Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

1. Full Disclaimer

1.1 Nature of This Service

The Journal Tapping Method is an EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) self-help platform designed to help children aged 9–18 and their parents develop tools for emotional regulation and nervous system wellbeing.

EFT tapping is a recognised self-help technique with a growing body of peer-reviewed research supporting its effectiveness for stress and anxiety. However, the research base, while substantial, is still developing, and results vary between individuals.

1.2 This Platform Is Not Therapy

Using The Journal Tapping Method — including any sessions with Nova, the AI EFT guide — does not constitute therapy, counselling, psychotherapy, or any form of regulated mental health treatment.

Nova is an AI-powered self-help guide. Nova is not a qualified therapist, psychologist, or mental health practitioner. Sessions with Nova do not constitute a therapeutic relationship and do not replace professional care.

Michelle Walsh is an accredited EFT practitioner and nervous system regulation coach. The content of this platform reflects her professional knowledge and lived experience. It does not constitute individual clinical advice for your specific situation.

1.3 When to Seek Professional Help

Please seek professional support if your child is experiencing any of the following:

• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Significant, persistent low mood lasting more than two weeks
• Complete school refusal or inability to leave the house
• Extreme weight loss, disordered eating, or self-harm behaviours
• Psychotic symptoms, severe dissociation, or loss of contact with reality
• Any situation that feels beyond the scope of a self-help tool
• Acute crisis of any kind

Your first point of contact should be your GP, who can make referrals to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or other appropriate specialist services.

1.4 AI Safety — Nova's Crisis Protocol

Nova monitors all sessions for language that may indicate crisis, including references to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or acute distress. If such language is detected, the tapping session stops immediately and crisis resources are provided.

This safety measure is designed to be a prompt to seek appropriate help — it is not a clinical assessment, and it is not a substitute for professional judgment. If you or your child discloses something serious in a Nova session, please follow up with a professional regardless of what Nova says.

1.5 Parental Responsibility

This platform is designed for use by children aged 9–18 with parental awareness and consent. A monthly parent password is required for child and teen sessions. Parents are responsible for:

• Ensuring the platform is appropriate for their individual child
• Monitoring their child's overall wellbeing
• Seeking professional support when needed, regardless of how sessions are going
• Keeping their parent password secure and updating it regularly

1.6 Limitation of Liability

The Journal Tapping Method, Michelle Walsh, and associated services accept no liability for outcomes resulting from the use of this platform. We are not responsible for decisions made based on the content of sessions, journal entries, or any platform content.

The platform is provided in good faith as a self-help resource. Users access and use it at their own responsibility.

2. Privacy Policy

2.1 Who We Are

The Journal Tapping Method is operated by Michelle Walsh, based in Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK. References to "we," "our," or "us" in this policy refer to The Journal Tapping Method.

This website and app are hosted at thejournaltappingmethod.com. For privacy enquiries, contact us at the address below.

2.2 What Data We Collect

Data	Why We Collect It	How Long We Keep It
Name and email address	Account creation and login	While your account is active + 12 months
Payment information	Processed securely via Stripe. We do not store card details.	Stripe retains per their policy
Journal entries	To generate personalised tapping scripts via Nova	Until you delete them
Session history and SUDS scores	To show your progress over time	Until you delete them
Community posts (if used)	To enable community features	Until you delete the post or close your account
Contact form messages	To respond to your enquiry	12 months

2.3 Journal Entries — Important Privacy Information

Your journal entries are private. They are not read by Michelle Walsh or any human member of the team as part of the standard service.

Journal entries are processed by Nova (powered by Claude, Anthropic's AI) solely to generate personalised tapping scripts. Anthropic's API processes the text during the session but does not train on your data. Session content is not used for any purpose beyond generating your script.

We will never share, sell, or use journal entry content for marketing, research, or any purpose beyond delivering the service.

The one exception: if content in a session triggers our crisis safety protocol, human review may occur to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place. In such cases, we will always act in the interest of your or your child's safety.

2.4 Children's Data — Special Care

We take the privacy of children aged under 18 very seriously. Child and teen accounts require parental consent and a parent password. We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide the service.

We do not use children's data for marketing purposes. We do not share children's data with third parties except as described in Section 2.5. Children's session content is private and not visible to parents within the platform — this privacy is a core feature of the service that enables honest, effective sessions.

In the event of a safeguarding concern identified through our crisis protocol, appropriate safeguarding steps will be taken. By using the service, parents consent to this safeguarding measure.

2.5 Who We Share Data With

• Supabase — our database and authentication provider (EU-hosted)
• Stripe — payment processing (PCI-compliant)
• Anthropic — processes journal entries via API to generate Nova's responses. Anthropic does not train on your data through the API.
• Netlify — website and function hosting

We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with advertisers. We will never use your data for any purpose beyond providing and improving this service.

2.6 Your Rights (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate personal data
• Delete your account and associated data
• Object to certain types of processing
• Data portability — request a copy of your data in a readable format
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe your data rights have not been respected.

2.7 Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for the platform to function (login session management). We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or analytics cookies that identify individual users.

2.8 Security

All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Payment data is processed entirely by Stripe and never touches our servers.

We take reasonable and appropriate technical measures to protect your data. However, no internet service can be completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

2.9 Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify members by email and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the service after changes are notified constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Last updated: April 2026 · This policy applies to thejournaltappingmethod.com and The Journal Tapping Method app · Registered address: Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK.