Privacy Policy

Who We Are

This website is operated by Carys Walker at Out of the Woods Counselling.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, you can contact:

Email: carys@outofthewoodscounselling.co.uk

Information Collected Automatically

This website collects personal information to support website analytics and functionality, including:

  • Information about your browser, network, and device

  • Web pages visited before arriving at this website

  • Your IP address

This information may also include details about your use of this website, including:

  • Clicks

  • Internal links

  • Pages visited

  • Scrolling

  • Searches

  • Timestamps

This information is provided to Squarespace, our website hosting and analytics provider, to help us understand website traffic and improve the website experience.

Cookies

This website uses cookies and similar technologies, which are small files or pieces of text downloaded to a device when a visitor accesses a website.

Necessary cookies are always used to allow Squarespace, our hosting platform, to securely provide this website to you.

Analytics and performance cookies are only used where you have provided consent through the website’s cookie banner. These cookies help us understand website traffic, activity, and usage patterns.

For more information about Squarespace cookies, please visit Squarespace’s cookie information pages.

Contact Forms

When you submit information through a contact form on this website, we collect the information requested in the form in order to respond to your enquiry and manage communication with you.

This information may include:

  • Your name

  • Email address

  • Telephone number

  • Any information you choose to include in your message

This information is processed through Squarespace, our website hosting provider.

Information submitted through contact forms is used solely for responding to enquiries and managing communication. Your information will not be used for marketing purposes unless you have explicitly consented.

Please avoid sharing sensitive or highly confidential information through website contact forms where possible.

Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK data protection law, personal information is processed on the following lawful bases:

  • Legitimate interests — such as operating, maintaining, and improving this website

  • Consent — where you accept optional cookies or voluntarily submit information through forms

  • Provision of services — where processing is necessary in relation to counselling or professional services

Data Retention

Website analytics data is retained in accordance with Squarespace’s retention policies.

Information submitted through contact forms may be retained for up to 12 months unless a professional relationship is established, in which case separate client privacy information and data retention details will be provided.

Data Sharing and International Transfers

This website is hosted by Squarespace. Squarespace may process personal information outside the United Kingdom. Appropriate safeguards are used to protect personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Squarespace may collect information including:

  • Information about your browser, network, and device

  • Web pages visited before arriving at this website

  • Pages viewed while on this website

  • Your IP address

You can read more about how Squarespace handles data in their own Privacy Policy.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights relating to your personal information, including the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data held about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate information

  • Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances

  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

More information about your rights can be found on the ICO website:
https://ico.org.uk/

Security and Confidentiality

Reasonable measures are taken to help protect information submitted through this website. However, internet transmissions are never completely secure and submitting information online is done at your own risk.

If you become a counselling client, full confidentiality, privacy, and data handling information will be provided separately as part of the therapeutic agreement.

Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to legal requirements or website functionality. The most recent version will always be available on this website.