Privacy policy

Last updated: 29 October 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Helen Drane Hypnotherapy. Your privacy is important to me, and I am committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit my website, contact me, book a free initial call or receive solution-focused hypnotherapy.

I handle personal information in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who I am

I am the data controller responsible for your personal information.

Business name: Helen Drane Hypnotherapy
Website: https://helendranehypnotherapy.com
Email: hello@helendranehypnotherapy.com

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact me using the email address above.

3. What information I collect

Depending on how you interact with my website and services, I may collect the following information:

  • Contact information: Your name, email address, telephone number and any other contact details you provide.

  • Booking information: Your appointment date and time, booking history and information you provide when arranging a free initial call through Calendly.

  • Personal and health information: Information you choose to share about your wellbeing, emotional health, symptoms, medical history or reasons for seeking hypnotherapy.

  • Client records: Relevant notes and information recorded during or following hypnotherapy sessions to support your care and maintain appropriate professional records.

  • Website information: Technical information such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited, where collected through website hosting, server logs, cookies or analytics tools.

I aim to collect only the information necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

4. How I use your information

I may use your personal information to:

  • Respond to enquiries about my hypnotherapy services.

  • Arrange and manage free initial calls and appointments.

  • Communicate with you about bookings and changes to appointments.

  • Provide hypnotherapy sessions appropriate to your needs.

  • Maintain relevant client records and professional notes.

  • Process payments and maintain financial records, where applicable.

  • Maintain and improve my website.

  • Meet applicable legal and professional obligations.

I will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes without an appropriate lawful basis.

5. Booking a free initial call through Calendly

I use Calendly to allow you to book a free initial call with me.

When you book through Calendly, you may be asked to provide information such as your name, email address, phone number and appointment preferences. Calendly processes this information to facilitate the booking and send relevant appointment confirmations or notifications.

Calendly is a third-party service, and information submitted through its booking system is also subject to its own privacy policy.

You can read Calendly's Privacy Notice here:

https://calendly.com/legal/privacy-notice

Please avoid including sensitive personal or medical information in Calendly's booking fields. If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances, we can do so during our initial call.

I use your booking information to manage your appointment and respond to your enquiry. I do not use it for unrelated marketing purposes without an appropriate lawful basis.

6. Health information and confidentiality

Hypnotherapy may involve discussing personal matters, emotional wellbeing and health-related information. I recognise that this information is private and will handle it with appropriate care and confidentiality.

Where I collect or use health information, I will ensure that I have an appropriate lawful basis and meet the additional legal requirements that apply to special category data.

I will take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of information shared during sessions. I will not routinely share details of your sessions with other people without an appropriate legal basis.

There may be circumstances in which I am legally required or otherwise permitted to disclose information, such as where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or address a serious risk of harm. Any disclosure will be limited to what is appropriate in the circumstances.

7. The lawful bases for processing your information

Under data protection law, I must have a lawful basis for collecting and using your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

  • Consent: Where you have freely given permission for a specific use of your information.

  • Contract or steps before entering into a contract: Where processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested or take steps at your request before providing that service.

  • Legal obligation: Where I need to process information to comply with the law.

  • Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for legitimate business purposes, provided these interests do not override your rights and interests.

Health information requires an additional condition under data protection law. I will identify and meet the applicable requirements before processing such information.

8. How I store and protect your information

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include password-protected devices and accounts, secure storage, access restrictions and the use of reputable service providers.

I only allow access to personal information where it is necessary for the relevant purpose.

Although I take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. How long I keep your information

I retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including providing services, maintaining appropriate records and meeting legal or professional obligations.

The retention period will depend on the type of information, the nature of your relationship with me and any applicable legal or professional requirements.

When information is no longer needed, I will securely delete it or anonymise it where appropriate.

10. Sharing your information

I do not sell your personal information.

Where necessary, I may share relevant information with trusted third-party service providers that help me operate my practice or website. These may include:

  • Calendly, for appointment scheduling.

  • Website hosting and maintenance providers.

  • Email and communications providers.

  • Secure record-keeping and cloud storage providers.

  • Payment processors and accounting services, where applicable.

  • Professional advisers or relevant authorities where legally required or otherwise justified.

  • I take appropriate steps to ensure that suitable data protection arrangements are in place with service providers where required.

I will not share confidential client information with other practitioners or third parties unless there is an appropriate legal basis to do so.

11. Cookies and website analytics

My website may use cookies or similar technologies to ensure it functions correctly, remember preferences or understand how visitors use the site.

Where non-essential cookies are used, I will obtain consent where required by law. You may be able to manage your preferences through the website's cookie settings, if available, or through your browser settings.

Calendly may also use cookies or similar technologies when you access its booking pages. These are subject to Calendly's own privacy and cookie practices.

If my website uses analytics, advertising or other third-party tracking tools, I will handle these in accordance with applicable data protection and cookie requirements.

12. Links to other websites

My website may contain links to external websites or services, including Calendly.

These websites have their own privacy policies and data handling practices. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites, so I recommend reviewing their policies before providing personal information.

13. Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal information I hold about you.

  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Restrict how your information is processed in certain circumstances.

  • Object to certain types of processing.

  • Data portability, where the relevant legal requirements are met.

  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on your consent.

These rights are subject to certain conditions and exceptions. For example, I may need to retain some information to meet legal or professional obligations.

To exercise your rights, please contact me using the email address provided in Section 2. I may need to verify your identity before responding.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Website: https://ico.org.uk/
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

14. Marketing communications

I will only send you marketing communications where permitted by applicable law.

If you receive marketing emails from me, you can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in the email or by contacting me directly.

Messages relating to appointments, bookings or services you have requested may still be sent where necessary.

15. Children's privacy

My services are intended for children aged 16 and above.

Where my services involve children or young people, I will take appropriate steps to handle their information in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and safeguarding responsibilities.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to my services, website, data handling practices or legal requirements.

Any updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

17. Contact me

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal information or how I handle your data, please contact me:

Helen Drane
Helen Drane Hypnotherapy
Email: hello@helendranehypnotherapy.com
Website: https://helendranehypnotherapy.com

I will do my best to respond to your enquiry and address any concerns you may have.