Cookie Policy
Last updated: 30 September 2026
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by a website. Cookies help websites remember your preferences and measure traffic. Some cookies are set by us (first-party cookies); others are set by third-party services we use (third-party cookies).
We also use similar technologies: sessionStorage (browser-tab-scoped memory that clears when you close the tab) for UI preferences such as dismissing banners.
Cookies on this site
Nothing loads before you choose. Until you press “Accept analytics” in the cookie banner, this site loads no analytics or tracking script and sends no request to Google — not even a cookieless one. If you press “Reject analytics” (or ignore/close the banner), that stays true on every page.
1. Analytics cookies — Google Analytics 4 (only after you accept)
With your consent we use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID: G-QBWHXTN1VT) to
understand how visitors use the Site. After you accept, GA4 sets the following first-party
cookies (names, purposes and default expiry as documented by Google in [GA4] Cookie usage on websites):
| Cookie name | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google (first-party domain) | Used to distinguish users: stores a pseudonymous client identifier so GA4 can calculate visitors, sessions, pages and traffic sources. | 2 years |
_ga_QBWHXTN1VT (_ga_<container-id>) | Google (first-party domain) | Used to persist session state for this site’s GA4 property. | 2 years |
Browsers may cap these lifetimes (Google notes a maximum of 400 days in Chrome and 7 days in Safari when you do not return). No Google advertising cookies are set: this site runs no ads and never grants advertising storage.
Legal basis: Your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; ePrivacy Directive as implemented in Cyprus and other EU/EEA jurisdictions; UK PECR). The same rule applies to every visitor, wherever you are: no consent, no analytics.
Data processor: Google Ireland Limited. IP anonymisation is enabled; full IP addresses are not stored by Google. Data may be transferred to the US under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.
2. Affiliate links (no cookies set by this site)
This site loads no affiliate-network script (no Impact, Refersion or similar tag) and sets no affiliate cookie. Affiliate links are ordinary outbound links carrying UTM parameters in the URL. Once you follow one you are on another website, whose own cookies and privacy policy apply:
| Link | Where it goes | Cookies |
|---|---|---|
| Wysa | Refersion’s referral domain (get-wysa.refersion.com) | Any cookie is set by that domain, under its own policy — not by this site. |
| Freed, Upheal, SimplePractice, Alma, Mentalyc | The vendor’s own website | Any cookie is set by the vendor’s site, under its own policy — not by this site. |
3. Consent preference storage (localStorage)
| Key | Storage type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
bat-consent | localStorage | Stores your cookie consent choice (“granted” or “denied”) so Google Analytics is loaded on later pages only if you accepted, and the banner
is not shown again. | Until you change it or clear site data (the same for “granted” and “denied”) |
Legal basis: Strictly necessary for operating the consent mechanism. This key
contains only a flag value (“granted” or “denied”) and no personal data.
To change or withdraw your choice at any time, press Cookie settings in the footer of any page: the banner reopens and you can accept or reject again.
4. Functional / UI preference storage (sessionStorage)
| Key | Storage type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
top-bar-dismissed | sessionStorage | Remembers that you dismissed the top-pick bar so it doesn’t reappear in the same tab. | Current browser tab / session |
mobile-bar-dismissed | sessionStorage | Remembers that you dismissed the mobile CTA bar. | Current browser tab / session |
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — providing a less
intrusive user experience. No personal data is stored in these keys; they contain only a flag
value of “1”.
How to manage and opt out of cookies
Browser settings
You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking all cookies may affect site functionality. Browser-specific instructions:
Google Analytics opt-out
Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent GA4 from collecting data on your visits across all sites.
Industry opt-out tools
Cookie consent
When you first visit the Site, a cookie banner asks whether you accept Google Analytics cookies. “Accept analytics” and “Reject analytics” are equally prominent and each takes one click. Until you accept, no analytics script is loaded and no request is sent to Google. Only after you accept do we load Google Analytics, with Google Consent Mode recording analytics storage as granted (advertising storage always stays denied). Functional/UI sessionStorage keys are not subject to cookie consent as they do not contain personal data and are session-scoped.
Your choice is stored in the bat-consent localStorage key (see Section 3 above).
To withdraw or change your consent at any time, press Cookie settings in the
footer of any page. If you withdraw, Google Analytics stops for the rest of your visit, is not
loaded again, and its _ga / _ga_QBWHXTN1VT cookies are deleted from
your browser.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when we add new cookies or change how existing ones work. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
Contact
Questions about our cookie practices: [email protected] or see our Contact page. Full data protection information is in our Privacy Policy.