Privacy Notice

Last updated: 9 September 2026

Who I am

I am Alina Costache, a psychotherapist and depth coach. I am responsible for the personal information described in this notice.If you have any questions about how I use your information, please contact me at hello@alinacostache.com.

What information I collect

When you contact me through this website or by email, I may collect:your name and contact details;whether you are interested in therapy or depth coaching;anything you choose to include in your message; andour subsequent correspondence.If we work together, I may also collect information needed to provide and administer the service, including appointment and payment records, our working agreement, emergency or GP contact details where appropriate, and brief session notes.Because of the nature of therapy and coaching, you may share sensitive information concerning your health, relationships, sexuality, racial or ethnic background, or religious or philosophical beliefs. This is known as special category information and receives additional protection.The website may also collect technical information such as your IP address, browser, device and how you use the site.

How I use your information

I use your information to:respond to your enquiry;arrange introductory calls and sessions;assess whether and how we might work together;provide therapy or depth coaching;manage payments and practice administration;maintain appropriate professional records;protect the security and operation of the website; andmeet professional, safeguarding, insurance and legal obligations.I do not sell your information or use it for unrelated marketing.

My lawful basis

When you enquire about working with me or become a client, I generally process your information because it is necessary to take steps towards, or fulfil, our working agreement.I may also process information to comply with a legal obligation or for legitimate interests such as administering and protecting my practice, maintaining appropriate records and responding to potential legal claims.Where special category information is involved, I process it for the provision of therapy or health treatment where applicable, or with your explicit consent. I may retain limited records where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Confidentiality and sharing

Therapy and coaching are confidential. I will only share information where there is a legitimate and necessary reason.This may include:confidential professional supervision, ordinarily using anonymised or limited information;my professional insurer, accountant or legal adviser;emergency services, healthcare professionals or safeguarding authorities where there is a serious concern about safety;courts, regulators or public authorities where disclosure is legally required; oranother person or organisation where you have asked me to share information.Where disclosure is necessary, I will share only what is reasonably required and, wherever possible and appropriate, discuss it with you first.

How your information is stored and processed

This website is hosted by Squarespace, which processes information submitted through its contact form.I use:Gmail for email correspondence;Zoom when sessions take place online;bank transfer for payments; anda secure, encrypted system for brief client notes.The contact form also uses Google reCAPTCHA to protect the website against spam and misuse.Some of these providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, I use established providers that apply recognised data-protection safeguards.The website contains a link to LinkedIn. If you follow that link, LinkedIn’s own privacy policy and practices will apply.

How long I keep information

I keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary.If you make an enquiry but we do not work together, I will retain the information only for as long as needed to respond and manage any reasonable follow-up.If you become a client, I retain relevant records for as long as required by my professional, insurance and legal obligations. Records are then securely deleted.Payment and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax law.

Security

I take reasonable measures to protect your information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.Client notes are stored in an encrypted system. Access to personal information is limited to what is necessary for running my practice and providing services.Ordinary email and internet communications cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please avoid including highly sensitive or extensive personal information in your initial website enquiry.

Cookies

This website may use cookies that are necessary for its security and operation. It may also use analytics cookies to understand site traffic and usage.Where consent is required, non-essential cookies will not be placed until you have made a choice. You can accept, reject or change your preferences through the website’s cookie controls.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:request access to your personal information;ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;request deletion of your information;restrict or object to its use;receive certain information in a portable format; andwithdraw consent.Some rights are subject to professional and legal limitations.To exercise a right, contact hello@alinacostache.com.You may also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk, although I would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first.

Automated decision-making

I do not use your information to make automated decisions or create profiles that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

Changes to this notice

I may update this notice if my services, systems or legal obligations change. The date at the top will show when it was last revised.