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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 20, 2026
Last Updated: April 20, 2026

Professional Doula Institute (“PDI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have when you visit https://www.professionaldoulainstitute.com (the “Site”) or use our courses, certification programs, or related services (collectively, the “Services”).

By using the Site or the Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or the Services.

1. Who We Are

Professional Doula Institute is a professional training organization located in Houston, Texas that provides postpartum doula education and certification. For any privacy questions, please contact us using the information at the end of this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: (a) information you provide directly, (b) information collected automatically, and (c) information from third-party platforms.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with the Site or enroll in our courses, we may collect:

  • Contact details. Name, email address, and phone number when you submit our contact form or otherwise reach out to us.
  • Enrollment details. Billing name, email, and any account information you provide during enrollment. Payment card information is collected and processed by our course platform (Podia) and its payment processors, not by PDI directly.
  • Coursework and submissions. Answers to quizzes, Completion Packet submissions, final exam responses, and any written reflections you submit as part of the certification process.
  • Communications. Messages you send to us through the contact form, by email, or on social media.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

  • IP address, approximate location, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
  • Pages you view, links you click, referring URLs, and time spent on pages
  • Cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies

This information is collected through tools such as Google Analytics and other analytics or advertising platforms. See Section 7 for details about cookies and tracking.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

When you enroll in a course, we receive information from Podia, including your name, email, enrollment status, course progress, and certificate issuance records. If you interact with us through social media platforms (such as LinkedIn), those platforms may share information with us consistent with their own privacy policies and your settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
  • Process your enrollment and deliver the Services you purchased
  • Review your Completion Packet and final exam and issue your certification
  • Communicate with you about your account, course access, and certification status
  • Send you informational and marketing emails, where permitted by law (you may opt out at any time)
  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and the Services
  • Analyze Site traffic and user behavior to improve our content and user experience
  • Prevent fraud, protect our rights and those of our users, and enforce our Terms and Conditions
  • Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal process

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below.

4.1 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third parties that help us operate the Site and deliver the Services, including:

  • Course platform: Podia, which hosts our certification program and processes enrollment and payments
  • Website hosting and maintenance: our website host and technical service providers
  • Payment processors: engaged by Podia to process payments securely
  • Email and marketing tools: used to send transactional messages, course updates, and marketing communications where permitted
  • Analytics providers: such as Google Analytics, which help us understand how the Site is used
  • Contact form and form-processing providers: which help deliver form submissions to our team

These providers are authorized to use your information only as needed to perform services for us.

4.2 Legal Reasons

We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation, subpoena, or government request; (b) enforce our Terms and Conditions; (c) protect the rights, property, or safety of PDI, our students, or others; or (d) investigate and prevent fraud or security issues.

4.3 Business Transfers

If PDI is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change consistent with applicable law.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share information in any other circumstance with your consent or at your direction.

5. Course Platform and Payment Processing

Enrollment is hosted on Podia at https://doulacertification.podia.com. When you enroll, you provide information directly to Podia, and Podia’s privacy policy and terms apply to that interaction. We receive enrollment and progress data from Podia so we can manage your course access, review your submissions, and issue your certification.

PDI does not store full credit card numbers. Payment card information is collected by Podia’s payment processors and handled in accordance with their own security standards.

6. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to websites, tools, or platforms operated by third parties. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

7.1 What Cookies Are

Cookies are small text files placed on your device that help websites function, remember preferences, and measure performance. We use cookies and similar technologies such as pixels, tags, and local storage.

7.2 Types of Cookies We Use

  • Essential cookies. Required for the Site to function, such as session and security cookies.
  • Analytics cookies. Help us understand how visitors interact with the Site (for example, Google Analytics).
  • Functional cookies. Remember preferences and improve your experience.
  • Marketing cookies. May be used by us or our partners to measure the effectiveness of marketing and, where permitted, deliver relevant content.

7.3 Your Choices

Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies. Some features of the Site may not function properly if cookies are disabled. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

8. Email Communications

If you submit a form, contact us, or enroll in a course, we may send you transactional emails (for example, confirmations, access details, or certification updates) and, where permitted, informational or marketing emails about PDI. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. Transactional emails related to your course and certification cannot be unsubscribed from while your account is active.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Certification records and related coursework submissions may be retained indefinitely so that we can verify your certification status if requested. When we no longer need your information, we will delete or anonymize it in accordance with applicable law.

10. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. No system is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for protecting your account credentials and for notifying us promptly of any suspected unauthorized access.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

  • Access. Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction. Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion. Ask us to delete your personal information, subject to legal and operational exceptions (for example, certification records we are required to retain).
  • Opt out of marketing. Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time.
  • Restriction or objection. Ask us to restrict or object to certain uses of your information.
  • Data portability. Request a portable copy of information you provided to us.
  • Withdraw consent. Where processing is based on consent, withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 16. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

11.1 California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the CPRA, including the right to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, the right to delete personal information, the right to correct inaccurate information, and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell personal information as that term is commonly understood. We may share limited information with analytics and advertising providers; you can opt out of such sharing by contacting us.

11.2 European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Other International Users

If you are accessing the Site from outside the United States, please note that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Site, you consent to that transfer. Where applicable law requires, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.

12. Children’s Privacy

The Site and the Services are intended for adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

13. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers send “Do Not Track” signals. Because no consistent industry standard exists for responding to these signals, our Site does not currently respond to them. You can still exercise the choices described in this Privacy Policy.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. If the changes are material, we will provide additional notice, such as a banner on the Site or an email to enrolled students. Your continued use of the Site or the Services after the updated policy takes effect means you accept the changes.

15. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.