Privacy notice

Last updated: 26 September 2026

This notice explains how I collect and use personal information through this website, including when you send a therapy enquiry, leave a comment or subscribe to the blog. I have tried to keep it short and in plain English. If you have therapy or an initial consultation with me, my client privacy notice explains how I look after your clinical records.

Who I am

This website is run by Dr Judith Johnson, an HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist. For the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the controller of the personal information described in this notice. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration reference ZC258909. You can contact me about anything in this notice using the contact form.

This website is a personal site. It is separate from my work at the University of Manchester and Manchester Catalys, which have their own privacy notices.

Therapy enquiries

What I collect

When you use the therapy enquiry form, I collect your name, your email address, your message and the IP address it was sent from. Messages are checked for spam by Akismet, a service run by Automattic. Your message may include information about your mental or physical health. Please only share what you are comfortable with; a brief outline is all I need at this stage.

Why I use it

I use this information only to reply to your enquiry, to discuss whether I may be able to help, and to arrange an initial appointment if you would like one.

Lawful basis

I process your details because you have asked me to take steps before potentially entering into an agreement for therapy (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)). Any health information you share is special category data. I use it only to consider your request for therapy, as a registered health professional bound by a duty of confidentiality (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 2). You can ask me to delete your enquiry at any time.

How long I keep it

If you do not go on to have therapy with me, I will delete your enquiry, including the copy stored on this website, within 12 months of our last contact. If you go on to have an initial consultation or therapy with me, my client privacy notice explains how your records are kept and protected.

Emergencies

The enquiry form is not monitored for emergencies. If you need urgent help, please contact your GP or call NHS 111. You can call Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.

Comments

If you leave a comment, I collect the name, email address and any website you give, along with your comment, your IP address and your browser details. Your name, website and comment are published; your email address is not. Comments are checked for spam by Akismet, a service run by Automattic. A coded version of your email address (a “hash”) may be sent to the Gravatar service to see whether you have a profile picture.

I rely on my legitimate interests in running a blog with open discussion and in keeping it free of spam (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Comments stay on the site unless you ask me to remove them, and I will do so on request.

Email subscriptions

If you subscribe to receive new posts by email, your email address is stored by Jetpack, a service run by Automattic, so that new posts can be sent to you. I rely on your consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email, and your details are then no longer used to send you posts.

Website statistics and security

I use Jetpack Stats to see, in aggregate, how many people visit the site and which pages are popular. To provide this, Automattic processes information such as your IP address, browser type, the page you visited and the page you came from. Automattic says it keeps these logs for 28 days, and I only see summary figures, not information about individual visitors. The site also uses security tools that record IP addresses to block malicious login attempts and spam.

I rely on my legitimate interests in understanding how the site is used and keeping it secure (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).

Cookies

This site uses a small number of cookies, mainly to make features work. For example, if you leave a comment, cookies may remember your name and email so you do not have to re-enter them, and cookies may remember your subscription choices. I do not use advertising cookies. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, although some features may then not work as expected.

Who I share information with

I never sell your personal information. I only share it with the service providers that help me run this website and my email, who process it on my behalf:

• SiteGround, my website hosting provider, which stores the website and its data;
• Automattic, which provides Jetpack (enquiry form, statistics, subscriptions, comments and security), Akismet and Gravatar;
• my email provider (Google), and WhatsApp (Meta) if we agree to speak or message that way;
• content delivery services that supply fonts, images and design files for the site (such as Bunny Fonts, Cloudflare and the pipdig theme servers), which receive your IP address when your browser loads those files.

I would only share information with anyone else if the law requires it, or if I believed someone was at serious risk of harm.

Transfers outside the UK

Some of these providers, including Automattic and Google, are based in the United States, so your information may be processed there. These providers state that they use recognised safeguards for international transfers. You can read more in Automattic’s privacy notice for visitors to sites that use its services.

Keeping your information safe

The website uses an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, access to the site and email accounts is protected, and I only keep information for as long as I need it.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you;
• ask me to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
• ask me to delete your information;
• ask me to restrict how I use it, or object to my using it;
• withdraw your consent at any time, where I rely on consent;
• ask for your information in a format you can take elsewhere, where this applies.

To make a request, please use the contact form and say that your message is a privacy request. I will respond within one month. There is no charge in most cases.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how I use your information, please contact me first and I will do my best to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.

Links to other websites

This site links to other websites, including social media, journals and organisations. They have their own privacy policies, and I am not responsible for how they handle your information.

Changes to this notice

I may update this notice from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.