Privacy policy
Short version: couples can use this site without giving us any information. We collect only what therapists send us to create a listing.
Draft, version 0.3. This privacy policy is a working draft and has not yet been reviewed by a lawyer. It describes how the site works today. Questions: hello@marriagecounseling.io.
Couples and visitors
- No accounts, no forms for couples. You can read guides and browse the directory without giving us anything.
- No cookies, no analytics, no ad pixels and no third-party scripts. Pages load only files from our own server. This applies to every page, including the therapist sign-up and review pages.
- Filters stay in your browser. What you pick in the directory is never sent to us or placed in the page address.
- Server logs. Like any website, our web host's servers record technical request data (such as IP address, time, page requested and browser type) for security and operations. We don't use these logs to profile visitors.
- Emails you send us are used only to reply to you and are not added to any mailing list.
Therapists who request a listing
When you submit the join form, we receive the details you enter: name as filed, preferred name, license type and number, email, phone, practice city, website, session formats, methods and any message. We also record the time of your request and a one-way hashed form of the IP address it came from. The hash is cleared 24 hours after your request, or earlier if your sign-up is deleted or anonymized.
Once automatic emails are switched on, we will email you a link to confirm your request. Until then, you can write to hello@marriagecounseling.io. When you confirm, our consent record keeps only the time and the version of our terms you agreed to.
We use this information to check your license on the public DCA License Search, write a draft profile for you to review, contact you about your listing and, once you approve it, publish the profile details you agreed to. Nothing is published until you approve it. We do not sell or rent your information or use it for advertising.
Spam protection
To limit spam, we also keep separate rate-limit entries with a hashed IP address. These are deleted after 24 hours.
Photos
We ask for a photo only after your profile is approved and published, on the form you use to edit it. We convert each photo to a new image file, which removes location and other camera data, and store it outside the public website folders until it appears on your profile.
Published profiles
Published profiles are public and may be read by search engines and AI assistants. Profiles are published only with the therapist's approval.
Where your data is stored
Sign-ups are stored in a MySQL database on our web hosting account with ALL-INKL.COM. ALL-INKL.COM says its data centers are in Dresden and that its customers' data is stored only on servers in Germany (ALL-INKL.COM, data center page). If the database can't be reached, sign-up requests are saved to a backup file on the same host, outside the public website folder. That file holds no IP hash. Notices about new requests go to our own mailbox, hello@marriagecounseling.io. We don't use any outside form, database or email-marketing service.
How long we keep it
- Unconfirmed requests (the confirmation link was never used) are deleted after 30 days.
- Requests we can't list are deleted after 90 days.
- Removed profiles: we take the profile offline and delete your details. After 30 days we keep only the license number and dates, so a profile number is never reused.
- Hashed IP addresses on sign-ups are cleared after 24 hours, and rate-limit entries are deleted after 24 hours.
- Backup file entries are deleted after 30 days.
How do I remove my sign-up or profile?
Once automatic emails are on, every email we send you will have a link to remove your sign-up or profile. You can also write to hello@marriagecounseling.io. You can ask us to correct your details the same way.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your personal information, and to object to some uses. Email hello@marriagecounseling.io to ask.
Children
This site is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Changes
We will post any changes here with a new date. If we ever add cookies, analytics or new forms, this policy will say so before they go live.
Contact
MarriageCounseling.io, operated by Vadim Fink. hello@marriagecounseling.io