Online Therapy Privacy: How Feel Better Therapy Protects Your Data

If you're considering online therapy, you might find yourself wondering about privacy. It's one of the most common concerns people have when thinking about opening up to a therapist through a screen rather than in person. Questions about who can see your information, where your data is stored, and whether your conversations remain confidential are completely natural — and they're exactly the right questions to ask.

For many people in Ireland, the idea of discussing deeply personal matters online raises valid concerns about data security. You might worry about your employer finding out, your data being shared with third parties, or simply feeling exposed in a digital space. These concerns can be significant enough to delay seeking support, even when you know therapy could help.

The good news is that reputable online therapy platforms take privacy extremely seriously. In fact, many have security measures that exceed those of traditional in-person practices. This article explains how online therapy privacy works, what protections are in place under Irish and EU law, and how Feel Better Therapy ensures your information stays private and secure throughout the matching process and beyond.

Understanding Online Therapy Privacy

Online therapy privacy encompasses everything from how your personal details are stored to who can access your session recordings and notes. When you engage with an online therapy platform, you're sharing sensitive information — your mental health history, current struggles, personal circumstances — and you have every right to expect that information to be handled with the utmost care.

In Ireland, all health data is classified as "special category data" under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This means it receives the highest level of legal protection. Any platform serving Irish clients must comply with these strict standards, regardless of where the company is based. The Data Protection Commission in Ireland actively enforces these rules, and breaches can result in substantial penalties.

The key privacy elements in online therapy include:

• Data encryption: All communications between you and your therapist should be encrypted, meaning they can't be intercepted and read by third parties
• Secure storage: Your records must be stored on secure servers with appropriate access controls
• Confidentiality agreements: Your therapist is bound by professional ethics and legal requirements to keep your information private
• Limited data retention: Your information should only be kept for as long as necessary and then securely deleted
• No sharing without consent: Your data cannot be shared with employers, family members, or other third parties without your explicit permission

Understanding these protections helps you make an informed decision about whether online therapy feels right for you.

Irish and EU Legal Protections for Your Data

Ireland has some of the strongest data protection laws in the world, and these extend fully to online therapy services. The GDPR, which Ireland helped shape, provides a comprehensive framework for how your personal data must be handled.

Under GDPR, you have specific rights regarding your therapy data:

• The right to know: You must be informed about what data is being collected, why it's needed, and how long it will be kept
• The right to access: You can request copies of all data held about you
• The right to correction: If any information is inaccurate, you can have it corrected
• The right to deletion: In most circumstances, you can request that your data be deleted (though therapy records may be kept for legal and professional reasons)
• The right to restrict processing: You can limit how your data is used in certain situations

Beyond GDPR, therapists in Ireland are bound by professional codes of ethics from their governing bodies — the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP), or the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). These codes include strict confidentiality requirements that apply equally to online and in-person therapy.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) also sets standards for how health information should be managed in Ireland. While these standards are primarily aimed at public health services, they represent best practices that reputable private therapy platforms follow.

Key point for Irish clients: Even if an online therapy platform is based outside Ireland, if they serve Irish clients, they must comply with GDPR and Irish data protection law. You can verify this by checking their privacy policy for references to GDPR compliance and their Data Protection Officer contact details.

Common Privacy Concerns and How They're Addressed

When people hesitate about online therapy, they often cite specific privacy worries. Let's address the most common ones directly:

"Can my employer find out I'm in therapy?

No. Your therapy participation is completely confidential. Feel Better Therapy does not share information with employers, and your health insurance (if you use it) only receives billing information — not details about why you're attending therapy or what you discuss. The only exception would be if you explicitly request that information be shared, such as for workplace accommodations.

"What if someone hacks the platform?

Reputable platforms use bank-level encryption (typically 256-bit SSL/TLS) for all communications. This is the same technology used by major banks and financial institutions. While no system is entirely immune to hacking, the encryption means that even if data were intercepted, it would be unreadable without the encryption keys.

"Are my sessions recorded?

Feel Better Therapy does not record video or audio sessions unless you specifically request it (for example, to review coping strategies later). Your therapist takes notes as they would in traditional therapy, but these are stored securely with the same encryption standards.

"Can my family member access my account?

No. Your account is protected by your password, and two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security. Feel Better Therapy's systems are designed so that even customer support staff cannot access the content of your therapy sessions — only account metadata like your name and email.

"What happens to my data if the company closes?

Professional ethics and GDPR require that therapy records be properly managed even if a service closes. Feel Better Therapy has data stewardship plans in place to ensure your information is either securely transferred to you or properly deleted according to professional guidelines.

These protections are designed to give you the same — or greater — privacy than you'd have in traditional in-person therapy.

The Feel Better Therapy Matching Process

Feel Better Therapy was built with privacy as a foundational principle, not an afterthought. Understanding that seeking therapy is a deeply personal decision, the platform has implemented multiple layers of protection for your information throughout the entire matching process.

How the matching works: When you reach out to Feel Better Therapy, you complete a brief, confidential consultation about what you're experiencing and what you're looking for in therapy. This isn't about collecting data for marketing — it's about understanding your needs so you can be matched with the right therapist. The information you provide is used solely for matching purposes and is never shared with third parties.

End-to-End Encryption: All communications between you and your matched therapist use end-to-end encryption. This means only you and your therapist can see the content — not even Feel Better Therapy's technical staff can access it.

Irish-Based Infrastructure: Your data is stored on servers within the European Union, ensuring full GDPR compliance and protection under EU law. This also means your information isn't subject to data access requests from non-EU governments.

Anonymous Initial Contact: You can explore whether Feel Better Therapy is right for you without creating an account or providing detailed personal information. Only when you're ready to proceed with matching do you share the details needed to pair you with an appropriate therapist.

Transparent Privacy Policy: The privacy policy is written in plain English, not legal jargon. It clearly explains what data is collected during the matching process, why it's needed, how long it's kept, and who (if anyone) it's shared with. There are no hidden data-sharing agreements with third parties.

Therapist Confidentiality: Every therapist on the platform is verified as registered with IACP, ICP, or PSI, meaning they're bound by the same professional confidentiality requirements as therapists in private practice. They cannot discuss your case with anyone without your written permission, except in the limited circumstances required by law (imminent risk of harm to yourself or others).

Data Minimisation: Feel Better Therapy only collects information that's necessary to provide therapy services. There's no data harvesting for marketing purposes, no tracking cookies following you around the internet, and no selling of anonymised data to researchers without explicit consent.

These measures are regularly audited and updated to keep pace with evolving security best practices and regulatory requirements.

When to Seek Support

Worrying about privacy is understandable, but it shouldn't prevent you from getting the support you need. If anxiety about confidentiality is stopping you from reaching out, consider this: the risks of leaving mental health concerns unaddressed typically far outweigh the minimal risks of privacy breaches with a reputable platform.

It might be time to seek professional support if:

• Anxiety, low mood, or stress are affecting your daily life, work, or relationships
• You've been struggling with difficult thoughts or feelings for more than a few weeks

• You're using unhelpful coping strategies (alcohol, isolation, overworking) to manage
• Friends or family have expressed concern about your wellbeing
• You're going through a major life transition or loss

Seeking therapy isn't a sign of weakness — it's a practical step toward taking care of your mental health, just as you'd see a doctor for a physical concern. The right therapist can help you develop strategies to manage what you're experiencing and move toward feeling better.

Feel Better Therapy makes this step easier by removing barriers like travel time, waiting lists, and the uncertainty of whether your information will be kept private.

Taking the First Step with Confidence

Privacy concerns are valid, but they don't have to be a barrier to getting support. Feel Better Therapy has built its entire service around the understanding that trust is essential for effective therapy. From encryption technology to professional ethics to Irish and EU legal protections, multiple safeguards ensure your information stays private.

The platform offers online therapy with Irish-registered, qualified therapists who understand the unique context of living in Ireland — including the cultural attitudes toward mental health, the healthcare system, and the specific stresses Irish people face. You can attend sessions from the privacy of your own home, eliminating the worry of being seen entering a therapist's office.

Getting started is straightforward: reach out to Feel Better Therapy, share briefly what you're looking for, and you'll be matched with a therapist whose expertise aligns with your needs. There's no obligation to continue if it doesn't feel right, and your first session is an opportunity to ask any questions about privacy and confidentiality directly.

Anxiety Therapy Ireland: The Feel Better Therapy Way — our comprehensive guide to understanding and managing anxiety — provides more information about how therapy works and what to expect. For immediate support, Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123.

Related Resources

Understanding privacy is just one aspect of accessing online therapy for anxiety. You might also find helpful:

• How Feel Better Therapy Matches You with the Right Anxiety Specialist — Learn how the matching process works and how your information is used to pair you with the right therapist
• Affordable Anxiety Support: Understanding Feel Better Therapy's Pricing — Explore costs and options for making therapy financially accessible
• Health Insurance Guide: Getting Your Anxiety Therapy Covered by VHI, Laya, and Irish Life — Navigate insurance coverage while maintaining your privacy

Your mental health matters, and seeking support is a sign of strength. With proper privacy protections in place, you can focus on what really matters: working toward feeling better.