose as much relevant information as possible. In cases involving certain complex treatment modalities (such as specific trauma-focused therapies or detailed couples work), refusing to provide essential background information will result in our incapacity to offer that specific service, as it cannot be safely or effectively delivered without those details.

3. What kind of personal data is collected from you

The data we collect from you varies according to your interactions with our platform (if applicable) and the therapeutic services you engage in. This data is essential for ethical practice, safety management, effective treatment planning, and administrative purposes. The types of personal data we may collect include: 

(A) Identity and contact details (administrative)

(i) Name and contact details: full legal name, preferred name, email address, phone number (including country code), mailing and home address, and other similar identifying details;  (ii) Login details: the email and password you select when you create an account with us (if using an online portal); (iii) Bookings/scheduling: information on previous and future appointments (type of service, date, time slot, counsellor/psychotherapist, session format, price paid, and other scheduling details); (iv) Membership type/service package: information on the type of service package or fee structure you are currently using, allowing us to process correct payments and manage service access; (v) Device and user data: information on the device used to access our portal (e.g., IP address, device ID) and language preferences, used primarily for security and platform operation.

(B) Financial and billing details

(i) Payment details: when booking a paid service, we collect the necessary information to process your payment (e.g., credit card details - though we typically use a secure, third-party processor and do not retain full card details), as well as the address details needed for billing; (ii) Invoice details: records of payments processed and invoices issued. 

(C) Communication and correspondence

(i) Email or phone enquiries: we store your contact details and information regarding your enquiries when you first reach out to us; (ii) Contact forms and online chat: information received when you contact us via an online form or chat (name, contact details, message, and conversation content); (iii) Reviews: if you leave us a review, we may collect and display (with your consent) your name, the date, your given rating, your review content, and the source of the review (e.g., Google or a platform link).

(D) Clinical, safety, and highly sensitive data

This category includes information critical for providing safe and effective treatment and is treated with the highest level of confidentiality and ethical rigour. (i) Demographic/personal details: date of birth, age, gender, preferred pronouns, nationality, language, marital status, occupation, and other personal background information relevant to the therapeutic context; (ii) Emergency contact details: name, relationship, and mobile number of a person to contact in a crisis situation, as this is required for safety management; (iii) Clinical history and risk assessment: comprehensive details on your present and past mental health history (including diagnoses, hospitalisation, previous therapy), current medications, substance use history, and family history of mental health conditions; (iv) Safety profile: current risk assessment data addressing any present thoughts of self-harm or harm to others, critical for fulfilling our duty of care; (v) Therapeutic goals: information about your short-term and long-term goals for therapy, progress made, expectations, and any adjustments to the treatment plan; (vi) Therapy diary/logs using our online platform: information you choose to enter into a log or diary between sessions, such as mood tracking, thought records, crisis plan utilisation, emotional states, triggers, or personal notes; (vii) Session notes: documentation created by the therapist summarizing session content, key themes, interventions used, therapeutic process, and progress.

(E) Consent and agreement 

Data agreements and subscriptions: data recorded when you interact with tick boxes or sign forms, such as the Therapy Agreement, Registration Form, Booking and Cancellation Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions and any newsletter subscriptions or setting preferences. 

We retain every detail you provide to us to ensure continuity of care and to meet our record-keeping obligations, until you request that data be deleted, subject to legal and professional retention requirements. We do not have direct access to your login password or full payment details - these are typically encrypted or managed by secure third-party processors.

4. How do we use your personal data

4.1. Reasons for using your data

DAVID SOFFER THERAPY uses your personal data for the following essential purposes: 

(a) Clinical record keeping and progress monitoring: to serve as a confidential electronic and physical record for tracking therapeutic progress, comparing initial assessment data to current performance and achievements, and facilitating data consultation and monitoring (e.g., reviewing mood logs, journaling entries, or monitoring compliance with agreed-upon therapeutic assignments); 

(b) Facilitating communication and support: to serve as a secure link between the therapist and client, enabling direct communication via chat or secure messaging, sending supportive messages, and documenting important session notes or recommendations directly on the client profile; 

(c) Administrative and query management: to respond effectively to all comments, secure messages, emails, queries, requests, and intake forms that clients or prospective clients may submit; 

(d) Service improvement and personalisation: to operate and continually enhance the standards of our therapeutic Services, enabling us to provide you with more specific, relevant, and personalised interventions tailored to your unique clinical needs and goals; 

(e) Platform access and membership management: to filter and manage the user's permissions and access rights to the secure client platform, consistent with the type of service, membership, or therapeutic program being used;

(f) Ensuring client safety and ethical practice: to protect the safety and well-being of our clients, including you, by ensuring that all therapeutic practices and recommendations align with clinical best practice, avoiding any potential emotional or psychological complications that could arise from unsuitable therapeutic approaches; 

(g) Information and updates: to inform you and keep you up to date on clinic policies, changes in practice, new resources, blog posts, relevant therapeutic programs, special events, and changes to opening/availability hours;

(h) Appointment management: to send essential booking confirmation emails, reminder notifications, and inform you immediately of any necessary cancellation or scheduling changes.

4.2. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data (GDPR/UK DPA)

Since the data used in therapy is highly sensitive ("special category data" - information about your mental and physical health), the processing must satisfy two separate legal grounds under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.) 

(A) Legal basis for general personal data (Article 6)

For administrative activities (such as names, contact details, payment records, and non-clinical communications), DAVID SOFFER THERAPY primarily relies on the following lawful bases: (i) contractual necessity: processing is necessary for the performance of the therapeutic contract we have with you, including scheduling appointments, managing payments, and delivering the agreed-upon services; (ii) legitimate interests: processing is necessary for the practice's legitimate administrative and operational interests, such as responding to general enquiries, managing the platform, improving service quality, and providing updates, provided your fundamental rights do not override these interests; (iii) legal obligation: processing is necessary for compliance with a legal or professional obligation (e.g., safeguarding, duty of care, or financial record-keeping requirements). 

(B) Legal condition for special category data (Article 9)

For the highly sensitive data concerning your mental and physical health (session notes, progress reviews, assessment results, etc.), which is essential for providing therapy, DAVID SOFFER THERAPY relies on: (i) provision of health or social care: processing is necessary for the purposes of preventative medicine, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment, or the management of health or social care systems. This is carried out by the therapist, who is a professional subject to a legal duty of confidentiality; (ii) establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims: processing is necessary for us to retain appropriate records to comply with professional body requirements and to establish, exercise, or defend any legal claims (e.g., malpractice or professional complaints). While you provide consent to engage in therapy and the sharing of information for referrals or supervision, the legal basis for processing the core clinical notes relies on the legal basis of Provision of Health Care to ensure continuity of care and ethical record-keeping, even if consent is withdrawn. For all other non-essential communications (like marketing/promotions), your explicit consent is requested and may be withdrawn at any time.

4.3. How do we use different data

We understand that the information you share in therapy is deeply personal and confidential. Storing this information securely allows you to access and review your records (for personal insight or comparison purposes), and enables us to provide you with the highest quality and most personalised therapeutic services. We do not use this confidential information for any other purpose outside of the provision of your care. 

(a) Intake forms, medical history, & current health details - used to assess any potential health implications or risk factors that may influence your treatment. This information is crucial for designing a safe, effective, and tailored treatment plan and informing therapeutic assignments, ensuring they promote mental and emotional well-being while respecting any co-occurring medical condition; 

(b) Diary/journaling information, session tracking, & progress notes - used to track your progress on agreed-upon therapeutic goals, homework assignments, and treatment interventions. This allows the counsellor/psychotherapist to give you targeted support, adjust your treatment plan dynamically, and provides you with the ability to review your journey, track your goals, and assess performance over time; 

(c) Mental health history, personal habits, & personal details - used to develop a safe and highly specific therapeutic approach tailored to your unique context. This prevents a lack of results by ensuring your treatment plan aligns with your background, challenges, specific goals, and personal preferences; 

(d) Emergency contact details - used only in the case of an emergency where you require immediate medical or external assistance while attending an appointment, or if there is an immediate, professional-ethical need to inform someone close to you about a crisis situation; 

(e) Availability & scheduling information - used solely to facilitate the booking and tracking of appointments and ensure the continuity of your therapeutic schedule.

4.4. Subscribed Users, Newsletters, Phone and E-mail communications

When you email or call us, your contact details (email address and phone number) may be stored securely in our system for essential future reference and professional correspondence. 

4.4.1. We reserve the right to contact you via phone call or text message only in cases of high urgency, which may include: (a) addressing an immediate medical or psychological emergency; (b) notifying you of a significant and immediate safety concern; (c) resolving issues related to lateness or immediate appointment logistics. We will not use phone or text for non-urgent communications or promotional messages unless you have explicitly agreed to receive them. 

4.4.2. We use your personal details to contact you with important information critical to your service delivery. This includes: (a) sending automatic emails for appointment logistics (e.g., booking confirmations, reminders, or cancellation advisories); (b) informing you of critical changes or updates (e.g., changes to our Terms and Policies, changes to clinic availability, or notifications that a service package has expired). 

4.4.3. You have the option to become a Subscribed User by electing to receive our electronic newsletter. We will not send you any newsletters, promotional content, or add you to our subscription list unless you actively subscribe yourself. Our newsletters are generally infrequent (we anticipate 1-4 per month on average, if any) and will focus mainly on important clinic information relevant to all clients and the community, such as changes in services, pricing updates, holiday closures, special educational events, or platform changes. Please be aware that if you choose not to subscribe to our mailing list, you will not receive proactive updates on non-essential changes or community announcements. We cannot be held responsible for any lack of information that results from your choice not to subscribe to our optional mailing list. You maintain control over your communication preferences: you can opt out of our electronic mailing list at any time by clicking the 'unsubscribe' link found at the end of every newsletter email and you can manage and adjust your consent for phone and text communications by informing the therapist directly

5. How do we protect your personal data

Your personal information is contained behind secured networks or password-protected documents and is only accessible by you and a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems (such as your counsellor/psychotherapist or our customer service team), and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. 

We implement a variety of security measures when a user books one of our Services to maintain the safety of your personal information. All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on our servers. Once logged in, the client has access to the information related to them, through an ID number that our platform generates for each user. This prevents users from having access to others' information. 

Device data and payment details are never stored in our system. 

Our website and online platform are scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.

6. Occasions when we might share your data

All Personal Data and clinical data you share on this platform is treated as strictly confidential. We commit that your data will not be sold, traded, transferred, or shared with external third parties for marketing, advertising, or commercial use. Your data will only be shared in the following specific and limited circumstances: 

6.1. Essential operational sharing (contracted processors) 

We engage certain trusted partners (data processors) who assist us in operating our platform and conducting our business, provided they agree to maintain the strict confidentiality of your information. This includes: (a) platform and hosting partners who maintain and secure our online platform and data storage systems; (b) the administrative and billing support team may access necessary personal details (like name and contact) to manage your account, bookings, or respond to service queries. They are strictly prohibited from using your data for any other purpose; (c) when you book a service, we share the necessary payment details with the involved financial institutions and accredited payment gateway platforms (e.g., Stripe) to process your transactions and generate necessary invoices or receipts; (d) as required by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), we engage in regular clinical supervision with another qualified therapist. Any information we share about you with our supervisor will be anonymised and will not be personally identifiable. Our supervisor is also professionally and ethically bound by the confidentiality requirements of their professional body.

6.2. Consensual Sharing

Your data may also be shared with other third parties only when you have provided explicit, written consent for the specific purpose, such as: (a) referral or transition of care: if you decide to transition your care to a different clinician or specialist, we will share the appropriate clinical records and relevant information to facilitate a smooth transfer of your treatment, upon receipt of your written consent; (b) consultation with other healthcare professionals: we may ask for your explicit consent to share relevant information with another healthcare provider (e.g., your GP or Psychiatrist) to coordinate your care, if deemed beneficial for your treatment. 

6.3. Limits to Confidentiality (Mandatory Disclosure

The Therapist has a legal, ethical, and professional duty to break confidentiality and disclose specific, relevant information to the appropriate third parties or legal authorities without the Client's explicit consent under the following critical circumstances: (a) risk to safety: if your safety or the safety of an identifiable third party is deemed to be at serious risk of harm; (b) protection of vulnerable persons: if we believe a child or vulnerable adult is at risk of harm or abuse (mandatory safeguarding requirement); (c) legal compulsion: if we are compelled by a court of law to disclose notes or information about you (e.g., through a legally binding court order or subpoena); (d) serious criminality: if you share information regarding a proposed act of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking, modern slavery, or other serious illegal acts that carry a mandatory reporting requirement; (e) safety and medical emergency: in the event of a medical or psychological emergency during or related to your care, we may need to share essential information (such as relevant medical conditions or emergency contact details) with emergency medical assistants or other necessary professionals to ensure your immediate safety and provide the quickest support; (f) enforcement and protection: disclosure may be necessary for enforcing our policies or protecting the rights, property, or safety of our clients or the counsellor/psychotherapist (including non-payment of agreed-upon fees resulting in legal action being taken to recover outstanding debt). We will always endeavor to consult with you first before breaking confidentiality, except when doing so places you or someone else at immediate risk of harm.

7. For how long do we keep your data in our system

As a secure online platform and personal clinical database, DAVID SOFFER THERAPY needs to store your information to comply with legal record-keeping requirements and to be able to display your progress to you and your counsellor/psychotherapist for future reference, in line with professional ethical guidelines. We are generally required to keep clinical records for a minimum period (e.g., 7 years after the cessation of treatment, or until the age of 25 if the client was a minor). Because clients may decide to take a break from therapy for extended periods (e.g., 1–2 years) and return afterwards, your core data will be stored until you formally request its deletion, subject to the legal constraints mentioned below. You maintain the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to the legal and professional obligations of the practice. Most of your information is stored across different secure databases. While you can delete some basic personal details yourself by updating fields to blank, we are happy to process a full or specific data deletion for you upon request. You can request deletion in writing by emailing info@soffertherapy.com. Please allow approximately 7 working days for us to process and confirm this request (we will send a confirmation email if you agree to receive it). Some data is retained for administrative, legal, or public-facing purposes and cannot be deleted from our system upon request. This includes Public Content, such as reviews you have entered about our services and any testimonials you have explicitly consented to be shared publicly, as they become Public Content once published. Certain details must be kept to legally protect the practice. These include (a) booking history - your booking records (including your name and service provided, if you attended) must be retained for financial, tax, and administrative purposes; (b) platform interactions - your record of interaction with our platform regarding agreements, consent forms, and subscriptions must be retained. This is necessary to legally defend the practice should you, for example, delete your agreements and later raise a legal dispute regarding past consent (e.g., agreeing to share a testimonial). 

8. How to access and control your personal data

You have full control to add, edit, or delete the non-clinical personal data within your online account at any time, using various devices (mobile, laptop, tablet, etc.). The counsellor/psychotherapist may document insights and session summaries on a password-protected document or on physical notes, which are for their record-keeping purposes only and will not be visible on your client-facing account. You can change your preferences at any time regarding the frequency of emails and the settings for phone messages and/or calls you receive from the practice. Promotional and informative newsletters can be received if you actively subscribe to our mailing list. You can opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions at the end of each email. No confidential information will be shared without your explicit consent, unless it falls under the specific legal/ethical exceptions outlined in Section 5 or is considered Public Content (e.g., reviews or testimonials you agree to share). Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for more details on Public Content.

9. Cookies usage

Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognise your browser, capturing and remembering certain information. This is generally a sequence of numbers and letters that identify your computer, but they might have additional information too. Our website uses cookies to: (a) save your preferences and settings (based on previous or current site activity), so you can have a better experience with us - this might be your language, browser and media preferences; (b) help you on your login and authentication (for our online platform registered users), by saving your logging details (so you can login quickly on a next visit), or keeping you logged in while you surf between difference pages; (c) secure you and other users; (d) connect our platform to social media (social media logging); (d) compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. 

First-time visitors to our website receive a notification regarding cookies usage and require your permission before placing non-essential cookies on your device. Although most web browsers accept cookies automatically, they offer you the ability to block or delete them. Through your browser settings, you can choose to be warned each time a cookie is sent, or you can elect to turn off all cookies. We recommend consulting your specific browser's privacy settings to understand how to control your cookies. Be aware that deleting or disabling cookies may deactivate some features on our website and, as a consequence, may negatively affect your user experience with our platform.

10. Other relevant privacy information

We have not enabled Google AdSense on our site, but we may do so in the future. 

Our website platform is hosted on Blogger. To know more about how Blogger protects your data, please read their Terms of Service. 

DAVID SOFFER THERAPY strictly adheres to the data protection standards required by UK law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have the following fundamental rights regarding the personal data we hold about you: 

(a) Right to access: you have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you (a subject access request). You may also appoint a legal representative (a "data controller" as defined in the law) to act on your behalf;

(b) Right to rectification and erasure: you have the right to have inaccurate data corrected and, in certain circumstances, the right to request the deletion of your data (The Right to be Forgotten), subject to our legal and ethical retention requirements (see Section 7);

(c) Right to withdraw consent/object: you have the right to withdraw your consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis, or object to processing where we rely on legitimate interests. Please note that your refusal to provide necessary personal or clinical data may affect the scope and quality of the therapeutic service we can safely provide;

(d) Right to portability: you have the right to request that we transfer your personal data to you or another service provider in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format; 

(e) Post-mortem instructions: you can send us specific instructions via email regarding the use or deletion of your personal data after your death, to be followed where legally permissible; 

(f) Right to lodge a complaint: you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the supervisory authority, which in the UK is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

To ensure full compliance, we commit to the following practices:

(a) Consent and communication: we will not send you non-essential newsletters (with news, events, and offers) unless you actively opt-in to become a Subscribed User, and you can opt out at any time; 

(b) Transparency: we provide clear information on our use of cookies and collect your explicit consent before placing them on your device. We clearly inform you how we use your data (Section 4) and provide a contact for any queries regarding this Privacy Policy; 

(c) Governance: we collect your agreement on our Terms & Conditions and this Privacy Policy, redirecting you to the respective documents for review; 

(d) Age restriction: our services and platform are intended for individuals aged 18 years and over, and our Terms & Conditions confirm this. We collect user's date of birth information to ensure this compliance; 

(e) Data breach notification (fair information practice principles): in the unlikely event of a data breach where your rights and freedoms are at risk, we will notify you via email within 7 business days, in compliance with legal requirements; 

(f) Individual redress principle: we acknowledge your right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to data protection law.