Privacy policy

Last updated 7 August 2026. Written in plain English on purpose.

This is a working draft. It describes how the platform is built to behave, and it needs review by a solicitor before launch. If anything here matters to a decision you're making, please ask us rather than assume.

The short version

You can browse the entire directory without an account.
We don't email you unless you ask us to.
Your details never reach a therapist you haven't chosen to contact.
We don't sell anything to anyone.

What we collect

If you just browse: the pages you visit, in aggregate. We don't build a profile of you and we don't need your name.

If you send an enquiry: your name, email, and whatever you choose to write. That message is encrypted at rest — it isn't readable by looking at the database.

If you create an account: your name, email, and any preferences you save. Practitioners additionally give us registration details and upload credential documents, which are stored privately and are never publicly accessible.

Health information

What you tell us about your situation is special category data under UK GDPR, and so, arguably, is the simple fact that you contacted a relationship-counselling service. We treat it that way: encrypted, access limited to the people who need it to reply to you, and never used for advertising.

Who can see what

A therapist sees your name and the message you sent them — nothing else, and only once you've chosen them. Our own staff can read enquiries in order to answer them. We don't share anything with advertisers or data brokers.

Your rights

You can ask us for a copy of what we hold, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email info@troubledcouples.com and we'll respond within one month. If you're not satisfied you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

If you're worried about being seen

Use your browser's private mode. Nothing we do can hide your history from someone with access to your device. If you're not safe at home, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247, free and 24 hours.

Still being finalised

Two things are honestly not settled yet, and we'd rather say so: our exact retention periods for enquiries and appointment records, and our ICO registration. Both will be completed before we take bookings or launch in-app messaging.