Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Couples Help respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website, why we collect it, what we do with it, and what rights you have over it.
We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
A note on the difference between this website and your therapy
This policy covers this website - the enquiry form, the newsletter, and the analytics that tell us which pages people read.
It does not cover what you say in a counselling session. Everything discussed in therapy is confidential and is governed by the confidentiality agreement you enter into with Louis Venter at the start of your work together, and by the professional and ethical obligations that bind him as a practitioner. Session notes are kept separately from anything on this website and are never stored in, or accessible through, this site.
If you have questions about confidentiality in therapy specifically, ask Louis directly - it's an important question and it deserves a proper answer rather than a paragraph on a web page.
Who is responsible for your information
Responsible party: Couples Help
Physical address: 63 Dundalk Avenue, Parkview Medical Suites, Parkview, Johannesburg, 2122
Information Officer: Louis Venter
Email: info@coupleshelp.co.za
Telephone: +27 60 951 3955
What we collect, and why
When you fill in the enquiry form
We collect your name, email address, phone number, the type of support you're looking for, and whatever you choose to write in the message field.
We use this only to respond to your enquiry and, if you go on to book, to arrange your appointment. Louis's booking coordinator may see this information in order to schedule your session.
Please note: the message field is free text. You're welcome to tell us as much or as little as you like about your situation - but you don't need to share anything sensitive in order to book. "We'd like to make an appointment" is enough. Anything more detailed is better said in the room.
When you sign up for the newsletter
We collect your name and email address. We use them only to send you the material you signed up for. Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe, and we act on it immediately.
When you simply visit
Our website uses cookies and similar technology to keep the site working and to understand, in aggregate, how people use it - which pages are read, how long people stay, which search terms bring them here.
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Essential cookies keep the site functioning. The site cannot work without them.
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Analytics cookies (Google Analytics) tell us how the site is used. They do not tell us who you are.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site working.
Information about your health
South African law treats information about a person's health as special personal information and protects it more strictly than ordinary contact details.
We do not ask for health information through this website. If you choose to include something about your health, your relationship or your circumstances in the enquiry form, we treat it as confidential, use it only to respond to you and prepare for your first session, and keep it no longer than we need to.
By sending it to us, you consent to our handling it for that purpose. You can withdraw that consent at any time by emailing info@coupleshelp.co.za.
Who else sees your information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it for anyone else's marketing.
We use a small number of service providers to run the website, and your information passes through their systems:
Provider - What it does - Where it's processed
Wix - Hosts the website and delivers enquiry form submissions - Outside South Africa
Google Analytics - Aggregated website usage statistics - Outside South Africa
Mailchimp - Sends the newsletter - Outside South Africa
LearnWorlds - Hosts the online courses at coupleshelpathome.com - Outside South Africa
Because these providers operate outside South Africa, your information is transferred across borders. POPIA permits this where the recipient is bound by rules or an agreement that protect your information to a comparable standard, or where the transfer is necessary to provide the service you asked for. We use established providers who commit contractually to appropriate protection.
The online courses at coupleshelpathome.com are run on a separate platform with its own privacy terms. If you enrol, that platform's policy governs what happens to your information there.
We may also disclose information where the law requires it, or where it is necessary to prevent serious harm.
How long we keep it
Enquiries that don't lead to a booking: 12 months, then deleted
Client contact details: For the duration of the working relationship, and afterwards as long as professional and legal obligations require
Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
Website analytics: 14 months, then automatically deleted
Session records are retained separately, for the period required by Louis's professional obligations.
Keeping it safe
The site runs over a secure encrypted connection (HTTPS). Access to enquiries is limited to Louis and his booking coordinator. Our providers maintain their own security measures.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach occurs that is likely to affect you, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.
Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
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Ask what we hold about you, and get a copy
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Correct or delete information that is wrong, misleading, outdated or excessive
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Object to how we're using your information
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Withdraw consent you previously gave
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Unsubscribe from marketing at any time
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Complain to the Information Regulator if you believe we've mishandled your information
To exercise any of these, email info@coupleshelp.co.za. We'll respond within a reasonable period and won't charge you for a reasonable request.
Information Regulator (South Africa) Email: complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za Website: inforegulator.org.za