Effective Date: 1 January 2023

At Online Counsellor, we understand the importance of privacy and are committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you access our website or use our online counselling services. By using our services, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect:

a. Personal Information: We may collect personally identifiable information, such as your name, email address, contact number, and demographic information, when you voluntarily provide it to us.

b. Client Data: In the course of providing counselling services, we may collect and store information you choose to share with our counsellors, including your personal history, mental health information, and other sensitive details. We treat this information with the utmost confidentiality and will only disclose it as outlined in this policy.

c. Log Data: When you visit our website or use our services, we automatically collect certain information, such as your IP address, browser type, referring/exit pages, and operating system, which helps us analyze trends, administer the site, and track user movements.

d. Cookies and Similar Technologies: We may use cookies, beacons, and other tracking technologies to enhance your experience and personalize content. These technologies help us collect information about your usage patterns, preferences, and facilitate features such as remembering your login information.

Use of Information:

a. We use the information we collect to provide, personalize, and improve our services, respond to your inquiries, and deliver relevant content to meet your needs.

b. We may use your email address to send you newsletters, promotional materials, and other communications related to our services. You can opt-out of these communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the email.

c. Client data collected during counselling sessions is used to provide appropriate and effective counselling services. It is kept strictly confidential unless otherwise required by law or with your explicit consent.

d. We may use aggregated and anonymized data for research, analytics, and marketing purposes to understand user trends, preferences, and improve our services. This data will not identify you personally.

Information Sharing and Disclosure:

a. We may share your personal information with our employees, contractors, and service providers who need the information to perform services on our behalf. These third parties are bound by confidentiality obligations and are prohibited from using your information for any other purpose.

b. We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or legal process, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, the safety of our users, or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or government request.

c. In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.

Data Security:

a. We employ industry-standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

b. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login information and are advised to choose a strong password and not share it with others.

Third-Party Links:

Our website and services may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not controlled or operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

Children's Privacy:

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us, and we will take steps to remove the information from our systems.

Changes to this Privacy Policy:

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated policy on our website. Your continued use of our services after the posting of the updated policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

Contact Us:

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at info@onlinecounsellor.co.za