Privacy
Your privacy
This note explains, in plain terms, what happens to the personal information you share with me through this website, either by using the contact form or by emailing me. It covers the website only. Anything we discuss once we are working together is held under the separate, stricter confidentiality of the therapy itself, within the UKCP ethical framework.
Who is responsible
This website belongs to Thomas Mercer, practising as The Only Life, a psychotherapy and coaching practice based in Hackney, East London. I am registered as a Data Controller with the ICO. If you have any question about your information, you can reach me at tom@theonlylife.co.uk.
What I collect, and why
If you contact me through the form or by email, I receive your name, your email address, and whatever you choose to write in your message. I use this only to read and respond to your enquiry and to arrange an introductory conversation if you'd like one.
I don't ask for any sensitive detail at this stage, so please share only what feels comfortable in a first message. The website itself does not track you, profile you, or use advertising or analytics cookies.
How your message is stored
Enquiries sent through the form are handled by Netlify, the service that hosts this website, and are then delivered to my email inbox. Your message therefore sits with Netlify and with Google Workspace, my email provider. I keep enquiries only for as long as is reasonably needed to respond and, where relevant, to begin working together. If an enquiry doesn't lead to us working together, I delete it once it is clearly no longer needed.
Who it is shared with
I do not sell, rent, or share your information with anyone for marketing. The only third parties involved are the technical providers that make the website and my email work, Netlify and Google Workspace, and only to the extent needed to deliver your message to me.
Your rights
You can ask me at any time what information I hold about you, to correct it, or to delete it. Just email tom@theonlylife.co.uk and I'll take care of it. If you ever felt I hadn't handled your information properly, you also have the right to raise it with the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
Changes to this note
If how I handle enquiries changes, I'll update this page. It was last reviewed in July 2026.