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How it works

What Hearth is, in plain English

A plain explanation of what Hearth is, what it isn't, and the techniques it draws on.

What Hearth is

  • A warm AI wellness companion you can text or talk to.
  • A private space to reflect, vent, calm down, or wind down.
  • A memory — remembers what you share so you don't restart.
  • Family-friendly, with separate accounts for kids, teens, and adults.

What Hearth is not

  • Not a licensed therapist or medical professional.
  • Not a replacement for clinical care or diagnosis.
  • Not an emergency service. In crisis, call 988 / 999 / 112.
  • Not a record-keeper for legal or medical proceedings.

The techniques

Evidence-informed, conversational

Hearth uses techniques well-established in evidence-based self-help, adapted for conversational use. It is not a certified delivery of any clinical protocol.

Active listening

Mirrors your words back so you feel heard, before offering guidance.

Cognitive reframing (CBT)

Helps notice unhelpful thought patterns and try alternative perspectives.

Mindfulness & grounding

Simple present-moment practices (breathing, 5-4-3-2-1) for overwhelm.

Emotion labelling

Putting feelings into words is itself regulating — Hearth helps you name them.

Motivational interviewing

Open-ended questions that help you find your own reasons to change.

Values-based reflection

Gently connects choices to what matters most to you.

Safety & crisis handling

Every message is screened for crisis-level language using both a keyword layer and an ML moderation pass. When we detect concern:

  1. Hearth pauses and gently names what it noticed.
  2. We surface crisis resources for your region (988, Samaritans, or local equivalent).
  3. For minor accounts, we notify the parent automatically — the transcript stays private, only the fact of the alert is shared.
  4. We never replace real help. We escalate.
If you are in immediate danger— please call emergency services (911 US, 999 UK, 112 EU) or reach 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US (call or text 988).

Privacy

  • • Your conversations are private to your account.
  • • Parents see summary insights — moods, themes, strengths — not raw transcripts.
  • • Messages go to OpenAI for generation; they are not used to train models.
  • • Delete your account and all associated data from Profile → Account.
  • • Teens can opt into teen-privacy mode which restricts what parents see.

Our approach

Hearth is built by a small team who believe emotional support should be accessible, warm, and human-feeling. The AI is a tool — a tool that can help you reflect, practice, and feel less alone at 2am — but it is never meant to replace the people in your life.

We prioritize safety over engagement. If Hearth thinks you need a real person, it will tell you so — clearly and warmly.

FAQ

Common questions

Is Hearth therapy?
No. Hearth is an AI wellness companion that uses evidence-informed techniques (CBT, active listening, mindfulness). It is not a licensed therapist, psychologist, or medical provider. It does not diagnose, prescribe, or provide clinical treatment.
Can my child use it alone?
Children under 13 need a parent to create their account. They get an invite code and set their own password. The child's conversations are private — parents see mood summaries, themes, and strengths, never raw transcripts.
What can parents see?
Mood trends (e.g. 'anxious 3 times this week'), session themes, strengths noticed, usage stats, and safety alerts. Parents never see the actual conversation. Teens can enable extra privacy that restricts visibility to safety alerts only.
What happens in a crisis?
Every message is screened with two layers: keyword detection and OpenAI's moderation API. If crisis language is detected, Hearth immediately pauses, names what it noticed, and surfaces region-specific crisis resources (988, Samaritans, etc.). For minor accounts, the parent is notified by email.
How is data stored?
Conversations live in a secure PostgreSQL database. Messages are sent to OpenAI's API for response generation — OpenAI does not use API data for training. No data is sold, shared with advertisers, or marketed.
Can I delete everything?
Yes. You can export all your data as JSON and permanently delete your account from Profile → Your Data. Deletion is immediate and cascades to linked child accounts.
Is this HIPAA compliant?
Hearth is not a covered entity under HIPAA because it does not provide clinical healthcare services. We take privacy seriously with encryption in transit, isolated accounts, and strict access controls — but we do not make HIPAA compliance claims.
Create your space

In crisis? Call 988 (US) or your local emergency line.