Cookie Policy
Last updated: 20 October 2026
1. Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how Dystonia Virtual Clinic ("we", "us" or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies on our website, https://www.dystoniavirtualclinic.com.
Dystonia Virtual Clinic is operated by DRP Health & Education, Lda., a company registered in Portugal under Company Registration and Tax Identification Number (NIPC/NIF) 519277600.
This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use and protect personal data.
Our website uses certain strictly necessary cookies to support essential functions. Non-essential cookies that require consent will only be activated after the appropriate consent has been obtained.
Visitors can accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies through our Squarespace cookie consent banner.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your computer, tablet, smartphone or other device when you visit a website.
They can help websites function correctly, remember preferences, support secure transactions and provide information about website usage.
Cookies may be classified as:
Session cookies: cookies that generally expire when you close your browser.
Persistent cookies: cookies that remain on your device for a specified period or until deleted.
First-party cookies: cookies set by the website you are visiting.
Third-party cookies: cookies set by external providers whose services or content are used by the website.
Websites may also use similar technologies, including local storage, for comparable purposes.
Cookies cannot independently install software or directly access files stored on your device. However, information collected through cookies may constitute personal data under applicable data protection legislation.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1. Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies support the essential operation, security and functionality of our website and services requested by visitors.
They may be used for:
Website navigation and essential functionality;
Website security and fraud prevention;
Appointment booking through Squarespace Scheduling;
Submission of forms;
Management of necessary user sessions;
Remembering cookie and privacy preferences;
Essential payment and transaction functions.
These cookies do not require prior consent where they fall within the exemptions provided by applicable electronic communications and privacy legislation.
Where these cookies involve the processing of personal data, the applicable GDPR legal basis depends on the purpose of the processing and is explained in our Privacy Policy.
Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled through our cookie consent controls where they are essential to the service requested, although browser settings may allow them to be blocked.
Blocking them may affect the correct functioning of the website, booking system or payment process.
3.2. Functional Cookies
Functional cookies may remember optional choices and preferences to improve the visitor experience.
These may include:
Language preferences;
Regional preferences;
Accessibility settings;
Certain information previously entered into forms;
Other optional website settings.
Where functional cookies are not strictly necessary, they will only be activated after the required consent has been obtained.
3.3. Analytics and Performance Cookies
Analytics and performance cookies may help us understand how visitors use our website and identify opportunities to improve its performance.
Depending on the features enabled, these cookies may provide information about:
Pages visited;
Navigation between pages;
Website usage and performance;
Sources of website traffic;
Technical issues affecting the visitor experience.
Our website is hosted on Squarespace, which provides website analytics functionality.
Where analytics cookies are non-essential, they are subject to the applicable consent requirements.
Dystonia Virtual Clinic does not use Google Analytics.
The optional Squarespace Activity Log feature is disabled.
We do not use website analytics cookies to make clinical decisions about patients.
3.4. Marketing and Advertising Cookies
Dystonia Virtual Clinic does not currently use advertising or retargeting cookies for its own marketing campaigns.
If we introduce such technologies, we will update this policy and obtain any consent required by law before activating them.
External content providers may use their own cookies or similar technologies when visitors interact with embedded content, as described below.
4. Third-Party Cookies and Services
Some functions of our website are provided by external service providers that may use cookies or similar technologies.
The relevant providers depend on the features used and the services activated.
Squarespace
Our website is hosted on Squarespace.
Squarespace may use cookies and similar technologies for website functionality, security, privacy preferences and optional analytics.
More information:
https://www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy
Squarespace Scheduling (Acuity Scheduling)
We use Squarespace Scheduling to manage appointments and registrations.
Cookies and similar technologies may be used to operate the booking interface, maintain sessions, manage bookings and remember relevant time-zone preferences.
Stripe
Where Stripe is used to process payments through Squarespace Scheduling or another eligible payment process, it may use cookies and similar technologies for secure transactions, authentication and fraud prevention.
More information:
PayPal
Where PayPal is offered as a payment method, it may use cookies and similar technologies for payment processing, authentication, security and fraud prevention.
More information:
https://www.paypal.com/privacy-center
Squarespace Payments
Where Squarespace Payments is activated for eligible purchases made through our website, Squarespace and its payment-processing or security partners may use cookies and similar technologies to facilitate transactions and prevent fraud.
Squarespace Payments is distinct from the payment processors available directly within Squarespace Scheduling.
YouTube
Some pages of our website may contain videos or other content provided through YouTube.
When visitors interact with embedded content, YouTube or related Google services may use cookies or similar technologies in accordance with their own privacy practices.
Where these technologies are non-essential and require consent, they must be managed in accordance with applicable consent requirements.
More information:
https://policies.google.com/privacy
Not all these providers will necessarily be active during every visit or on every page.
Third-party cookie names, purposes and retention periods may change according to the providers' systems and configurations.
5. Cookie Categories, Purposes and Duration
The following information summarises the categories of cookies and similar technologies that may be used on our website or in connection with its services.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Purpose: Essential website functionality, security, session management and remembering privacy preferences.
Duration: Session-based or persistent cookies, depending on their purpose.
Functional Cookies
Purpose: Remembering visitors' optional preferences and improving the browsing experience.
Duration: Variable, depending on the cookie used.
Analytics and Performance Cookies
Purpose: Understanding website usage and performance, where these cookies are enabled and the required consent has been obtained.
Duration: Depends on the provider and the cookie used.
Booking-Related Cookies
Purpose: Supporting appointment bookings, managing booking sessions and remembering time-zone preferences.
Duration: Depends on the booking provider's configuration.
Payment-Related Cookies
Purpose: Supporting secure transaction processing, authentication and fraud prevention.
Duration: Depends on the payment service provider's configuration.
Embedded-Content Cookies
Purpose: Enabling the display and functionality of content provided by third parties, such as videos.
Duration: Depends on the external provider.
Booking-related and payment-related cookies may be strictly necessary when they are essential to providing a service specifically requested by the visitor. Other cookies associated with the same providers may require consent, depending on their purpose.
The specific cookies used depend on the website's features, the third-party services involved and the visitor's preferences.
Further information about Squarespace cookies is available at:
https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001264507-The-cookies-Squarespace-uses
Cookies currently identified
Our website uses the crumb cookie (Squarespace) for website security, which expires at the end of the browser session. Acuity Scheduling may use PHPSESSID to maintain a secure booking and checkout session, with an approximate duration of one month.
Squarespace also uses ss_marketingCookiesAllowed and ss_performanceCookiesAllowed to remember visitors' cookie consent preferences. These cookies last approximately 30 days and do not, by themselves, perform advertising or analytics tracking.
The cookies used may vary depending on the website features and booking or payment services accessed.
6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
Our website uses the Squarespace cookie consent banner to allow visitors to manage non-essential cookies.
The available options include:
Accept all: accept the non-essential cookies covered by the consent interface.
Decline all: reject non-essential cookies.
Manage cookies: review and manage optional cookie preferences.
Strictly necessary cookies may remain active where they are essential to website functionality or to a service specifically requested by the visitor.
Non-essential cookies requiring consent must not be activated before that consent is obtained.
Visitors can review and change their cookie preferences through the cookie preferences control available in the website's subfooter.
You may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Changing your preferences may affect the availability of optional website functions or embedded content.
7. Browser Cookie Controls
Most web browsers provide settings that allow you to manage cookies.
Depending on your browser, you may be able to:
View stored cookies;
Delete individual cookies or all cookies;
Block cookies from particular websites;
Restrict third-party cookies;
Receive warnings before cookies are stored;
Disable certain cookie categories.
Please note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent the website, booking system or payment process from functioning correctly.
Browser settings operate independently of the cookie preferences available on our website.
8. International Data Transfers
Some external service providers may process or store information outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Where cookies or similar technologies involve international transfers of personal data, these transfers will be subject to the requirements of Chapter V of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Depending on the circumstances, appropriate safeguards may include European Commission adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.
Further information about international data transfers is provided in our Privacy Policy.
9. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect:
Changes to our website or its functionality;
Changes to cookies and similar technologies;
Changes to external service providers;
Changes to applicable legislation or regulatory guidance;
Improvements to our privacy and consent management practices.
The latest version will be published on this page with the relevant last updated date.
Where required by law, we will obtain new consent before introducing additional non-essential purposes.
10. Contact
For questions about this Cookie Policy or the use of cookies on our website, please contact:
Dystonia Virtual Clinic
Operated by DRP Health & Education, Lda.
Registered Office:
Rua Dr. Alexandrino 429
4540-367 Fermedo, Arouca
Portugal
Correspondence Address:
Rua Braamcamp 52, 1º
1250-051 Lisbon
Portugal
Company Registration and Tax Identification Number (NIPC/NIF): 519277600
Email: contact@dystoniavirtualclinic.com
Website: https://www.dystoniavirtualclinic.com
For further information about how we process personal data and how you may exercise your data protection rights, please consult our Privacy Policy.