Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 2026

Introduction

The Grief Studio ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, transparency and respect.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us, enquire about our services, attend counselling sessions or participate in our groups.

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

The Grief Studio

Founder: Lucy Thould, MNCPS (Accred)

Counsellor and Founder

Email: lucytcounselling@gmail.com

Location: Kendal, Cumbria, United Kingdom

What Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Contact Information

Name
Email address
Telephone number
Postal address (where appropriate)

Enquiry Information

Information you provide through:

Contact forms
Email correspondence
Telephone calls
Booking enquiries

Counselling Information

If you become a client, we may collect information relevant to providing safe and ethical counselling, including information about your wellbeing and the reason for seeking support.

Some of this information may be considered special category data under UK GDPR because it relates to your health or emotional wellbeing.

Website Information

When visiting our website we may automatically collect information including:

IP address
Browser type
Device information
Pages visited
Time spent on pages
Cookies (see Cookie Policy)

How We Use Your Information

We only collect information necessary to:

Respond to enquiries
Arrange appointments
Deliver counselling services
Provide grief support groups
Send information you have requested
Maintain appropriate counselling records
Improve our website
Meet legal and professional obligations

We will never sell your personal information.

Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Your consent
Performance of a contract
Legitimate interests
Legal obligation

Where special category data is processed, we do so under the relevant conditions provided by UK GDPR.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is central to counselling.

Information shared during counselling sessions remains confidential except where:

there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or another person;
safeguarding responsibilities require disclosure;
disclosure is required by law or court order.

Where possible, confidentiality will be discussed with you before any disclosure is made.

How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary.

Counselling records are generally retained in accordance with professional guidance and insurance requirements before being securely destroyed.

General enquiries that do not become clients are deleted when no longer required.

Sharing Information

We do not sell or rent personal information.

Information may only be shared where necessary with:

Professional supervisors (using anonymised information wherever possible)
Our secure technology providers
Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law

All third parties are expected to keep your information secure.

Website Analytics

Our website may use analytics tools to understand how visitors use the site.

These tools collect anonymous information and do not identify you personally.

Email Marketing

If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter, we will use your email address to send updates, wellbeing resources and news about The Grief Studio.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in every email.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience.

Cookies help us understand website traffic and ensure the website functions correctly.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.

Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against:

unauthorised access
accidental loss
misuse
alteration
disclosure

While no internet transmission can be guaranteed completely secure, we continually work to protect your data.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

Access your personal information
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request erasure where appropriate
Restrict processing
Object to processing
Request data portability where applicable
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details above.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal information, we would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information about making a complaint can be found on the ICO website.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The latest version will always be available on this website with the date of the most recent revision shown at the top.

Complaints Procedure

The Grief Studio

Lucy Thould, MNCPS (Accred) – Counsellor and Founder

Our Commitment

At The Grief Studio, I am committed to providing a safe, respectful and professional counselling service that reflects the ethical standards of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).

I value feedback and recognise that, occasionally, concerns or complaints may arise. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you have received, I encourage you to raise your concerns so that they can be listened to, investigated fairly and, where appropriate, resolved.

Informal Resolution

Where possible, I encourage you to discuss any concerns with me directly.

Many issues can be resolved through an open conversation, and I will always aim to listen without judgement, respond respectfully and work with you to reach an appropriate resolution.

You can raise a concern during a counselling session or by contacting me by email.

Making a Formal Complaint

If you do not feel comfortable discussing your concern informally, or if the issue has not been resolved, you may make a formal complaint.

Please submit your complaint in writing, including:

your name and contact details;
a description of your concerns;
relevant dates or sessions;
any supporting information you wish to provide; and
the outcome you are seeking.

Please send your complaint to:

Lucy Thould

Email: lucytcounselling@gmail.com

What Happens Next?

Upon receiving your complaint:

I will acknowledge receipt within 5 working days.
I will carefully review the information provided.
I may contact you if further clarification is needed.
I aim to provide a written response within 20 working days.

If additional time is required due to the complexity of the complaint, I will inform you and provide an updated timescale.

Professional Standards

As an Accredited Registrant of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), I work in accordance with the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice.

All complaints are considered fairly, respectfully and without discrimination.

Making a complaint will not affect your right to receive respectful and professional treatment.

If You Remain Dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of my complaints procedure, or if you believe there has been a breach of the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice, you may refer your complaint to the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society.

The NCPS has an independent Professional Conduct Procedure for considering complaints about its registrants.

Information about this process can be found on the NCPS website.

Record Keeping

A confidential record of any complaint and its outcome will be maintained in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and professional record-keeping requirements.

Commitment to Learning

Feedback and complaints are taken seriously and are viewed as opportunities to improve the quality of the service provided. Where appropriate, lessons learned from complaints will be used to review and improve policies, procedures and practice.

Thank you for bringing any concerns to my attention.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement

At The Grief Studio, counselling is a human relationship built on trust, compassion, professional training and ethical practice.

While artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and similar platforms, are becoming increasingly popular sources of information and emotional support, they are not part of my clinical decision-making or counselling practice. I do not rely on AI to assess clients, formulate therapeutic interventions, interpret your experiences or replace my professional judgement.

My work is informed by my training, ongoing professional development, clinical supervision and the ethical standards of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).

You are very welcome to bring into our sessions anything you have read or discussed with an AI tool. Many clients use AI to organise their thoughts, journal, make sense of difficult emotions or explore questions between sessions. We can reflect on these outputs together, consider how they relate to your unique experience and discuss any ideas, concerns or inaccuracies in a safe therapeutic space.

It is important to remember that AI cannot know your personal history, lived experience or the full context of your life. Information generated by AI may be inaccurate, incomplete or unsuitable for your individual circumstances and should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health care, counselling, medical advice or crisis support.

The counselling relationship remains confidential, collaborative and centred on you as an individual. My role is to offer a thoughtful, evidence-informed and ethically grounded therapeutic space where your experiences are explored with curiosity, compassion and professional care.

If you choose to use AI outside of our sessions, I encourage you to think carefully about the personal information you share with those platforms, as they have their own privacy policies and data handling practices. The Grief Studio is not affiliated with, endorsed by or responsible for any third-party AI service or the information it generates.

Data Protection Statement

At The Grief Studio, I understand that choosing to seek counselling involves sharing personal and, at times, highly sensitive information. Protecting your privacy and handling your personal data with care is an important part of my professional and ethical responsibility.

As the Data Controller for The Grief Studio, I collect and process personal information only where it is necessary to provide counselling services, respond to enquiries, fulfil legal and professional obligations, and ensure the safe and effective delivery of care.

The information I may collect includes your contact details, appointment information, and, where appropriate, information relating to your health, wellbeing and the reasons you are seeking counselling. This information is treated as confidential and is processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the ethical standards of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).

Your personal information will:

Be collected fairly and transparently.
Be used only for legitimate counselling and administrative purposes.
Be stored securely using appropriate technical and organisational safeguards.
Only be accessed where necessary.
Not be sold, shared or disclosed to third parties unless you have given your consent, disclosure is required by law, or there is a safeguarding concern or serious risk of harm.
Be retained only for as long as required by legal, insurance and professional record-keeping obligations before being securely destroyed.

You have rights under UK GDPR, including the right to request access to the personal information held about you, request correction of inaccurate information, request erasure where applicable, restrict or object to certain processing, and, where processing is based on consent, withdraw that consent.

If you have any questions about how your personal information is collected, stored or used, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Lucy Thould, MNCPS (Accred)

Counsellor and Founder – The Grief Studio

Email: lucytcounselling@gmail.com