Privacy Policy
Privacy Notice
Choose Your Way · ND BrainSpace · ND RelateSpace™
Last updated: August 2026
Your privacy matters to me. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I use it, how I protect it and the rights you have under UK data protection law.
1. Who is responsible for your information?
I am Hannah Chatterley, and I am currently the data controller for the personal information covered by this Privacy Notice.
This notice covers:
Choose Your Way — my counselling and coaching practice
ND BrainSpace — a not-for-profit community organisation operating under its own constitution, for which I currently act as data controller
ND RelateSpace — an online community focused on connection and relationships
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
For questions about your personal information or this Privacy Notice, contact:
Email: hannah@chooseyourway.co.uk
Phone: 07949 251741
Website:www.chooseyourway.co.uk
2. Choose Your Way
If you use Choose Your Way counselling or coaching services, I may collect:
your name and contact details
home address
emergency contact details
GP details, where relevant and provided
appointment and payment information
brief session notes
information you choose to share during our work together
Why I use this information
I may use it to:
provide counselling or coaching
arrange and manage appointments
communicate with you
process payments and maintain financial records
manage appropriate safeguarding
maintain professional records
meet legal, insurance and professional responsibilities
Counselling and coaching information is treated confidentially and is kept separate from ND BrainSpace and ND RelateSpace information wherever reasonably possible.
3. ND BrainSpace
ND BrainSpace is a not-for-profit community organisation with its own constitution.
It provides neurodivergent peer-support, community and social activities, including local and online events.
Registration for ND BrainSpace events is managed separately from Choose Your Way and ND RelateSpace.
When you register for or participate in an ND BrainSpace activity, I may collect:
your name and contact details
event registration and attendance information
accessibility or reasonable adjustment information you choose to provide
emergency contact details, where appropriate
information reasonably needed to safely organise an activity
feedback you choose to provide
Why I use this information
I may use it to:
manage event registrations and attendance
send information about an event you have booked
understand accessibility and reasonable adjustment requirements
safely plan and deliver activities
respond to questions or concerns
manage safeguarding where necessary
understand participation and improve future activities
Registering for an ND BrainSpace activity does not automatically make you an ND RelateSpace member.
Future governance
ND BrainSpace's governance and data-protection arrangements may develop as the organisation grows.
If responsibility for personal information changes in future, this Privacy Notice will be updated and affected individuals will be informed where appropriate.
4. ND RelateSpace
ND RelateSpace is an online community for people aged 18 and over, currently hosted through Circle.
If you become a member, I may collect or process:
your name and email address
profile information and profile image you choose to provide
membership and subscription information
payment and transaction information
posts, comments and other content you choose to share
communications with me or community moderators
event, course and live-session participation
forms, surveys and feedback you choose to complete
moderation, complaint or safeguarding information where necessary
technical information generated through use of the platform
Why I use this information
I may use it to:
create and administer your membership
provide access to the community
deliver courses, resources and events
manage payments and subscriptions
communicate with you about your membership
facilitate and moderate the community
respond to questions, complaints or concerns
manage safeguarding concerns
maintain the security and integrity of the community
understand how the service is being used and improve it
You decide how much personal information you choose to share with other members.
5. Keeping information separate
Choose Your Way, ND BrainSpace and ND RelateSpace are connected, but they serve different purposes.
Information from the different services is kept separate wherever reasonably possible.
Taking part in more than one service does not mean information provided in one setting will automatically be used in another.
For example:
counselling and coaching records are not available to ND RelateSpace or ND BrainSpace members;
information disclosed during counselling will not ordinarily be used to manage community participation;
attending an ND BrainSpace event does not automatically enrol you in ND RelateSpace;
information posted in ND RelateSpace does not automatically become part of a counselling or coaching record.
There may be exceptional circumstances where information needs to be considered across services because of a serious safeguarding concern, legal requirement or another compelling reason.
Any such decision will be considered carefully.
6. Sensitive and special category information
Some information you choose to provide may be particularly sensitive or classed as special category data under UK data protection law.
This can include information about:
physical or mental health
neurodivergence or disability
racial or ethnic origin
religious or philosophical beliefs
political opinions
sexual orientation or sex life
trade union membership
This information may arise during counselling or coaching, through an ND BrainSpace registration or accessibility request, or because you choose to share aspects of yourself within ND RelateSpace.
I take additional care when handling sensitive information.
Special category information will only be processed where there is both an appropriate lawful basis and an additional condition allowing the processing under UK data protection law.
I aim to collect only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
7. Privacy within ND RelateSpace
ND RelateSpace is an online community. It is not a confidential counselling environment.
Other members may see information you choose to include in your profile or share through posts, comments and discussions.
Our Community Guidelines require members to respect each other's privacy and not share another member's content outside the community without permission.
However, I cannot guarantee confidentiality between community members.
Please think carefully about the personal, sensitive or identifying information you choose to share.
Members should also avoid unnecessarily identifying partners, family members, colleagues, clients or other people when discussing their experiences.
8. Learning, Public Content & Anonymised Examples
My work with individuals, groups and communities contributes to my ongoing professional learning and naturally influences the ideas and topics I explore in my wider work.
I write and create resources, deliver training and presentations, speak publicly and share educational content through websites, social media and other platforms. In doing so, I may discuss general themes, questions, experiences and patterns that arise across my work.
I may also occasionally use fully anonymised or composite examples to illustrate an idea. Where I do this, identifying information will be removed or changed and experiences may be combined so that an example cannot reasonably be connected to an individual.
I may explore an idea that arises through our work, but that does not give me permission to tell your story.
I will not publicly share your name, private communications, photograph, personal story or other information that could reasonably identify you without your specific permission.
Where I would like to share something attributable to you — for example a quotation, testimonial, photograph, video, piece of creative work, personal story or identifiable example — I will ask for your express permission separately and explain what I would like to use and where I intend to use it.
Giving permission is optional. Saying no will not affect your therapy, coaching, membership, participation in ND BrainSpace or any other service I provide.
Where appropriate, you can withdraw permission for future use. I will explain any limitations when asking for consent — for example, material that has already been distributed, presented or shared by others may not always be retrievable.
You don't need to ask for your confidentiality to be protected — that remains my responsibility. If you have concerns about this, or would like to discuss how I use themes and examples in my wider work, please contact me at hannah@chooseyourway.co.uk.
9. Lawful bases
UK data protection law requires a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the information and why it is being used, this may include:
Contract — where processing is necessary to provide a service or membership you have requested.
Legal obligation — where information needs to be processed to meet a legal requirement.
Legitimate interests — where there is a reasonable and proportionate need to operate, protect or improve my services or communities.
Consent — where you have specifically agreed to a particular use and consent is the appropriate basis.
Other lawful bases may apply in limited circumstances, such as where someone's vital interests are at stake.
Where special category information is processed, an appropriate additional condition under UK data protection law will also apply.
10. Services and organisations I use
I don't sell or rent personal information.
I use third-party providers to help operate and deliver my services. These may include:
Circle — ND RelateSpace community, courses and events
Google Workspace — email, calendar and secure document storage
Calendly — appointment booking
Stripe — payments and subscriptions
FreeAgent — accounting
Google Meet — online sessions and meetings
WhatsApp — communication where you choose to use it
Google Analytics — website analytics where enabled
These providers only receive information relevant to the services they provide.
Information may also need to be shared with another person, organisation or authority where there is an appropriate legal, safeguarding or professional reason.
11. International data transfers
Some technology providers may process or store personal information outside the UK.
Where UK data protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, appropriate safeguards will be used.
Individual providers also explain their international data-processing arrangements within their own privacy information.
12. Keeping information secure
I take reasonable steps to protect personal information.
These include:
strong passwords
two-factor authentication where available
work-specific devices and accounts
secure cloud-based services
restricting access to information
collecting and retaining only information reasonably required
keeping counselling records separate from community information wherever reasonably possible
If moderators, volunteers or other people are given access to personal information, their access will be limited to what they reasonably need for their role.
13. How long information is kept
I only keep personal information for as long as there is a reasonable professional, legal or operational reason.
Choose Your Way
Counselling and coaching records may be retained for up to six years after our work together ends, subject to relevant legal, insurance and professional requirements.
ND BrainSpace
Registration and attendance information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for event administration, safeguarding, financial records or other legitimate purposes.
ND RelateSpace
Membership information will be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to administer membership and meet legal, financial, safeguarding or operational requirements.
Some posts and comments may remain within community conversations after membership ends. Where appropriate, information may be deleted or anonymised.
Financial records may need to be retained for longer to meet accounting and legal requirements.
14. Photos, video and recordings
Live community conversations and breakout sessions will not normally be recorded.
If an event or session will be recorded, this will be made clear beforehand.
Separate permission may be requested where photographs, video, testimonials or other identifiable material are intended for promotional purposes.
Members must not record or distribute another person's contributions without appropriate permission.
15. Marketing
Using one of my services does not automatically mean you have agreed to receive marketing about another.
Where consent is required for marketing, you will be given a clear choice.
You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.
This does not prevent necessary service communications, such as:
appointment information
information about an event you have booked
important membership information
changes affecting a service you use
16. Cookies and analytics
My websites and online services may use cookies and analytics tools.
Some cookies are necessary for services to work.
Where consent is required for non-essential cookies or tracking technologies, appropriate choices will be provided.
You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.
17. Your rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
ask what personal information I hold about you
receive a copy of your information
correct inaccurate or incomplete information
request deletion
request restriction of processing
object to certain uses of your information
withdraw consent where processing relies on consent
receive certain information in a portable format
complain about how your information has been handled
Not every right applies in every situation. There may sometimes be professional, legal, financial or safeguarding reasons why information needs to be retained.
To make a request, contact:
hannah@chooseyourway.co.uk
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
18. Safeguarding and exceptional circumstances
There may be circumstances where information needs to be used or shared because of:
a safeguarding concern
serious risk of harm
a legal requirement
another significant concern
Any decision to share information will be considered carefully.
Where possible, only information reasonably necessary for the situation will be shared.
19. Age
ND RelateSpace is an 18+ community.
People under 18 are not permitted to create an ND RelateSpace membership.
Choose Your Way and ND BrainSpace may provide services or activities involving people under 18 where appropriate.
Where this happens, additional consideration will be given to age, consent, safeguarding and data-protection requirements.
20. Changes to this Privacy Notice
I may update this notice as my services, technology, governance or legal responsibilities change.
The latest version will be made available through my website and/or relevant services.
If a significant change materially affects how personal information is used, I will take reasonable steps to let affected people know where appropriate.
Questions?
If something isn't clear or you'd like to know more about how your information is handled, please ask.
Data Controller: Hannah Chatterley
Email: hannah@chooseyourway.co.uk
Phone: 07949 251741
Website:www.chooseyourway.co.uk