Add beginner guide, LLM guardrails disclosure, fix bugs

- Add docs/GETTING-STARTED.md for non-technical users
- Add "Known Limitations" section to README about LLM safety guardrails
- Add FAQ entry about AI seeming evasive on trauma topics
- Fix setup.sh prompt_choice outputting to stdout instead of stderr
- Fix first session detection in CLAUDE.template.md (check for empty
  sessions folder before trying to reference previous sessions)
- Add guardrails acknowledgment instructions to CLAUDE.template.md
  (AI should be honest when hitting built-in limitations)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Anthony Taglianetti
2026-02-01 17:15:41 -08:00
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# Getting Started
This guide is for people who have never used Claude Code or similar tools. If you've only used ChatGPT through the web, start here.
## What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is a terminal application that lets Claude read and write files on your computer. This is what makes persistent therapy sessions possible: your AI therapist can read your profile and past sessions, then save notes after each conversation.
---
## Step 1: Get Claude Code Access
### Option A: Claude Pro Subscription (Simplest)
If you have a **Claude Pro subscription** ($20/month), Claude Code is included:
1. Go to [claude.ai](https://claude.ai) and sign up for Pro
2. Download Claude Code from [claude.ai/code](https://claude.ai/code)
3. Run the installer
4. Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and type `claude`
5. Sign in with your Claude account when prompted
That's it. You're ready for Step 2.
### Option B: API Key (Pay-per-use)
If you want usage-based pricing instead of a subscription:
1. Go to [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com)
2. Create an account and add a payment method
3. Go to API Keys → Create new key
4. Copy the key (starts with `sk-ant-`)
5. Download Claude Code from [claude.ai/code](https://claude.ai/code)
6. Run `claude` and paste your API key when prompted
API pricing is usage-based. Typical therapy use: $5-20/month depending on session length and frequency.
> **Privacy note:** Both options keep conversations off training data. API has shorter retention.
---
## Step 2: Download the Starter Kit
Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and run:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ataglianetti/ai-therapy-kit.git
cd ai-therapy-kit
```
**Don't have git?** Download the ZIP from the GitHub page and extract it somewhere you'll remember.
---
## Step 3: Run Setup
**Mac/Linux:**
```bash
./setup.sh
```
**Windows:**
```powershell
.\setup.ps1
```
The script asks a few questions:
- What to name your AI therapist
- Communication style (warm, direct, or coach)
- Which therapeutic approaches to use
- Where to store your session files
- Whether to encrypt (for shared computers)
This creates your personalized therapy folder with a `CLAUDE.md` file that shapes how your AI therapist behaves.
---
## Step 4: Start a Session
```bash
cd ~/ai-therapy # or wherever you chose to store files
claude
```
Just talk. Say hello, share what's on your mind. Your AI therapist will:
- Welcome you (first session) or pick up where you left off
- Remember everything from previous sessions
- Save notes when you're done
To end a session, just say goodbye or close the terminal.
---
## Viewing Your Sessions (Optional)
Your sessions are saved as plain text files. You can read them with any text editor, or use [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) (free) for a nicer experience:
1. Download Obsidian
2. Open your therapy folder as a "vault"
3. Browse sessions, search across all notes, see connections
---
## Troubleshooting
**"command not found: claude"**
- Make sure you installed Claude Code and restarted your terminal
**Claude doesn't know it's a therapist**
- Make sure you're in your therapy folder (`cd ~/ai-therapy`) before running `claude`
- Check that `CLAUDE.md` exists in that folder
**Setup script won't run (Mac)**
- Run `chmod +x setup.sh` first, then try again
---
## Questions
**How much does this cost?**
- Claude Pro: $20/month (includes Claude Code)
- API: ~$5-20/month depending on usage
**Can I use ChatGPT instead?**
- Yes. Copy the contents of `CLAUDE.md` into ChatGPT's Custom Instructions or a GPT Project. You won't get automatic session saving, but the therapeutic framework still works.
**Is this private?**
- Your files stay on your computer
- Conversations go through Anthropic's servers but aren't used for training
- For maximum privacy, use a local LLM (advanced)