Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 28 March 2026

This privacy policy explains how Elaine Baptista Counselling & Psychotherapy ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data Controller

Name: Elaine Baptista

Email: info@ebcounselling.ie

Phone: +353 85 219 8278

Address: McHugh House, 82 Grand Parade, Cork City, T12 VXP9

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Contact Form: Name, email address, phone number (optional), and message content
  • Email Communications: Email address and message content when you contact us directly
  • Phone Communications: Phone number and call details when you contact us by phone

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

We use privacy-friendly analytics to understand how visitors use our website. The following data may be collected:

  • Analytics Data: Page views, referral source, browser type, device information, and approximate geographic location (country/city level only)
  • Performance Data: Page load times and Core Web Vitals metrics to improve website performance

Note: Our analytics provider (Vercel Analytics) does not use cookies and does not track individual users across sessions. Data is aggregated and anonymized.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Service Communication: To respond to your inquiries and arrange consultations
  • Website Analytics: To understand how visitors use our website and improve user experience
  • Security & Fraud Prevention: To protect our website and services from abuse
  • Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and regulations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

  • Consent: When you submit a contact form or contact us directly (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR)
  • Legitimate Interests: For analytics and website improvement (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
  • Legal Obligation: When required by law (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR)

5. Third-Party Services

Google Maps (Maps)

We use Google Maps Embed API to display our location. When you view the map, Google may collect technical data such as your IP address and browser information. Learn more at Google Privacy Policy.

Vercel (Hosting & Analytics)

Our website is hosted on Vercel. We use Vercel Analytics (privacy-friendly, no cookies) and Vercel Speed Insights for performance monitoring. Vercel may collect server logs and technical data for security and performance. Learn more at Vercel Privacy Policy.

Resend (Email)

We use Resend to deliver emails submitted through our contact form. Your name, email address, and message content are processed by Resend to deliver the email. Learn more at Resend Privacy Policy.

Cal.com (Appointment Booking)

We use Cal.com to manage appointment scheduling. When you book an appointment, Cal.com processes your name, email, and booking details. Learn more at Cal.com Privacy Policy.

hCaptcha (Spam Protection)

We use hCaptcha on our contact form to prevent spam submissions. hCaptcha may collect technical data such as your IP address and browser information. Learn more at hCaptcha Privacy Policy.

Cloudflare R2 (Image Hosting)

Website images are served via Cloudflare R2 CDN. Cloudflare may collect technical data such as your IP address for content delivery and security purposes. Learn more at Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

6. Data Retention

  • Contact Form Data: Retained for 12 months after last contact, or until you request deletion
  • Analytics Data: Retained for 12 months, then automatically deleted
  • Email Communications: Retained for the duration of our correspondence plus 6 months

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of data processing
  • Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (does not affect prior processing)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@ebcounselling.ie. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies and Tracking

What We Use

  • LocalStorage (Essential): Stores your theme preference (light/dark mode). This is not a cookie and does not require consent as it is essential for functionality.
  • Analytics (No Cookies): Vercel Analytics does not use cookies or track individual users across sessions. No cookie consent is required.

Note: We do not use any tracking cookies. If this changes in the future, we will add a cookie consent banner before enabling any cookie-based tracking.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your data:

  • HTTPS encryption for all website communications
  • Secure hosting infrastructure (Vercel)
  • Regular security updates and monitoring
  • Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular data backups and disaster recovery procedures

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) by our third-party service providers. When this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are under 18, please do not submit any personal information through our website.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland):

Data Protection Commission

21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland

Phone: +353 (0)761 104 800

Website: www.dataprotection.ie

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Email: info@ebcounselling.ie

Phone: +353 85 219 8278

Address: McHugh House, 82 Grand Parade, Cork City, T12 VXP9