Privacy Policy

Who We Are

I’m Lauren Jordan (Bourne), a qualified counsellor and founder of The Selfcare Hour — a space for self-development, emotional reflection and personal growth through digital courses, resources and private therapy.

I operate as a sole trader and data controller under UK law (ICO registration no. ZB954225).

You can contact me at: theselfcarehour@gmail.com

What This Policy Covers

This privacy policy explains:

  • What personal information I collect
  • How I use and protect your data
  • Your rights under UK law
  • How to contact me with questions or concerns

Third Party Providers

If you are working with me via a therapy service provider, they have their own privacy policies, and I would advise you to review their privacy policy to understand their data protection for sessions held over their platform. Please take note of the following clauses.

What Information We Collect

We collect personal data when you:

  • Book a therapy session and complete a form
  • Sign up for a course or membership
  • Subscribe to emails or newsletters
  • Contact us via forms, email, or social media
  • Purchase a product or service
  • Interact with our site (cookies, analytics)

This data may include:

  • Full name, email, phone number, address, emergency contact information, date of birth and gender
  • Course usage or membership info
  • Therapy intake forms or notes may require additional information to support with suitability of therapy sessions
  • Payment and transaction history
  • IP address and device/browser info
  • Course interaction data (quizzes, video views, etc.)

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data

  • Enquiring about therapy — Contractual necessity
  • Receiving therapy — Contractual necessity & health provision
  • Therapy ended — Legitimate interest (record-keeping/insurance)
  • Signing up for a course or freebie — Consent (opt-in)
  • Course or digital purchases — Contractual necessity
  • Marketing emails — Consent

We only process special category data (e.g. therapy notes) where necessary for health service provision and under appropriate consent/contract.

How Your Information is Used

We may use your data to:

  • Deliver course content and maintain your account
  • Respond to your messages or support requests
  • Process payments securely
  • Send newsletters or resources (if opted in)
  • Manage therapy sessions
  • Comply with legal and insurance obligations
  • Improve our services using anonymous analytics

We do not sell your data to third parties.

Data Retention

  • Therapy records are stored securely for up to 7 years post-therapy, in line with insurance requirements.
  • Email, course, or contact form data is retained for a maximum of 1 year unless there is on-going contact and your subscription membership continues.
  • You may request deletion at any time (unless retention is legally required).

Confidentiality in Counselling

Your counselling sessions are private and confidential. Exceptions apply only if:

  • There is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others
  • We are legally required to share information (e.g., safeguarding)
  • You give written consent

Session notes are stored securely on an encrypted, password-protected laptop accessible only by me.

How We Store and Secure Your Data

We store your information using our website and other third party providers.

All third-party providers have privacy policies and comply with GDPR or equivalent protections. Where personal data is transferred or stored outside the UK, we ensure it is protected by appropriate safeguards (such as UK adequacy regulations or Standard Contractual Clauses).

Your personal info is stored:

  • In encrypted files on a password-protected laptop (therapy)
  • On secure cloud servers (WordPress + third-party apps)

Cookies & Website Tracking

We use cookies to:

  • Remember login sessions and preferences
  • Track page usage anonymously to improve services

You can manage cookie preferences via your browser. We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Request deletion (unless legally required to keep it)
  • Withdraw consent at any time
  • Object to or restrict processing of your data
  • Receive a copy of your data in a portable format (data portability)
  • Lodge a complaint

Comments & Blog Interactions

When you leave a comment on our blog:

  • Your name and email address (if provided) are stored with your comment
  • You must consent to this before posting
  • Your data will not be used for any other purpose or shared

We reserve the right to moderate, edit, or remove comments that violate our community guidelines.

Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at individuals under 13 years old without parental consent.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. We’ll notify you of significant changes via email or website notice.

Questions or Complaints

If you have questions or concerns, you can contact me here: theselfcarehour@gmail.com

I acknowledge receipt of complaints within 30 days of receiving them; if you are not satisfied with the way I have handled your complaint, you may contact the ICO at ico.org.uk

AI & Recording

Use of AI is not prohibited within sessions — if you have a request to use AI or recording tools, please inform me and we can discuss together.

By continuing to use our services, ticking a consent box on a form, or replying to this email, you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, storage, and use of your personal data as outlined above.

Store Policy

This Store Policy applies to all digital products, courses, memberships and services purchased through The Selfcare Hour. By placing an order you agree to the terms below.

Products & Services

The Selfcare Hour offers digital courses, memberships, downloadable resources and private therapy/counselling sessions. Product descriptions are provided as accurately as possible. Digital courses and resources are for your personal use only and may not be copied, resold, or redistributed.

Pricing & Payment

  • All prices are listed in GBP (£) and include any applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.
  • Payments are processed securely through Stripe, PayPal and/or Halaxy. We do not store your full card details.
  • Your order is confirmed once payment is successfully received and you receive a confirmation email.
  • We reserve the right to update prices at any time, though changes will not affect orders already placed.

Access & Delivery

  • Digital courses and downloadable products are delivered electronically, usually immediately after purchase, via your account or a confirmation email.
  • Membership access begins once payment is confirmed and continues for the duration of your subscription.
  • If you experience any difficulty accessing your purchase, please contact theselfcarehour@gmail.com and we will help resolve it.

Refunds & Cancellations

  • Due to the digital nature of our courses and downloadable resources, all sales are generally final once access has been granted.
  • If you have not yet accessed or downloaded a digital product, you may request a refund within 14 days of purchase.
  • Memberships can be cancelled at any time; cancellation stops future renewals but does not refund the current billing period unless required by law.
  • For therapy and counselling sessions, please refer to the cancellation terms agreed at booking. Sessions cancelled with adequate notice may be rescheduled.
  • If a product is faulty or not as described, you are entitled to a remedy in line with your statutory rights under UK consumer law.

Therapy & Counselling Bookings

Therapy and counselling bookings are subject to availability and confirmation. Please give as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule. Repeated late cancellations or non-attendance may affect future booking availability.

Memberships & Subscriptions

Memberships renew automatically at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled beforehand. You can manage or cancel your membership through your account or by contacting us. We will notify you in advance of any significant changes to membership pricing or benefits.

Intellectual Property

All course materials, digital resources, text, images and content remain the intellectual property of The Selfcare Hour. They are provided for your personal, non-commercial use only and may not be shared, reproduced, or resold without written permission.

Contact

For any questions about your order, an existing purchase, or this Store Policy, please contact me at theselfcarehour@gmail.com. I aim to respond to all enquiries as promptly as possible.