Legal Document

Cookies Policy

Understanding how we use cookies to improve your experience on our website.

Last Updated: January 15, 2026

🍪 1. Introduction

This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how INTERNATIONAL TEACHING SEMINARS LTD ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website, and what choices you have regarding their use. We are committed to transparency about the technologies we employ and how they affect your browsing experience.

Our website is operated by INTERNATIONAL TEACHING SEMINARS LTD, registered at Hill House Farm, Station Road, Gloucestershire, GL12 8SY, United Kingdom. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, which provide additional information about how we handle your personal data and the conditions governing your use of our website.

By continuing to use our website after being presented with the cookie consent banner, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookies Policy. You retain the right to change your cookie preferences at any time using the methods described in this document.

🔍 2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used across the internet to make websites function correctly, work more efficiently, and provide reporting information to website operators. Cookies allow a website to recognize your device and remember certain information about your visit, such as your preferred language, font size, and other display preferences.

Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" based. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser until they expire or you delete them manually. Session cookies are temporary and are automatically deleted when you close your browser window. Both types serve important functions in ensuring a smooth and consistent browsing experience.

Cookies can also be categorized by who sets them. "First-party cookies" are placed by the website you are visiting directly. "Third-party cookies" are placed by a domain other than the one you are visiting, typically by analytics or measurement services that a website uses to understand visitor behavior and improve performance.

Similar technologies, such as web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage, work in comparable ways and may be referenced in this policy under the general term "cookies" for simplicity.

⚙️ 3. Cookies We Use

Our website uses a limited number of cookies, and we have deliberately chosen not to use any advertising, retargeting, or marketing cookies. Below is a detailed explanation of each category of cookies that may be present on our website.

3.1 Essential (Strictly Necessary) Cookies

These cookies are required for the basic operation of our website. Without them, the site cannot function properly. Essential cookies enable core functionalities such as page navigation, access to secure areas, and remembering your cookie consent preferences. These cookies do not collect personal data that could be used to identify you or track your behavior across other websites.

Cookie Name Purpose Duration Type
cookie-consent Stores your cookie consent preference (accepted, rejected, or settings) 12 months First-party, Persistent
session_id Maintains your session state while browsing the website Session First-party, Session

Legal basis: These cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our website and do not require your consent under the UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). They are exempt from the consent requirement because the website cannot function without them.

3.2 Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This data allows us to identify which pages are visited most frequently, how long visitors spend on each page, and whether users encounter any errors. We use this information solely to improve the performance and content of our website, ensuring that our educational materials about animal-assisted psychotherapy and emotional support reach participants effectively.

We may use privacy-focused analytics tools that respect user privacy. These tools are configured to anonymize IP addresses and do not create individual user profiles. The data collected through analytics cookies is aggregated and cannot be used to identify any individual visitor.

Cookie Name Purpose Duration Type
_ga Distinguishes unique visitors by assigning a randomly generated number 13 months Third-party, Persistent
_ga_* Maintains session state across page requests 13 months Third-party, Persistent

Legal basis: Analytics cookies are placed only after you have given your consent by clicking "Accept" on the cookie consent banner. If you decline cookies, no analytics cookies will be placed on your device.

3.3 Cookies We Do NOT Use

We want to be fully transparent about the types of cookies and tracking technologies that are absent from our website. The following categories of cookies are never placed on your device when visiting our site:

  • Advertising cookies

    We do not display advertisements on our website, and we do not use cookies to serve targeted ads on other platforms.

  • Retargeting cookies

    We do not track visitors after they leave our website, and we do not use retargeting technologies to show follow-up advertisements.

  • Social media tracking cookies

    We do not embed social media widgets that place tracking cookies, and we do not use social media pixels to monitor user behavior.

  • Profiling cookies

    We do not create behavioral profiles of our visitors, and no cookie data is used to build individual user profiles or make automated decisions.

🛡️ 4. Your Cookie Consent

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner in the bottom-right corner of your screen. This banner provides you with clear choices regarding cookie usage on our website. You can choose from the following options:

Accept

Enables both essential and analytics cookies for improved site performance tracking.

Settings

Directs you to this Cookies Policy page where you can review full details about each cookie.

Decline

Only essential cookies will be used. All analytics cookies will be blocked entirely.

Your preference is stored using the browser's local storage mechanism so that the banner does not reappear on subsequent visits. If you wish to change your preference at a later time, you can clear your browser's local storage or site data, and the consent banner will appear again on your next visit. Alternatively, you can manage cookies through your browser settings as described in Section 5 below.

Regardless of your choice, the core functionality of our website remains fully accessible. Declining analytics cookies does not restrict your ability to browse our educational content, view the webinar program, or use the registration and contact forms.

🔧 5. How to Manage and Delete Cookies

In addition to the cookie consent banner on our website, you can control and manage cookies through your web browser settings. Most browsers allow you to view what cookies are stored, delete individual cookies or all cookies, and set preferences to block cookies from specific or all websites. Please note that restricting cookies may affect the functionality of our website and other sites you visit.

Below are links and instructions for managing cookies in the most commonly used browsers:

Google Chrome

Go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data. Here you can block third-party cookies, clear existing cookies, and manage site-specific permissions.

Mozilla Firefox

Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data. Firefox offers Enhanced Tracking Protection which blocks many third-party cookies by default.

Apple Safari

Go to Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data. Safari also blocks cross-site tracking by default through Intelligent Tracking Prevention.

Microsoft Edge

Go to Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data. Edge provides options to block third-party cookies and clear data on exit.

If you use a browser not listed above, consult your browser's help documentation or support website for instructions on managing cookies. You may also use your device's operating system settings on mobile platforms (iOS, Android) to control cookie behavior within the default browser.

🌐 6. Third-Party Cookies

If you accept analytics cookies on our website, certain cookies may be set by third-party analytics services. These third-party providers operate under their own privacy and cookie policies, and we do not control how they process data. However, we have configured our analytics tools to minimize data collection and prioritize visitor privacy.

Specifically, our analytics configuration includes the following privacy safeguards:

  • IP addresses are anonymized before processing, so your precise location cannot be determined
  • Data sharing with the analytics provider for benchmarking or advertising purposes is disabled
  • No demographic or interest-based reporting is enabled
  • Analytics data is retained for a maximum of 14 months before automatic deletion

We do not integrate any third-party advertising platforms, social media tracking tools, or cross-site user identification systems on our website.

⏰ 7. Cookie Data Retention

Different cookies remain on your device for different periods. The retention periods for our cookies are as follows:

Cookie Category Retention Period Automatic Deletion
Cookie consent preference 12 months Yes, after 12 months or when local storage is cleared
Session cookies Until browser is closed Yes, automatically at end of session
Analytics cookies 13 months maximum Yes, after expiration or manual deletion

You can delete all cookies stored on your device at any time by clearing your browser data. Refer to Section 5 for browser-specific instructions on how to accomplish this.

⚖️ 8. Legal Framework

Our use of cookies complies with the following regulations and guidelines:

  • UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

    Governs the processing of personal data, including data collected through cookies, requiring transparency, purpose limitation, and data minimization.

  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR)

    Specifically regulates the use of cookies and similar technologies in the United Kingdom, requiring informed consent for non-essential cookies.

  • EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

    Applies to visitors from European Economic Area countries, providing similar protections and consent requirements for cookie usage.

Under these regulations, strictly necessary cookies may be placed without prior consent because they are essential for the website to function. All other cookies, including analytics cookies, require your informed and affirmative consent before being placed on your device. We implement this through our cookie consent banner, as described in Section 4.

👶 9. Children and Cookies

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from minors through cookies or any other means. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has provided information or interacted with our website without appropriate supervision, they can contact us at [email protected] and we will take steps to remove any data associated with that visit from our systems.

📝 10. Changes to This Cookies Policy

We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in technology, or updates to applicable laws and regulations. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes that affect how we use non-essential cookies, we will reset the cookie consent banner so that you have the opportunity to review and update your preferences.

We encourage you to revisit this page periodically to stay informed about our cookie practices. The most current version of this Cookies Policy will always be available at this URL.

✋ 11. Your Rights Regarding Cookies

Under the UK GDPR and GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to any personal data collected through cookies:

Right of Access

You can request a copy of any personal data we have collected about you through cookies.

Right to Erasure

You can request deletion of personal data collected through cookies, subject to legal retention requirements.

Right to Object

You can object to the processing of your data through analytics cookies by declining cookies.

Right to Withdraw Consent

You can withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clearing your browser data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12 below. We will respond to your request within one calendar month. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the United Kingdom.

📧 12. Contact Us About Cookies

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookies Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

INTERNATIONAL TEACHING SEMINARS LTD

Hill House Farm, Station Road, Gloucestershire, GL12 8SY, United Kingdom

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For complete information about how we handle your data and the terms of using our website, please also review:

All materials are provided for educational purposes only. Information is intended for general knowledge and is not professional, medical, or psychological advice.