Cool Steps is the practice of Beata Rybka, who is the data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy.
We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer, as this is not required for a practice of this size. All data protection matters are handled directly at the email address above.
From the enquiry form: your first name and surname, email address, phone number, and the content of any message you choose to write.
When you book a session: your first name and surname, email address, phone number, the date and time agreed, the format of the session, the amount paid, and a payment reference. We do not receive or store your card number, expiry date or security code; these go directly to our payment provider.
During and after a session: brief notes, where we make them, recording what was discussed and anything agreed.
Automatically, for security: your IP address and basic technical information about your browser and device, collected by Google reCAPTCHA to prevent automated submissions.
Only with your consent, to measure how the website is used: if you accept analytics cookies in the cookie banner, Google Analytics records which pages are visited and basic information about your browser and device. See the Cookie policy.
We do not use advertising or tracking pixels, and we do not build profiles of visitors.
The enquiry form and the checkout are for arranging and paying for a session. They are not secure channels for confidential information.
Please do not describe, in the message field or anywhere on this website:
A short note about what you would like to discuss and when you are available is enough. Everything else is best discussed in the session itself.
If you do send such information despite this notice, we use it only to respond to you, on the basis of your explicit consent given by choosing to send it (Article 9(2)(a) GDPR). We delete it once it is no longer needed and never use it for any other purpose.
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Replying to your enquiry and arranging a session | Article 6(1)(b) GDPR: steps taken at your request before entering into a contract |
| Providing the session you have booked | Article 6(1)(b) GDPR: performance of a contract |
| Contacting you to agree the time and format of your session | Article 6(1)(b) GDPR: performance of a contract |
| Responding to general questions that do not lead to a booking | Article 6(1)(f) GDPR: our legitimate interest in replying to people who contact us |
| Processing your payment | Article 6(1)(b) GDPR: performance of a contract |
| Keeping session notes for continuity between sessions | Article 6(1)(f) GDPR: our legitimate interest in providing a consistent service |
| Keeping records of income and transactions | Article 6(1)(c) GDPR: legal obligation under Irish tax law |
| Protecting the website from spam and automated submissions | Article 6(1)(f) GDPR: our legitimate interest in protecting the site |
| Measuring how the website is used, only if you accept analytics cookies | Article 6(1)(a) GDPR: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Handling complaints and defending legal claims | Article 6(1)(f) GDPR: our legitimate interest |
Providing your data is voluntary, but without your name, email address and phone number we cannot arrange or provide a session.
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that do not lead to a booking | 12 months from our last contact with you |
| Booking and contact details | 12 months from the session |
| Session notes | 3 years from the session |
| Financial and transaction records | 6 years, as required by Irish tax law |
You can ask us to delete your data sooner at any time by emailing contact@coolsteps.ie. Where we are legally required to keep certain records, we will tell you which ones and why.
Your data is accessed by Beata Rybka only. We do not sell your data, share it for marketing purposes, or pass it to anyone else for their own commercial use.
For technical reasons your data passes through the systems of the following service providers, who act as our processors:
| Provider | What they do |
|---|---|
| MyDevil.net (ADMIN.NET.PL S.C., Poland) | Website hosting and delivery of form submissions |
| Google Ireland Limited | Email service receiving your enquiry |
| Google Ireland Limited | reCAPTCHA security service |
| Google Ireland Limited | Google Analytics, measuring how the website is used, only with your consent |
| Stripe (Stripe Payments Europe, Limited, Ireland) | Processing your payment |
| WhatsApp Ireland Limited | Hosting online sessions |
We may also disclose data to public authorities where we are required to do so by law.
Our forms are protected by Google reCAPTCHA, which distinguishes genuine visitors from automated bots. As part of this service, Google collects and analyses information including your IP address, details of your browser and device, and how you interact with the page. This information is sent to Google and may be processed outside the European Economic Area, including in the United States.
See the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service.
Payments are processed by Stripe. Your card details are entered directly into their secure systems. We never see, receive or store them. We receive only confirmation that payment succeeded, together with your name, email address and a transaction reference.
Your payment provider also processes your data as an independent controller for fraud prevention and its own regulatory obligations. See their privacy policy: stripe.com/privacy.
Where a session takes place online, it is held using WhatsApp. That provider processes technical connection data in accordance with its own privacy policy. We do not record sessions, and we ask that you do not record them either.
We use services provided by Google, which may involve transferring data to the United States. Google LLC is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, which the European Commission has recognised as providing an adequate level of protection. Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission also apply.
Stripe may transfer payment data to the United States. Stripe, LLC complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.
WhatsApp transfers data outside the European Economic Area, including to the United States, as part of its global operations, as described in its privacy policy.
You have the right to access your data and receive a copy, to rectify data that is inaccurate, to erase your data, to restrict processing, to data portability, to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, email contact@coolsteps.ie. We will respond without undue delay and within one month. Exercising these rights is free of charge.
If you believe we are handling your data unlawfully, you may complain to:
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland
www.dataprotection.ie
We use measures appropriate to the size of our practice: an encrypted connection to the website (HTTPS), a strong password and two-factor authentication on our email account, access restricted to the controller alone, and routine deletion of data no longer needed. Payments are handled by a PCI-DSS compliant provider.
No method of transmitting information over the internet is completely secure. This is why we ask you not to send sensitive information through this website; see Please do not send sensitive information through this website.
Sessions are arranged and paid for by adults. Where a child takes part in a session, they do so in the presence of a parent or legal guardian. This website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16.
If, as a parent or guardian, you include information about your child, we process it on the same basis as your own data and only in order to provide the session. Please keep such information to the minimum necessary.
We may update this policy. The current version is always available at this address, with the date it was last updated shown at the top.
For any data protection matter: contact@coolsteps.ie
Your name, e-mail and message are used only to answer you, on the basis of my legitimate interest in replying. They are stored on this website and not shared with anyone else. You can ask me to correct or delete them at any time by writing to the e-mail address on the Contact page.
Your name, e-mail and phone number are used only to hold your free ten-minute chat and to write to you about it, on the basis of the steps you have asked me to take before we decide whether to work together. Nothing is charged and no card details are taken. The booking is stored on this website, and the confirmation e-mail is sent through the e-mail provider named in the privacy policy. You can ask me to correct or delete your details at any time by writing to the e-mail address on the Contact page.
This website is run by Beata Rybka, operating under the name “Cool Steps”. Her contact details, and the law that governs these terms, are in the Terms and conditions of sale. By using this website you accept these terms.
You agree to provide accurate information and not to use this site to send unlawful, offensive, promotional or automated content. We may decline to respond to an enquiry without giving a reason.
All content on this website (text, images, layout, and the “Cool Steps” name) belongs to Beata Rybka or is used under licence, and is protected by copyright. You may browse the site and print extracts for your own personal use. Copying, publishing or commercially exploiting the content without written permission is not permitted.
We aim to keep the website running properly but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. We take care to keep its information accurate, but give no warranty as to completeness or fitness for any particular purpose.
To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for loss arising from use of, or inability to use, this website, or from decisions made on the basis of its content.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so, in particular liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or any rights you have as a consumer under Irish law.
These terms cover the purchase of sessions through this website. Please read them before booking. They do not affect your statutory rights. The use of the website itself is covered by the Website terms of use.
Beata Rybka, operating under the name “Cool Steps”
Apt. 5, Bridge Street, Ballineen, Co. Cork, P47 KD40, Ireland
Email: contact@coolsteps.ie
Phone: +353 86 225 9428
“Cool Steps” is an operating name. It is not a company. Your contract is with Beata Rybka personally.
Cool Steps offers consultations and conversation-based support for adults and families, focused on relationships, personal development and everyday challenges.
These sessions are not, and are not a substitute for:
Beata Rybka is not a registered psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist or medical practitioner, and does not hold herself out as one. Sessions are a supportive conversation, not clinical treatment.
Content on this website is general information only. It is not tailored advice and should not be relied on when making decisions about health, legal or family matters. Please consult an appropriately qualified professional for those.
If you or anyone around you is at risk of harm, do not use this website: call 112 or 999, or go to your nearest emergency department. Enquiries and bookings are not monitored continuously and must not be used to report urgent situations.
A single session lasting 45 minutes, at a price of €36.
This is the total price. No VAT is charged, as the provider is not registered for VAT. There are no booking fees or additional charges, including where a session takes place in person.
Sessions may be held in one of three formats:
The price is the same in every case. The format and location are agreed individually by phone after booking, taking into account where you are based and what suits you. Where travel is not practical, the session is held online instead.
Sessions are available in English and Polish, Monday to Friday, between 11:00 and 20:00.
Walking sessions: these take place in public spaces. We cannot guarantee that a conversation outdoors will not be overheard. Please take this into account when choosing this format, and let us know if you would prefer to meet somewhere private instead. Arrangements in poor weather are agreed by phone.
Completing payment places an order. The contract is formed when we send you an email confirming your booking. We will then contact you by phone to agree the time and format of your session.
You will receive confirmation of your booking and a copy of these terms by email. The language of the contract is English.
Payment is taken at the time of booking, through Stripe. We do not see or store your card details.
As a consumer buying at a distance, you have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The 14 days run from the day the contract is formed.
To cancel, tell us clearly before the 14 days end, by email to contact@coolsteps.ie, by phone, or by using the model cancellation form below. You may use the form, but you do not have to.
If you cancel in time, we will refund everything you have paid within 14 days of being told, using the same payment method you used, at no cost to you.
Exception. If you ask for your session to take place before the 14-day period ends, and the session has been fully provided, you lose the right to cancel. This is why you are asked to confirm this at checkout. If a session has only partly taken place, you will be charged in proportion to what was provided.
Separately from your statutory right above, the following applies to arranging your session.
Changing the time. You may reschedule at any time by contacting us. There is no charge and no deadline for doing so. You can also move your booking online to another free time, until the session starts, from My Account or from the link in your booking confirmation email.
If your session does not go ahead (because you are unable to attend, do not answer the phone, or do not reply), we will contact you to arrange a new time. We will make up to three attempts:
Email is our primary channel for these arrangements and is what we rely on as a record.
If you do not respond to any of these attempts, your booking lapses and the fee is not refunded. This applies only after the 14-day cancellation period in Your right to cancel has ended. If the 14 days have not yet passed, you may still cancel and receive a full refund.
If we need to cancel or reschedule, we will offer you an alternative time or a full refund, whichever you prefer.
Lateness. If you arrive late, the session will still end at the scheduled time.
We will provide the session with reasonable care and skill, and as described on this website. If something goes wrong, you have statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, including the right to have the service put right or, where that is not possible, to a price reduction or refund.
Where a child takes part in a session, they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian throughout. The accompanying adult remains responsible for the child at all times, including during walking sessions.
What you discuss in a session is treated as confidential and will not be shared with anyone else, except where we are required by law to disclose it, or where there is a serious and immediate risk of harm to you or to another person, in particular a child.
Sessions are not recorded. Please do not record them yourself without our written agreement.
See our Privacy policy and Cookie policy.
If you are unhappy with anything, please contact us at contact@coolsteps.ie and we will do our best to resolve it. If we cannot, you can contact the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission at www.ccpc.ie for information about your rights.
We may update these terms; the current version and the date it was last updated are always shown here. These terms are governed by Irish law, and disputes will be dealt with by the Irish courts. Nothing here affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
You may use this form to cancel, but you do not have to. Copy it into an email or print it and fill it in.
To: Beata Rybka, Apt. 5, Bridge Street, Ballineen, Co. Cork, P47 KD40, Ireland
Email: contact@coolsteps.ie
I hereby give notice that I cancel my contract for the supply of the following service:
