Privacy Policy
Last updated: [November 2026]
1. Who we are
The controller responsible for processing your personal data on this website is:Lilliana Gibbs – The Red Couch
Clayhill House North, Uckfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 5RU, United Kingdom
Email: lilliana@theredcouch.co.uk · Phone: +44 (0)779 226 7670I offer counselling in person in the UK and online, including to clients in the European Union. This policy therefore applies the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Visiting this website (server log files)
When you visit this website, our hosting provider automatically collects technical information that your browser sends: IP address, date and time of access, pages visited, browser type and operating system. This data is needed to deliver the website securely and is deleted after [7] days.
Legal basis: legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in the secure and stable operation of the website.
Hosting provider: [Name, address of hosting provider]. We have a data processing agreement with the provider.
3. Contact form, email and phone
If you contact me via the contact form, email or phone, I process the details you provide (name, email address, message) to respond to your enquiry and, if you wish, to arrange counselling.
Legal basis: steps prior to entering into a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you give via the checkbox in the form.Please note: Messages to a counsellor may contain information about your health or personal life. This is special category data (Art. 9 GDPR), which I process only with your explicit consent (Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR). To protect your privacy, please keep your first message brief. We can discuss details personally.Enquiries that do not lead to counselling are deleted after [6 months]. Client records are kept in line with BACP guidance and statutory retention periods.
4. Cookies and consent
This website uses only technically necessary cookies, plus cookies for external content you choose to enable. When you first visit, a consent banner ([name of cookie tool]) asks for your consent. It stores your choice in a cookie. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time via [“Cookie settings” link in the footer].
Legal basis: necessary cookies, legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); all other cookies, your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
5. Google Maps
The contact page includes a map from Google Maps (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland). The map loads only after you consent. Google then receives your IP address and may transfer data to the USA. Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
6. Fonts
All fonts on this website are hosted locally on our own server. No connection is made to Google or other font providers.
7. External links
This website links to external sites (e.g. the Substack journal Couples on the Couch). When you follow such a link, the privacy policy of that provider applies.
8. Your rights
You have the right to:access the personal data I hold about youhave it corrected or erasedrestrict or object to its processingreceive your data in a portable format (data portability)withdraw your consent at any time, with effect for the futureTo exercise these rights, simply email lilliana@theredcouch.co.uk.You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), www.ico.org.uk. If you live in the EU, you can contact the supervisory authority in your country, for example the Austrian Data Protection Authority (Datenschutzbehörde), www.dsb.gv.at.
9. Data security
This website uses SSL/TLS encryption, which you can recognise by “https://” and the lock symbol in your browser.
10. Changes
I may update this policy if the website or legal requirements change. The current version always applies.
