Who I am
Vanessa Tucker: sole trader
Trading as: The Centre for Somatic & Healing Arts, Walk your Talk Retreats, Vanessa Tucker Healing & Therapy private practice, Vanessa Tucker Photography,Vanessa Tucker Designs and associated Vanessa Tucker trainings and other educational services.
1. About this Privacy Notice
Updated August 2026
This Privacy Notice explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how I use and protect it, how long I may keep it, who it may be shared with, and your rights under UK data protection law.
I am Vanessa Tucker, a sole trader and the data controller responsible for the personal information processed through my business activities.
My work includes:
- private therapeutic, somatic, healing and wellbeing sessions;
- Somatic Movement Dance Therapy and other professional training;
- courses and workshops;
- retreats and events;
- online teaching;
- professional photography;
- educational resources;
- website enquiries and bookings;
- online purchases; and
- newsletters and communications.
2. Personal information I collect
The information I collect depends on how you work or interact with me.
It may include:
- your name;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- postal or billing address;
- booking and payment information;
- correspondence and enquiries;
- course applications and enrolment information;
- student attendance and assessment records;
- submitted coursework;
- qualification and certification records;
- private client consultation information and practitioner notes;
- information you provide when attending retreats, workshops or events;
- photographs and video;
- information contained in recorded online teaching sessions;
- photography contracts and photographic images;
- information you provide when subscribing to my mailing list;
- information relating to purchases through my website; and
- technical information generated when you use my website.
I aim to collect only the information I reasonably need for the particular service or purpose.
3. Private clients and sensitive information
If you work with me privately, I may keep information such as your consultation form, appointment information, relevant correspondence and practitioner or session notes.
These records are primarily kept in paper form and stored securely.
Because of the nature of therapeutic, somatic, healing and wellbeing work, information you choose to share with me may include information about your physical or mental health or wellbeing.
Health information is classed as special category personal data under UK data protection law and receives additional protection.
Where I process special category information, I will only do so where I have an appropriate lawful basis under UK GDPR and an additional legal condition for processing special category information.
Information contained in private client records is not used for marketing.
Private client records are generally retained for seven years in accordance with my professional insurance and record-keeping requirements, unless there is a legitimate or legal reason for a different retention period.
4. Students and professional training
If you undertake professional training or another course with me, I may hold information including:
- your contact information;
- application and enrolment details;
- booking and payment information;
- correspondence;
- attendance;
- coursework;
- assessments;
- tutor feedback;
- completion records;
- training hours;
- certificates and certificate numbers.
Student records are primarily stored electronically using secure administrative and cloud-storage systems, including Dropbox.
Some core training and certification information may be retained long-term where this is reasonably necessary to maintain an accurate record of qualifications and to verify training undertaken with me in the future.
Other student information is reviewed and deleted when it is no longer reasonably required.
5. Online teaching and recordings
Some training and teaching is delivered online using Zoom.
Certain teaching sessions are recorded so that students enrolled on that course can revisit their teaching.
Students are informed when recording is taking place.
Recordings may include a student's image, voice, questions or contributions made during the session.
Recorded teaching is uploaded to Vimeo.
The recordings are not publicly listed or intended for general public viewing. Links are provided only to students enrolled in the relevant training group.
Students are asked not to share course recording links with anyone outside their training group.
These teaching recordings are not used for general advertising or marketing without separate appropriate permission.
6. Professional photography
I also provide professional photography services through Vanessa Tucker Photography.
When you book a photography service, I may collect and retain:
- your name and contact details;
- correspondence;
- booking information;
- photography contract;
- payment and transaction information;
- photographs taken during your session;
- edited and unedited photographic files;
- records relating to image delivery and agreed usage rights.
Where an individual can be identified from a photograph, the photograph may constitute personal data under UK data protection law.
Copyright and client usage
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, copyright in photographs created by me remains with Vanessa Tucker.
Photography clients are granted the usage rights specified in their individual photography contract. These may include commercial use for their website, branding, advertising, social media, content creation, brochures or publications.
Copyright ownership and data protection rights are separate matters.
My use of photography
My photography contract also explains whether and how selected photographs may be used to display and promote my professional photography work.
Where permitted under the photography contract and applicable data protection law, selected images may be used in:
- my professional photography portfolio;
- my website;
- Vanessa Tucker Photography social-media accounts;
- printed photography promotional materials;
- editorial features; and
- advertising for my photography services.
Permission relating to Vanessa Tucker Photography does not automatically give me permission to use a person's image to promote unrelated therapeutic, training or retreat services.
If you have concerns about the future public use of an identifiable photograph, you may contact me. I will consider the request in accordance with the photography contract, the applicable lawful basis and UK data protection law.
Photography contracts, images and associated business records may be retained for legitimate contractual, professional, copyright, archival and business purposes.
7. Photography, video and promotional material at courses, retreats and events
Photographs or video may occasionally be taken during courses, workshops, retreats or events.
Where images are intended for public promotional or marketing use, I will seek appropriate permission.
For retreats, this permission is normally obtained in writing.
If you do not wish to appear in promotional photographs or video, please let me know.
Teaching recordings made for enrolled students are treated separately from promotional photography and video.
8. Why I use personal information
I may process your information in order to:
- respond to enquiries;
- provide services you have requested;
- administer bookings and purchases;
- deliver private sessions;
- deliver courses and professional training;
- assess students and maintain certification records;
- provide access to online teaching;
- administer retreats, workshops and events;
- provide professional photography services;
- fulfil photography contracts and agreed image licences;
- maintain my professional photography portfolio where appropriate;
- process payments;
- maintain financial and accounting records;
- meet professional, insurance, contractual, legal or regulatory requirements;
- maintain and protect my website and business systems;
- send newsletters and marketing where permitted;
- establish, exercise or defend legal rights;
- respond to data protection requests and complaints.
9. My lawful bases for processing your information
UK data protection law requires me to have an appropriate lawful basis for using personal information.
Depending on what I am doing with the information, I may rely on:
Contract – where processing is necessary to provide a service, product, course, event, training or photography package you have requested, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
Legal obligation – where I am required to process or retain information to comply with the law.
Legitimate interests – where I have a legitimate professional or business reason to process information and I have considered this against your rights, interests and reasonable expectations.
Consent – where you have actively given verbal or written permission for a particular use of your information and consent is the appropriate lawful basis.
Different lawful bases may apply to different uses of information about the same person.
Where special category information such as health information is processed, an additional condition under Article 9 UK GDPR must also apply.
10. Email newsletters and marketing
I use Mailchimp to manage my email newsletters and marketing communications.
Where consent is required, I will ask you to actively agree to receive marketing.
In some circumstances, UK electronic marketing law allows me to contact existing customers or people who have genuinely expressed an interest in purchasing my services about my own similar products or services under the soft opt-in provisions.
Where I rely on this provision, you will be given a clear opportunity to opt out when your contact details are collected and in every subsequent marketing communication.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in the email.
Unsubscribing from marketing will not prevent me from sending necessary administrative communications about a booking, purchase, course, training or other service you are receiving from me.
11. Payments and online purchases
My website uses WooCommerce to facilitate online purchases and bookings.
Payments may be processed through Stripe or BACS.
Stripe handles payment-card information through its own secure payment systems. I do not ordinarily receive or store your complete payment-card details.
I retain appropriate transactional information where necessary for administration, accounting, taxation and legal purposes.
Access to your personal information
You are entitled to view, amend, or delete the personal information that we hold via a link at the bottom of all emails we send to you or via emailing your request via our website.
12. Who I share information with
I do not sell your personal information.
Like most small businesses, however, I use trusted service providers to help me operate my business.
These currently include services used for:
- WordPress website operation;
- website hosting;
- Apple Mail, gmail and iCloud;
- Mailchimp email communications;
- Stripe payment processing;
- WooCommerce purchases and bookings;
- Dropbox file storage;
- Zoom online teaching;
- Vimeo video hosting;
- accounting and financial administration; and
- authorised website development and technical support.
My accountant may have access to relevant financial and transactional information where necessary to provide accounting and taxation services.
My authorised website developer may have technical access to website systems and information where necessary to maintain or support the website.
Access should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the service being provided.
I may also disclose information where required by law or where disclosure is reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
13. International processing
Some of the technology and service providers I use operate internationally or may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, I take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate protections recognised under UK data protection law are in place.
14. How long I keep information
I do not aim to keep personal information for longer than it is reasonably required.
Different information is therefore retained for different periods.
For example:
Private client records are generally retained for seven years in accordance with professional insurance and record-keeping requirements.
Financial and transactional records are retained for the period required for accounting, taxation and legal purposes.
Student and certification records may be retained for longer where necessary to maintain an accurate record of training, assessment and qualifications.
Photography contracts and images may be retained for appropriate contractual, copyright, professional, portfolio or archival purposes.
Marketing information is retained while you remain subscribed or where a limited record is required to ensure an unsubscribe request continues to be respected.
General enquiries are periodically reviewed and are not retained indefinitely where there is no continuing reason to keep them.
Online teaching recordings are reviewed when they are no longer required for the educational purpose for which they were created.
Information that is no longer reasonably required is securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where appropriate.
15. Keeping your information secure
I take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.
These measures include, where appropriate:
- secure storage of paper records;
- password-protected devices and accounts;
- appropriate account and cloud-storage security;
- access controls;
- limiting third-party access;
- using established technology and cloud-service providers;
- secure disposal of confidential records.
Access to personal information is restricted to me and, where necessary, trusted professional or technical service providers who require access for a legitimate purpose.
16. Cookies and website information
My website uses cookies and similar technologies that may be necessary for the website to operate and, where applicable, to understand how visitors use the site.
Some cookies and similar technologies may require your consent before being placed on your device.
Where consent is legally required, you will be given an appropriate choice through the website's cookie controls.
I may occasionally use Meta Pixel on this website when I am advertising a course.
Further information about cookies and your choices is available through the website's cookie settings or cookie notice.
17. Your data protection rights
Depending upon the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you a number of rights concerning your personal information.
These may include the right to:
- ask what personal information I hold about you and obtain a copy;
- ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;
- ask me to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
- object to certain processing;
- receive certain information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies;
- withdraw consent where processing is based upon consent;
- object to direct marketing.
These rights are not absolute. Whether a particular right applies depends upon the circumstances and the lawful basis on which the information is being processed.
I may need to confirm your identity before releasing personal information.
18. Data protection complaints
If you have concerns about how I have collected, used, stored, shared or otherwise handled your personal information, please contact me.
Make it clear that your correspondence concerns a data protection complaint.
I will acknowledge a data protection complaint within 30 days of receiving it.
I will take appropriate steps to investigate your complaint and will communicate the outcome to you without undue delay.
Where appropriate, I will explain any action I have taken or propose to take as a result of the complaint.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.
19. Contacting me
If you would like to:
- ask about information I hold about you;
- exercise a data protection right;
- request access to your information;
- ask me to correct information;
- withdraw marketing consent;
- make a data protection complaint; or
- ask a question about this Privacy Notice,
please contact:
Vanessa Tucker
Data Controller
The Centre for Somatic & Healing Arts
Email: Please use the contact email provided through the contact form on this website.
20. Changes to this Privacy Notice
I may update this Privacy Notice when my services, technology, working practices or legal obligations change.
The date at the top of this notice shows when it was last updated.