Anthony Taglianetti
366e5dcceb
Imports now create session files with original dates instead of just reading once and extracting to profile. This provides natural relevance decay as new sessions accumulate. Also adds post-setup import command. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
248 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
248 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
# Getting Started
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This guide walks you through setting up your AI therapist from scratch. No technical experience needed.
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---
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## Step 1: Get Claude Code
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Claude Code is what lets your AI therapist read your profile, remember past sessions, and save notes. You need it before you can set up your therapist.
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### Option A: Claude Pro ($20/month, simplest)
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1. Go to [claude.ai](https://claude.ai) and sign up for Claude Pro
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2. Download Claude Code from [claude.ai/code](https://claude.ai/code)
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3. Run the installer
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4. Open **Terminal** (Mac) or **PowerShell** (Windows)
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5. Type `claude` and press Enter
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6. Sign in with your Claude account when prompted
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Done! Move to Step 2.
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### Option B: Pay-per-use (no subscription)
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1. Go to [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com)
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2. Create an account and add a payment method
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3. Click **API Keys** → **Create new key**
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4. Copy the key (it starts with `sk-ant-`)
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5. Download Claude Code from [claude.ai/code](https://claude.ai/code)
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6. Run the installer
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7. Open **Terminal** (Mac) or **PowerShell** (Windows)
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8. Type `claude` and paste your API key when prompted
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Typical cost: $5-20/month depending on how often you chat.
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---
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## Step 2: Download Inner Dialogue
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Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and run these commands:
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```
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git clone https://github.com/ataglianetti/inner-dialogue.git
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cd inner-dialogue
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```
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**Don't have git?** Go to the [GitHub page](https://github.com/ataglianetti/inner-dialogue), click the green "Code" button, choose "Download ZIP", and extract it somewhere you'll remember.
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---
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## Step 3: Run Setup
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From the inner-dialogue folder, type:
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```
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claude
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```
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Your therapist is waiting. Say hello when you're ready.
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Claude will guide you through setup by asking a few questions:
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1. **Therapist name** — What to call your AI therapist (e.g., Sage, Willow, Quinn)
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2. **Communication style** — Choose from 8 styles (Warm, Direct, Coach, and more)
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3. **Therapeutic approaches** — Choose from 12 evidence-based approaches (CBT, ACT, DBT Skills, IFS, and more)
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4. **Storage location** — Where to save your session files
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5. **Import history** (optional) — Bring in notes from ChatGPT or other tools
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### Importing Existing Notes
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If you've been using ChatGPT or other tools for therapy-like conversations, you can import that history.
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#### Supported Formats
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- **ChatGPT exports** — ZIP file from Settings → Data Controls → Export
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- **Markdown files** — Any `.md` files (journal entries, notes, previous AI conversations)
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- **Text files** — Plain `.txt` files
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- **PDF files** — Will be read and processed
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#### During Setup
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1. When asked about importing, say yes
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2. Provide the file path(s) to your export files
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3. Your therapist processes the files during your first session
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#### What Happens to Imported Files
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Your therapist does two things with imported content:
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1. **Builds your profile** — Key patterns, background, recurring themes, and important context get extracted into `profile.md`. This is read every session.
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2. **Creates session history** — Conversations are converted to session files (`sessions/YYYY-MM-DD.md`) with their original dates. These become part of your session history.
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#### How It Works Over Time
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- Your profile (patterns, background) is always referenced
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- Recent sessions are read at startup for continuity
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- Older imported sessions naturally fade as new sessions accumulate
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- Nothing is deleted—older context can still be referenced when relevant
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This mirrors how memory works: core patterns stay present, recent details are fresh, older specifics are available but not top-of-mind.
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#### Adding Context Later
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After setup, you can still add to your history:
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- Add notes directly to `profile.md` for persistent context
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- Drop new files in `sessions/` with appropriate dates
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- Tell your therapist "I want to add some background" and share it in conversation
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---
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## Step 4: Start a Session
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At the end of setup, Claude will ask if you want to start your first session. Say yes!
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### Future Sessions
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**Easiest way:** Double-click the launcher script in your therapy folder:
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- Mac/Linux: `start-session.command`
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- Windows: `start-session.bat`
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Tip: Drag this to your Dock (Mac) or taskbar (Windows) for one-click access.
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**Or use Terminal:**
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```
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cd ~/Sage && claude
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```
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(Replace `Sage` with your therapist's name/folder)
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### During a Session
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Just talk naturally. Say hello, share what's on your mind. Your AI therapist will:
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- Welcome you or pick up where you left off
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- Remember everything from previous sessions
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- Save notes when you're done
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To end a session, say goodbye or just close the window.
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---
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## Viewing Your Notes
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Your sessions are saved as regular text files. You can open them with any text editor (TextEdit, Notepad, etc.).
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For a nicer reading experience, try [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) (free):
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1. Download Obsidian
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2. Open your therapy folder as a "vault"
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3. Browse sessions, search across notes, see connections between topics
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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**"command not found: claude"**
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Make sure you installed Claude Code and restarted your terminal.
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**Claude doesn't seem like a therapist**
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Make sure you're in your therapy folder before running `claude`. Check that `CLAUDE.md` exists in that folder.
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**Setup didn't start automatically**
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Make sure you're in the `inner-dialogue` folder (not your therapy folder) when first running `claude`.
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---
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## Updating Your Therapist
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Inner Dialogue periodically receives updates—improved safety protocols, refined therapeutic techniques, bug fixes. Here's how to get them:
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### Check for Updates
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During any session, just say: **"update my therapist"** or **"check for updates"**
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Your therapist will:
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- Fetch the latest versions from GitHub
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- Compare your installed versions with the latest
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- Show what's changed
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- Apply updates you approve
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No need to keep the Inner Dialogue repo after setup—your therapist folder is self-contained and updates directly from GitHub.
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### What Gets Updated
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| Component | Updated? | Notes |
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|-----------|----------|-------|
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| Safety protocols | Yes (recommended) | Crisis resources, safety guidelines |
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| Modalities | Yes | Therapeutic technique refinements |
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| Session structures | Yes | Session flow improvements |
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| Your profile.md | Never | Your personal data is untouched |
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| Your sessions/ | Never | Your session history is untouched |
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| Your CLAUDE.md | Never | Your therapist's persona stays the same |
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### Safety Protocol Updates
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**Always accept safety protocol updates.** These contain crisis resources and guidelines that should never be stale. Claude will specifically recommend these updates.
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---
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## Migrating from an Older Version
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If you set up your therapist before version 1.0.0 (the split-file architecture), you can migrate to the new format:
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1. Open the inner-dialogue repo in Claude Code
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2. Say: **"migrate my existing therapist"**
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3. Claude will:
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- Read your existing CLAUDE.md to understand your setup
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- Create the new `.therapy/` folder structure
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- Preserve all your sessions and profile data
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Benefits of migrating:
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- Smaller CLAUDE.md = faster session startup
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- Independent component updates
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- Better organized files
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---
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## Customizing After Setup
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You can change your therapist's configuration anytime—just ask during a session. Your therapist knows where to find the source files.
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### Switch Communication Style
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Say: **"switch persona"**
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Choose from 8 styles including Warm 4o-Style, Direct & Challenging, Warm & Supportive, Coach, Grounded & Real, Contemplative & Spacious, Philosophical & Existential, and Creative & Playful.
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This changes how your therapist communicates without affecting their memory of you.
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### Add or Remove Therapeutic Approaches
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Say: **"add modality"** or **"remove modality"**
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Choose from 12 evidence-based approaches: CBT, ACT, CFT, DBT Skills, IFS, Lifespan Integration, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Polyvagal-Informed Work, Psychodynamic, SFBT, and Somatic Experiencing.
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### Change Session Structure
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Say: **"change session structure"**
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Switch between Structured, Moderate, or Freeform session styles.
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### Self-Contained After Setup
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After setup completes, your therapist folder is fully self-contained. You can safely delete the inner-dialogue repo if you want—all customization options are stored in your therapist's `.therapy/library/` folder, and updates are fetched directly from GitHub.
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---
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## More Questions?
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See the [FAQ in the README](../README.md#faq) for common questions about cost, privacy, and customization.
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