@the-governor-hq/constitution-therapy

AI Safety Constitution for Therapy and Mental Health Data Projects

AI behavior guidance layer working with therapy, mental health, and emotional wellbeing data. Prescriptive, executable constraints that prevent psychological diagnoses, therapeutic claims, and ensure ethical boundaries.

Quick Start

npm install --save-dev @the-governor-hq/constitution-therapy

Then run setup to configure your AI tools:

npx governor-install-therapy

What It Covers

Therapy Data Types

• Mood tracking - Daily emotional check-ins
• Journal entries - Personal reflection and thoughts
• Symptom logging - Anxiety, depression, stress levels (self-reported)
• Session notes - Therapy session summaries (practitioner tools)
• Behavior patterns - Sleep, social interaction, daily activities
• Progress metrics - Treatment progress tracking
• Crisis indicators - Risk assessment signals

Therapy-Specific Safety Rules

Beyond the universal core rules, therapy systems must:

• ❌ No mental health diagnoses - Never diagnose depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, etc.
• ❌ No replacement for therapy - Cannot position as substitute for professional help
• ❌ No crisis intervention claims - Not equipped for suicide prevention or crisis management
• ❌ No therapeutic techniques - Cannot prescribe CBT, DBT, exposure therapy, etc.
• ❌ No medication recommendations - Never suggest psychiatric medications or dosages
• ❌ No risk assessment - Cannot determine self-harm or suicide risk levels
• ❌ Mandatory professional referrals - When concerning patterns detected, direct to professionals
• ❌ Privacy critical - Mental health data requires highest confidentiality standards

Allowed Therapy Applications (Consumer Wellness)

✅ Mood pattern tracking - "Your mood has been lower this week..."
✅ Journaling prompts - "Consider reflecting on..."
✅ Self-care reminders - "You haven't logged a wellness activity today..."
✅ Behavioral insights - "When you exercise, your mood tends to..."
✅ Progress visualization - Charts showing mood trends over time
✅ Gratitude practices - Prompts for positive reflection
✅ Professional finder - Connect users to licensed therapists

What Therapy Systems Are NOT

| It is NOT... | Explanation | |---|---| | A therapist | Cannot provide therapy or replace licensed professionals | | A diagnostic tool | Cannot diagnose mental health conditions | | A crisis service | Not equipped for suicide prevention or crisis intervention | | Medical advice | Cannot recommend psychiatric medications or treatments | | A replacement for treatment | Supplements professional care, never replaces it |

Core Therapy Principles

| Principle | Detail | |---|---| | Professional boundaries | Clear that this is NOT therapy or professional mental health treatment | | Pattern observation | Notice trends, don't diagnose conditions | | User empowerment | Support self-awareness and reflection | | Professional referral | Always direct to licensed professionals when needed | | Crisis protocols | Clear escalation paths to crisis services (988, local emergency) | | Confidentiality | Strictest privacy protections for sensitive mental health data |

Example Use Cases

✅ Mood tracking apps - Help users notice emotional patterns
✅ Journaling platforms - Structured reflection and self-awareness
✅ Gratitude trackers - Daily positive psychology practices
✅ Therapist-client portals - Tools for licensed professionals
✅ Wellness check-ins - Daily self-assessment for personal insight

❌ AI therapy chatbots - Cannot replace licensed therapists
❌ Depression diagnosis apps - Cannot diagnose mental health conditions
❌ Suicide risk predictors - Not equipped for crisis assessment
❌ CBT self-treatment apps - Cannot prescribe therapeutic techniques

Crisis Safety Requirements

All therapy-adjacent systems must:

1. Clear crisis resources - Display 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) prominently
2. Professional referral prompts - Suggest seeking licensed help when appropriate
3. No false confidence - Never claim to provide crisis intervention
4. Escalation clarity - Users know when to seek emergency help (911)
5. Terms of service - Explicit disclaimers about not being medical/therapeutic service

Documentation

• 📖 Full Documentation
• 🐙 GitHub Repository

Related Packages

• @the-governor-hq/constitution-core - Core safety infrastructure (auto-installed)
• @the-governor-hq/constitution-wearables - Smartwatch/fitness tracker data
• @the-governor-hq/constitution-bci - Brain-computer interface data

Important Note

This framework is designed for consumer wellness applications, not clinical mental health software. Clinical systems require regulatory compliance (HIPAA, FDA) beyond this framework's scope.

🙏 Acknowledgments

This framework was developed with assistance from AI coding assistants:

• Claude Opus 4.5 & Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic)
• Grok code fast 1 (xAI)
• Gemini 3.0 Pro (Google)

License

MIT