How I look after your information, and the terms for using this website.

Privacy policy

Therapy involves sharing personal and sometimes very sensitive information. I take that seriously, and this policy explains what I collect through this website, why, and what your rights are. I comply with UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who is responsible for your information

Amanda Prabhakaran, trading as Thistle Therapy, is the data controller. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number [to be added]. You can contact me at thistletherapy@gmail.com.

What I collect through this website

• The enquiry form: your name, email address, optional phone number, whether you prefer online or telephone sessions, and whatever you write in your message.
• Emails you send me: your address and the content of your message.
• Technical data: the web host keeps basic server logs (such as IP address, browser and pages requested) for security and to keep the site running.

You do not need to share health details in the form. A few sentences about what you would like help with is plenty, and we can talk through the rest on the discovery call. If you do include information about your health, it is special category data. By including it you are giving your explicit consent for me to use it to respond to your enquiry.

The website sets no cookies and has no analytics or advertising trackers. It loads its fonts from Google Fonts, which means your browser contacts Google and your IP address is shared with them when a page loads.

Why I use it, and my legal basis

• To reply to your enquiry and arrange a discovery call or assessment: taking steps at your request before entering into an agreement, and my legitimate interest in answering enquiries.
• To keep the site secure: my legitimate interest.
• To use any health information you include: your explicit consent.
• If you become a client, to provide your therapy and keep clinical records: providing health care, and my legal and professional obligations.

I do not sell your information and I do not use it for marketing.

Who I may share it with

• My email provider (Google), which carries the enquiries sent to me.
• HelloSelf, if you choose to book or pay through that platform. Their own privacy policy applies to the information you give them.
• The video platform used for online sessions [to be confirmed].
• My clinical supervisor, where needed, without identifying you wherever possible.
• Your insurer, only if you ask me to or give your consent.
• Your GP or emergency services, or others, only where there is a serious risk to your safety or someone else’s, or where the law requires it. Where it is safe and practical I will talk to you first.
• My professional bodies or regulators (the Nursing and Midwifery Council and BABCP), if a complaint or investigation requires it.

Some of these providers may process information outside the UK. Where they do, I rely on appropriate safeguards such as the UK’s approved international transfer arrangements.

If you become a client

I keep clinical records of our work, such as assessment notes, session notes and risk information, as required by my professional bodies. These are kept securely, are used only to provide your care, and are covered by confidentiality, with the limits described above. I will explain this in more detail at the assessment, along with how long records are kept.

How long I keep information

• Enquiries that do not lead to therapy: deleted within [period to be confirmed].
• Clinical records: kept for [period to be confirmed] after therapy ends, in line with professional guidance, and then securely destroyed.

Keeping it secure

I use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including password-protected devices and accounts, and secure platforms for sessions and records. No method of sending information over the internet is completely secure, which is another reason to keep what you send through the form brief.

Your rights

You can ask me to give you a copy of the information I hold about you, correct it, erase it, restrict how I use it, or object to my use of it. You can also withdraw consent at any time, and ask for your information in a portable format where that applies. Some rights are limited for clinical records, because I have professional and legal duties to keep them. I will reply within one month.

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your information, please tell me first so I can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Under 18s

My services are for adults aged 18 and over, and I do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

Terms of use

By using this website you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use it.

About this website

This website is run by Amanda Prabhakaran, trading as Thistle Therapy. Amanda is a registered mental health nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council) and a BABCP accredited therapist, and works within the standards of those bodies.

Information, not advice

The content here is general information about me and the therapy I offer. It is not a diagnosis, medical advice or treatment, and it is not a substitute for advice from your GP or another health professional. Please speak to a qualified professional about your own circumstances.

Not a crisis service

I do not provide a crisis response service, and the website and enquiry form are not monitored around the clock. If you have urgent wellbeing concerns or are in crisis, contact your GP, your GP out of hours service or NHS 111, call Samaritans on 116 123, or go to your local A&E. Call 999 in an emergency.

Sending an enquiry does not start therapy

Using the website or sending an enquiry does not create a therapeutic relationship. That begins only when we have both agreed to work together after a discovery call and assessment. I aim to reply within two working days, but cannot promise it. Please do not use the form for anything urgent.

When you send an enquiry, please give accurate details and do not send anything unlawful, abusive or misleading.

Who I can work with

I work with adults aged 18 and over in Dorset and across southern England, online or by telephone. I do not work with under-18s or couples, and I do not work with gambling, sex or pornography addiction. Enquiries from elsewhere in Britain and Ireland are considered individually, and I am cautious about working with people overseas because of risk and the need for local support. I may decide, after an enquiry or assessment, that I am not the right person to help, and will suggest alternatives where I can.

Fees, booking and cancellation

My current fees are on the pricing page. The discovery call is free. Please give 24 hours’ notice to cancel or rearrange a session, otherwise the full fee is charged. If you book or pay through HelloSelf, their terms apply to that part of the service. Fees and availability may change, and the details we agree before therapy begins take priority over anything on this website.

Online and telephone sessions

For sessions by video or telephone, you are responsible for being somewhere private, having a reliable connection, and being in a safe place to take part. I will ask for your location and an emergency contact before we begin. Please do not record sessions without my agreement. Technology can fail, and if it does we will agree how to continue or rearrange.

Confidentiality

What you tell me is confidential, with the limits described in the privacy policy above: serious risk of harm, legal requirements, and supervision with details removed where possible.

Ownership of content

The text, design and images on this website belong to me or are used with permission. You may view it and share links to it, but please do not copy or reuse it without asking.

Links to other sites

The website links to other organisations, such as HelloSelf and NHS and Samaritans services. I do not control those sites and am not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

Limits of responsibility

I take care to keep this website accurate, but it is provided as it is, and I cannot guarantee it is always available, error-free or up to date. Nothing in these terms limits my liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow me to limit, and it does not affect your statutory rights.

Concerns and complaints

If you are unhappy with any part of my service, please tell me at thistletherapy@gmail.com and I will respond promptly and fairly. You can also contact the Nursing and Midwifery Council or BABCP, whose standards I work to.

Changes and governing law

I may update this page from time to time, and the date at the top shows when it last changed. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.

Contact

Questions about this page: thistletherapy@gmail.com.