The Side Door

Last updated: 28 October 2026

1. Who we are

The Side Door is a mediation therapy service run by Nicola Mildenhall, a sole trader trading as "The Side Door". Nicola Mildenhall is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

Contact: Nicola Mildenhall, chat.thesidedoor@gmail.com

This policy covers personal information collected through our website and information held in our client records. We work with adults only (18 and over).

2. What information we collect

Through our website

• Contact form: your first name, last name and email address, plus anything you choose to put in your message.

• Online bookings (Calendly): the details you provide when booking, such as your name, email address and chosen appointment time.

• Payments (Stripe): payment details are entered directly with Stripe. We do not see or store your full card details, but we receive confirmation of payment and basic transaction information.

• Newsletter (Squarespace): your email address, if you subscribe.

• Analytics and cookies: information about how you use our website, such as pages visited, device and browser type, approximate location and how you arrived at the site. This is collected through Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Squarespace analytics.

In our client records

• Your contact and booking details.

• Session notes.

• Health information you share with us, which is "special category data" under data protection law because it is more sensitive.

3. How and why we use your information

4. Health information and your consent

Where you share health information with us, we process it only with your explicit consent, which we ask for before we begin working together. You can withdraw consent at any time by contacting us. Withdrawing consent does not affect how we handled your information before you withdrew. It may affect our ability to continue working with you, and we will explain this if it arises.

5. Who we share your information with

We do not share your client information with any other person or business for their own purposes.

We do use trusted service providers who process information on our behalf, only so we can run our service:

• Squarespace (website hosting, analytics and newsletters)

• Calendly (online booking)

• Stripe (payments)

• Google (Google Drive for storing client records, Google Analytics and Search Console)

These providers act on our instructions and have their own data protection obligations.

Limits to confidentiality: we keep what you tell us confidential. In rare circumstances we may need to disclose information without your consent: where we believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, where required by law or a court order, or where we are otherwise legally obliged to do so. Where possible, we will tell you first.

6. Where your information is stored and international transfers

Our providers, including Google, Squarespace, Calendly and Stripe, may store or process information on servers outside the UK, including in the United States. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards required by UK data protection law, such as the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or standard contractual clauses.

7. How long we keep your information

• Client records (session notes and health information): 3 years from the end of our work together, then securely deleted.

• Contact form enquiries: kept only as long as needed to deal with your enquiry.

• Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe.

• Financial records: kept for as long as the law requires for tax and accounting purposes.

• Analytics data: kept according to the retention settings of the analytics providers.

8. How we keep your information secure

Client records are held in Google Drive, which is access-controlled. We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including strong passwords, two-step verification and restricting access to Nicola Mildenhall only. No online system is completely secure, but we take care to protect your information.

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Essential cookies are needed for the site to work. Analytics cookies (Google Analytics and Squarespace) are used only if you accept them through our cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time using the cookie settings on the site, or through your browser settings.

10. Your rights

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

• be informed about how your information is used

• access the information we hold about you

• have inaccurate information corrected

• have your information erased, in certain circumstances

• restrict or object to how we use your information

• data portability, in certain circumstances

• withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent

To use any of these rights, email chat.thesidedoor@gmail.com. We will respond within one month.

11. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on our website, with the date at the top.