claude-inner-dialog/CLAUDE.md

AI Therapy Starter Kit - Setup

Maintainer docs: ~/Documents/My Vault/Contexts/Personal/Career/Side Projects/AI Therapy Starter Kit/

You are helping a user set up their AI therapy environment. Start setup immediately when the user opens this project.

On First Message

First, check if the user has already completed setup:

Welcome to the AI Therapy Starter Kit.

Have you already set up your AI therapist, or is this your first time here?

If they've already set up:

Ask for their therapist's name, then provide access instructions:

To start a session with {therapist_name}:

Option 1: Double-click start-session.command (Mac/Linux) or start-session.bat (Windows) in your therapy folder.

Option 2: Terminal: cd ~/{therapist_name} && claude

Want to make changes? I can help you:

• "update my therapist" - Check for new versions (fetches from GitHub)
• "switch persona" - Change communication style
• "add modality" - Add a therapeutic approach
• "install expansion pack" - Add purchased expansion content
• "migrate my therapist" - Upgrade to self-contained architecture

Then handle their request, or end the conversation if they just needed directions.

If this is their first time (proceed with setup):

Before we begin, I want to be clear about what this is and isn't:

• This creates an AI assistant for emotional support and self-reflection
• It is not a replacement for professional mental health care
• If you're in crisis: 988 (US) or findahelpline.com

I'll ask a few questions to personalize your AI therapist. Ready?

---

Setup Questions

Ask these conversationally, one at a time.

1. Safety Check

First, a quick check-in. Are you currently experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide?

If yes: Provide crisis resources (988, Crisis Text Line 741741, findahelpline.com). Do not continue setup.

If no: Continue.

2. Therapist Name

What would you like to name your AI therapist?

Some ideas: Sage, Willow, Quinn, Jasper, Hazel, River, Fern

(Default: Sage)

3. Expansion Pack Check

Your therapist will use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by default, which focuses on how thoughts affect feelings and actions.

The Expansion Pack adds more communication styles and therapeutic approaches (ACT, DBT Skills, Somatic Experiencing, and more).

Do you have the expansion pack? (yes/no)

If yes: Ask for the expansion pack folder path, then run the expansion pack install flow (see Install Expansion Pack Flow section) to copy content to .therapy/library/. Set has_expansion_pack = true for subsequent questions.

If no: Continue with core-only setup. Set has_expansion_pack = false. User can always run "install expansion pack" later.

4. Communication Style

Core options (always shown):

How should your AI therapist communicate?

1. Warm & Supportive - Validation first, gentle challenges
2. Direct & Challenging - Will push back, Socratic questioning

If has_expansion_pack, add:

3. Coach - Action-oriented, goal-focused
4. Grounded & Real - Down-to-earth, honest, uses humor
5. Warm 4o-Style - Like a good friend who asks insightful questions

Map selection to persona file:

• 1 → personas/warm-supportive.md
• 2 → personas/direct-challenging.md
• 3 → personas/coach.md (expansion)
• 4 → personas/grounded-real.md (expansion)
• 5 → personas/warm-4o.md (expansion)

5. Therapeutic Approaches

If core-only (no expansion pack):

Skip this question. CBT is the default and only option.

If has_expansion_pack:

Which therapeutic approaches? Pick any combination (e.g., "1,2,3"):

1. CBT - Thoughts affect feelings and actions (included in core)
2. ACT - Values-based, mindful acceptance
3. DBT Skills - Emotional regulation, distress tolerance
4. Lifespan Integration - Body-based trauma integration
5. Somatic Experiencing - Nervous system regulation
6. Psychodynamic - Explores unconscious patterns

(Default: 1)

Map selections to modality files:

• 1 → modalities/cbt.md
• 2 → modalities/act.md (expansion)
• 3 → modalities/dbt-skills.md (expansion)
• 4 → modalities/lifespan-integration.md (expansion)
• 5 → modalities/somatic-experiencing.md (expansion)
• 6 → modalities/psychodynamic.md (expansion)

6. Session Structure

How structured do you want sessions?

1. Structured - Homework, exercises, progress tracking
2. Moderate - Some structure, flexible approach
3. Freeform - Just conversation, minimal assignments

(Default: 2)

Map selection to structure file:

• 1 → structures/structured.md
• 2 → structures/moderate.md
• 3 → structures/freeform.md

7. Storage Location

Where should your therapy files be stored?

1. ~/{therapist_name} - Simple
2. ~/Documents/{therapist_name} - In Documents
3. Custom path

(Default: 1)

8. Import Existing Notes (Optional)

Do you have existing therapy notes to import? (ChatGPT exports, markdown, PDF, text files)

If yes, ask for file paths. Create {storage_path}/imported/ and process files there.

---

File Creation

After gathering all answers, create the therapy environment.

Step 1: Create Directory Structure

Core-only setup:

{storage_path}/
├── CLAUDE.md
├── profile.md
├── sessions/
├── imported/           (if importing)
└── .therapy/
    ├── version.json
    ├── safety-protocol.md
    ├── persona.md              (active persona)
    ├── session-structure.md    (active structure)
    ├── modalities/             (active modalities)
    │   └── cbt.md
    └── library/                (options for switching)
        ├── personas/
        │   ├── warm-supportive.md
        │   └── direct-challenging.md
        ├── modalities/
        │   └── cbt.md
        └── structures/
            ├── structured.md
            ├── moderate.md
            └── freeform.md

With expansion pack:

{storage_path}/
├── CLAUDE.md
├── profile.md
├── sessions/
├── imported/           (if importing)
└── .therapy/
    ├── version.json
    ├── safety-protocol.md
    ├── persona.md              (active persona)
    ├── session-structure.md    (active structure)
    ├── modalities/             (active modalities)
    │   └── (selected modalities)
    └── library/                (ALL options for switching)
        ├── personas/
        │   ├── warm-supportive.md
        │   ├── direct-challenging.md
        │   ├── coach.md              # expansion
        │   ├── grounded-real.md      # expansion
        │   └── warm-4o.md            # expansion
        ├── modalities/
        │   ├── cbt.md
        │   ├── act.md                # expansion
        │   ├── dbt-skills.md         # expansion
        │   ├── lifespan-integration.md  # expansion
        │   ├── somatic-experiencing.md  # expansion
        │   └── psychodynamic.md      # expansion
        └── structures/
            ├── structured.md
            ├── moderate.md
            └── freeform.md

Step 2: Read Source Files

Read the necessary source files based on user selections:

1. Read the persona file they selected (e.g., personas/warm-supportive.md)

   • Extract ## Persona Description section for {{PERSONA_CONTENT}}
   • Extract ## Tone Modifier line for {{TONE_MODIFIER}}

2. Read CLAUDE.template.md for the base CLAUDE.md structure

Step 3: Create .therapy/ Folder

Create {storage_path}/.therapy/ with:

1. Copy safety-protocol.md from this repo to .therapy/safety-protocol.md

2. Copy selected persona file to .therapy/persona.md

3. Copy selected structure file to .therapy/session-structure.md

4. Create .therapy/modalities/ and copy only the selected modality files

5. Create .therapy/library/ and copy component files:

   • Core: Copy files from this repo's personas/, modalities/, structures/ folders (core content only)
   • If expansion pack installed: Also copy expansion pack files to .therapy/library/personas/ and .therapy/library/modalities/

6. Create .therapy/version.json:

Core-only:

{
  "kit_version": "1.0.0",
  "installed": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "components": {
    "safety-protocol": "1.0.0",
    "persona": "[persona-name]@1.0.0",
    "session-structure": "[structure-name]@1.0.0",
    "modalities": {
      "[modality]": "1.0.0"
    }
  },
  "source_url": "https://github.com/ataglianetti/ai-therapy-kit"
}

With expansion pack:

{
  "kit_version": "1.0.0",
  "installed": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "expansion_installed": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "components": {
    "safety-protocol": "1.0.0",
    "persona": "[persona-name]@1.0.0",
    "session-structure": "[structure-name]@1.0.0",
    "modalities": {
      "[modality]": "1.0.0"
    },
    "expansion_pack": "1.0.0"
  },
  "source_url": "https://github.com/ataglianetti/ai-therapy-kit"
}

Important: The library folder makes the therapist folder self-contained. Users can delete the ai-therapy-kit repo after setup.

Step 4: Create CLAUDE.md

Generate {storage_path}/CLAUDE.md by:

1. Reading CLAUDE.template.md
2. Replacing {{THERAPIST_NAME}} with their chosen name

Step 5: Create profile.md

Copy profile.template.md to {storage_path}/profile.md

Step 6: Create Launcher Script

macOS/Linux: Create {storage_path}/start-session.command:

#!/bin/bash
cd "{storage_path}"
claude

Run: chmod +x "{storage_path}/start-session.command"

Windows: Create {storage_path}/start-session.bat:

@echo off
cd /d "{storage_path}"
claude

---

After Creating Files

Tell the user:

Your AI therapy environment is ready.

Location: {storage_path} Therapist: {therapist_name} Style: {style} Approaches: {approaches}

Double-click start-session.command (or .bat on Windows) to start a session.

Would you like to start your first session now?

Starting First Session

If yes:

1. Read {storage_path}/CLAUDE.md
2. Adopt that persona completely
3. Welcome the client and ask what brings them here
4. Use absolute paths for all file operations

---

Update Flow

When user says "update my therapist":

1. Ask for their therapist folder location (or check common locations)

2. Read their .therapy/version.json to see installed versions and source_url

3. Fetch version info from GitHub using WebFetch:

   • Fetch https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ataglianetti/ai-therapy-kit/main/safety-protocol.md
   • Extract version header from fetched content
   • Compare with installed versions

4. Show available updates:

   Updates available:

   • safety-protocol: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (RECOMMENDED)
   • modalities/cbt: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1

   Apply updates?

5. Always recommend safety-protocol updates - crisis resources should never be stale

6. Apply updates:

   • Use WebFetch to get updated files from GitHub raw URLs
   • Write updated content to their .therapy/ folder and .therapy/library/
   • Update their version.json

7. Preserve user data - Never touch profile.md, sessions/, or their main CLAUDE.md

---

Switch Persona Flow

When user says "switch persona" or "change communication style":

1. Ask for their therapist folder location (if not known)

2. Check for expansion pack content:

   • Read .therapy/library/personas/ directory
   • If only warm-supportive.md and direct-challenging.md exist → show core options only
   • If additional personas exist (coach.md, grounded-real.md, warm-4o.md) → show all available

3. Show available personas:

   Core options (always available):

   Which communication style would you like?

   1. Warm & Supportive - Validation first, gentle challenges
   2. Direct & Challenging - Will push back, Socratic questioning

   If expansion pack detected, add:

   3. Coach - Action-oriented, goal-focused
   4. Grounded & Real - Down-to-earth, honest, uses humor
   5. Warm 4o-Style - Like a good friend who asks insightful questions

   If no expansion pack:

   Want more styles? Get the Expansion Pack

4. Read the new persona file from .therapy/library/personas/

5. Copy to their .therapy/persona.md (overwrites existing)

6. Update .therapy/version.json with new persona version

7. Confirm:

   Done! Your therapist now uses the {new_style} communication style.

   This takes effect at your next session.

Note: This doesn't change the therapist's name or their memory of you—just how they communicate.

---

Add/Remove Modality Flow

When user says "add modality" or "remove modality":

1. Ask for their therapist folder location (if not known)

2. Check for expansion pack content:

   • Read .therapy/library/modalities/ directory
   • Core: cbt.md
   • Expansion: act.md, dbt-skills.md, lifespan-integration.md, psychodynamic.md, somatic-experiencing.md

3. Read their .therapy/modalities/ to see what's installed

4. Show options based on what's in their library:

   Core (always available):

   Currently installed: {list of installed modalities}

   Available to add:

   • CBT - Thoughts affect feelings and actions

   If expansion pack detected, add available options:

   • ACT - Values-based, mindful acceptance
   • DBT Skills - Emotional regulation, distress tolerance
   • Lifespan Integration - Body-based trauma integration
   • Somatic Experiencing - Nervous system regulation
   • Psychodynamic - Explores unconscious patterns

   If no expansion pack:

   Want more approaches? Get the Expansion Pack

5. To add: Copy the modality file from .therapy/library/modalities/ to their .therapy/modalities/

6. To remove: Delete the file from their .therapy/modalities/

7. Update .therapy/version.json

---

Change Session Structure Flow

When user says "change session structure":

1. Ask for their therapist folder location (if not known)

2. Show options:

   How structured do you want sessions?

   1. Structured - Homework, exercises, progress tracking
   2. Moderate - Some structure, flexible approach
   3. Freeform - Just conversation, minimal assignments

3. Read the new structure file from .therapy/library/structures/

4. Copy to their .therapy/session-structure.md (overwrites existing)

5. Update .therapy/version.json

6. Confirm:

   Done! Your sessions now use the {new_structure} format.

---

Install Expansion Pack Flow

When user says "install expansion pack" or "add expansion pack":

1. Ask for the expansion pack folder path:

   Where is your expansion pack folder? (e.g., ~/Downloads/ai-therapy-kit-extras)

2. Verify the folder contains expected content:

   • Check for personas/ subfolder with: coach.md, grounded-real.md, warm-4o.md
   • Check for modalities/ subfolder with: act.md, dbt-skills.md, lifespan-integration.md, psychodynamic.md, somatic-experiencing.md
   • If missing files, warn user and confirm they want to proceed with partial install

3. Ask for their therapist folder location (if not known)

4. Copy expansion pack content to their library:

   • Copy personas to .therapy/library/personas/
   • Copy modalities to .therapy/library/modalities/

5. Update .therapy/version.json:

   • Add "expansion_pack": "1.0.0" to components
   • Add "expansion_installed": "YYYY-MM-DD"

6. Confirm installation:

   Expansion pack installed! You now have access to:

   Styles: Coach, Grounded & Real, Warm 4o-Style Approaches: ACT, DBT Skills, Lifespan Integration, Somatic Experiencing, Psychodynamic

   Use "switch persona" or "add modality" to try them out.

---

Migration Flow

When user says "migrate my existing therapist":

For users with old monolithic CLAUDE.md (pre-1.0.0):

1. Read their existing CLAUDE.md to extract:

   • Therapist name
   • Persona (match to persona file)
   • Modalities (match to modality files)
   • Session structure (match to structure file)

2. Create .therapy/ folder with appropriate components

3. Create .therapy/library/ and copy core component files for future customization

4. Create version.json

5. Rewrite their CLAUDE.md to use new slim format referencing .therapy/

6. Preserve profile.md and sessions/ (untouched)

---

Reference

File Locations in This Repo

Core (included):

Content	Source File
Base CLAUDE.md	CLAUDE.template.md
Safety Protocol	safety-protocol.md
Profile Template	profile.template.md
Warm & Supportive	personas/warm-supportive.md
Direct & Challenging	personas/direct-challenging.md
CBT	modalities/cbt.md
Structured Sessions	structures/structured.md
Moderate Sessions	structures/moderate.md
Freeform Sessions	structures/freeform.md

Expansion Pack (separate download):

Content	Source File
Coach	personas/coach.md
Grounded & Real	personas/grounded-real.md
Warm 4o-Style	personas/warm-4o.md
ACT	modalities/act.md
DBT Skills	modalities/dbt-skills.md
Lifespan Integration	modalities/lifespan-integration.md
Somatic Experiencing	modalities/somatic-experiencing.md
Psychodynamic	modalities/psychodynamic.md

Version Header Format

All source files have version headers:

<!-- version: 1.0.0 -->

Read this to compare versions during updates.