Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Healwave Play Therapy (“we”, “us”, “our”).
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with sensitivity, transparency, and integrity in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit www.healwaveplaytherapy.co.uk or engage with our therapeutic services.

If you have any questions, please contact:
📧 Email: healwaveplaytherapy@outlook.com
📍 Address: Fleet, Hampshire, UK

2. About Healwave Play Therapy

Healwave Play Therapy provides therapeutic services to children and families using play-based approaches to emotional and psychological healing.
All services are offered in accordance with professional ethical standards and confidentiality principles, such as those set out by the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT), Play Therapy UK (PTUK), or BACP.

3. Information We Collect

Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following types of information:

A. Website Visitors

Name, email address, and phone number (if you complete a contact form or send an email).
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and usage information (through cookies or analytics tools).

B. Therapy Clients (or Parents/Guardians)

Personal and contact details (e.g. name, address, phone number, email).
Relevant information for therapeutic assessment (e.g. developmental history, family background, presenting issues).
Session notes and records kept confidentially by the therapist.
Emergency contact and GP details (where appropriate).

Sensitive information is only collected with your explicit consent and is handled with strict confidentiality.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and arrange appointments.
To provide therapeutic services safely and effectively.
To maintain accurate records as required by professional and legal standards.
To manage billing or administrative matters (if applicable).
To comply with legal or safeguarding obligations.

We do not use your data for marketing without your explicit consent and will never sell or share your data for commercial purposes.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

Consent – you have given clear consent to process your data (e.g. by contacting us or agreeing to therapy).
Contract – processing is necessary for delivering a service you have requested.
Legal obligation – compliance with safeguarding, tax, or professional record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for the operation of the practice and does not override your rights.

6. Confidentiality and Record-Keeping

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the therapeutic relationship. All information shared in therapy is treated as strictly confidential, except in the following circumstances:

Where there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others.
Where there are safeguarding concerns about a child or vulnerable adult.
Where required by a court of law or legal obligation.

Clinical notes are:

Kept securely (either password-protected or in locked storage).
Retained for a period consistent with professional guidelines (typically 7 years after therapy ends, or until a child client reaches age 25, whichever is longer).
Accessible only to the therapist and, if applicable, professional supervisors under confidentiality agreements.

7. How We Store and Protect Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure your personal data is secure, including:

Encryption and password protection for digital files.
Locked storage for physical notes.
Regular review of data retention and deletion policies.

Your information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil legal, professional, or contractual obligations.

8. Sharing Your Information

We may share data only when necessary and with trusted parties, such as:

Professional supervisors (anonymised or minimal data shared under confidentiality).
IT service providers or website hosts under strict data protection agreements.
Legal or safeguarding authorities, if required by law.

We will never share your data for marketing, research, or unrelated purposes.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies or third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use the site and improve functionality.
Cookies do not identify you personally, and you can disable them at any time via your browser settings.

10. Your Data Protection Rights

You have the right to:

Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request deletion of your data (where applicable).
Withdraw consent at any time.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been mishandled.

ICO website: www.ico.org.uk

11. Links to Other Websites

Our website may include links to external sites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices and encourage you to review their privacy policies separately.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

Healwave Play Therapy
www.healwaveplaytherapy.co.uk
📧 healwaveplaytherapy@outlook.com
📍 Fleet, Hampshire, UK