Website Privacy Policy
Last updated October 27, 2026
Ian Whitelaw Counseling for Men (“I”, “we”) is the one-person counseling and hypnotherapy practice of Ian Whitelaw in Bellingham, Washington. This policy explains what information this website collects and how it is used. How information you share in sessions is handled is something to ask about on the introductory call; it is not covered by this website policy.
1. Information we collect
- What you type into the contact form: your name, phone number and/or email address, and whether you are in Washington.
- Basic information about how you reached the site (for example a search engine, a link or an ad campaign tag) and the page you started on, which is attached to a form request so we know which pages help people find us.
- Standard technical information that any web server receives, such as your IP address, browser and device type, kept in short-lived server logs.
The form deliberately has no message box. Please do not include health or safety details through the website or by email; we’ll talk about them privately. If you are in danger, call 911.
2. How the form request is delivered
The website runs on WordPress with our web host. When you send the form, it is delivered to Ian as an email sent by the website’s server. A blind copy goes to our website provider, eSEOspace, so they can check that requests are arriving; they do not use it for anything else. Email is not a fully secure channel, which is why the form asks for contact details only.
3. Analytics and cookies
If analytics are switched on, the site uses Google Analytics 4 to count visits and actions such as tapping the phone number or sending the form. It does not record what you type into the form. A small script also counts taps on the phone number anonymously for our website provider’s reporting; it uses no cookies and stores only how this visit began, in your browser’s session storage. We do not use advertising pixels, session recording or retargeting.
4. How we use information
- To reply to your request and set up an introductory call.
- To understand, in aggregate, how people find and use the website so we can improve it.
- To keep the site secure and filter out spam.
We do not sell or rent your information.
5. How long we keep it
Form requests are kept in Ian’s email for as long as needed to respond and keep reasonable business records. Analytics data is kept according to the analytics provider’s retention setting.
6. Your choices
You can call or email instead of using the form. You can block cookies in your browser. To ask what information we hold about you from the website, or to have it deleted, email ian@ianjwhitelaw.com or call (310) 528-1514.
7. Not for emergencies
The website and email are not monitored for emergencies. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911. Veterans can dial 988, then press 1. More numbers are on the crisis resources page.
8. Changes
We will update this page if our practices change, and change the date at the top.
9. Photo credits
Landscape and object photos are from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash licence. They show places and things, not Ian’s clients or an office. Photographers:
- Silhouetted trees against a calm ocean sunset, erin s
- Sunset over calm water with distant mountains and trees, erin s
- Calm body of water during golden hour, Jachan DeVol
- A tree on a rocky island, Jasper Garratt
- Snow-capped North Cascades peak above an alpine lake and evergreens, Angela Thomas
- Snow-covered mountain peak at sunrise with purple sky, Gantavya Bhatt
- Mountain valley in North Cascades National Park under a warm golden sky, Toan Chu
- A forest filled with trees covered in moss, Nik Owens
- Misty forest with tall trees and lush ferns, Liosha Shyp
- A river running through a lush green forest, Peter Robbins
- A man in an orange jacket walking down a trail, Bryan Walker
- Person walking through a misty forest with sunbeams, Zetong Li
- Man wearing black backpack standing beside trees, Clay Banks
- Man in black jacket sitting on wooden dock, Genghis
- Man sits alone on a pier overlooking industrial buildings, Tahoe Groeger
- Man in gray hoodie sitting on a log near the water, Elle Cartier
- Barn on green field, Michael Bourgault
- A field with a fence and a cloudy sky, Peter Robbins
- Flooded fields under a hazy, overcast sky, Jay Heike
- Sunset over a river with industrial background, Hoai Nam Mai
- Desk with laptop, headphones, and coffee cup near window, Ghost
- Fountain pen on spiral notebook, Aaron Burden
- Pen on a blank notebook, Mike Tinnion
- A man and a child walking down a dirt road, Tim Mossholder
- Man and boy walking on grass near a fence, Brett Jordan
- An adult and a child wearing boots on a dirt path, Daiga Ellaby
- Two people holding hands on a table in comfort, Priscilla Du Preez
- Two people holding hands at a table, Priscilla Du Preez
- Sunset light filters through sheer curtains on a window, Genet Schneider
- Sunlight filters through sheer curtains in a dim room, Lilishia Gounder
- Gray stone stack on gray sand, Nick Page
- Silhouette of round stones, Raimond Klavins
- A rain-soaked window with trees in the background, Shutter Verse
- A window with rain drops at night, Max van den Oetelaar
- Misty sunrise over a calm lake with trees, Daniil Silantev
- Misty morning over a serene lake and forest, Maddox Furlong
- A man leaning against a window in a dark room, Sean Boyd
The still-water photo used across the site is by Jason Leung on Unsplash, as on the previous website.