This policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on societyforpsychotherapy.org and how you can control them. It supplements our Privacy Policy.
What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. They let a site remember your actions and preferences between pages and visits. Similar technologies — local storage, session storage, and pixels — serve comparable purposes and are covered by this policy.
Cookies We Use
Strictly Necessary
Required for the site to function. These cannot be switched off through our site. They include a record of your analytics cookie choice (kept in your browser's local storage) and, for Society editors only, the preview and editing-session cookies used when reviewing unpublished content.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors
find and use the site — which pages are read, how people navigate, and
where technical problems occur. It only loads if you accept analytics
cookies in the banner shown on your first visit; until then it sets no
cookies. Once accepted, GA4 sets cookies (typically
_ga and _ga_*) that persist for up to two
years and assign your browser a random identifier. GA4 does not log or
store IP addresses, and we do not use it for advertising or
remarketing.
We also use Ahrefs Web Analytics, which sets no cookies and stores nothing on your device. It records the page visited, the referring site, your approximate location (derived from your IP address), and your browser and device type, and counts visits using a temporary identifier that is not stored on your device. We only ever see aggregated totals.
Functional
The Google Translate widget in our footer sets cookies to remember your chosen language. These are only set if you use the translation feature.
Payment
When you pay membership dues, PayPal sets its own cookies to process the transaction and prevent fraud. These are governed by PayPal's own cookie policy.
Third-Party Cookies
Some pages embed content from third parties — for example YouTube videos, or images and documents hosted elsewhere. Those providers may set their own cookies when the embedded content loads. We do not control those cookies.
How to Control Cookies
Every major browser lets you view, block, and delete cookies through its settings. Blocking all cookies may break parts of the site, including form submissions.
- Change your analytics choice at any time with the Cookie Settings link at the bottom of every page. Declining stops Google Analytics and deletes its cookies.
- To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites, install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
- Ahrefs Web Analytics sets no cookies, so cookie settings do not affect it; content and script blockers will prevent it from loading.
- If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as an opt-out request under the CCPA and do not load Google Analytics while the signal is on, even if you accepted analytics cookies before. We do not rely on the older "Do Not Track" setting.
Changes
We update this policy when the technologies we use change. The effective date above reflects the most recent revision.
Contact Us
Questions about this policy can be sent to editor@societyforpsychotherapy.org, or through our contact form.