claude-inner-dialog/docs/GETTING-STARTED.md

Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up your AI therapist from scratch. No technical experience needed.

---

Step 1: Get Claude Code

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.

Option A: Claude Pro ($20/month, simplest)

1. Go to claude.ai and sign up for Claude Pro
2. Download Claude Code from claude.ai/code
3. Run the installer
4. Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows)
5. Type claude and press Enter
6. Sign in with your Claude account when prompted

Done! Move to Step 2.

Option B: Pay-per-use (no subscription)

1. Go to console.anthropic.com
2. Create an account and add a payment method
3. Click API Keys → Create new key
4. Copy the key (it starts with sk-ant-)
5. Download Claude Code from claude.ai/code
6. Run the installer
7. Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows)
8. Type claude and paste your API key when prompted

Typical cost: $5-20/month depending on how often you chat.

---

Step 2: Download the Starter Kit

Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and run these commands:

git clone https://github.com/ataglianetti/ai-therapy-kit.git
cd ai-therapy-kit

Don't have git? Go to the GitHub page, click the green "Code" button, choose "Download ZIP", and extract it somewhere you'll remember.

---

Step 3: Run Setup

From the ai-therapy-kit folder, type:

claude

Claude will guide you through setup by asking a few questions:

1. Therapist name — What to call your AI therapist (e.g., Sage, Willow, Quinn)
2. Communication style — Warm, direct, coach-like, or down-to-earth
3. Therapeutic approaches — Which methods to use (CBT, ACT, DBT, etc.)
4. Storage location — Where to save your session files
5. Import history (optional) — Bring in notes from ChatGPT or other tools

Importing Existing Notes

If you've been using ChatGPT for therapy-like conversations, you can import that history:

1. In ChatGPT: Go to Settings → Data Controls → Export
2. You'll get a ZIP file
3. During setup, tell Claude you want to import and provide the file path

Your AI therapist will read these notes to understand your background.

---

Step 4: Start a Session

At the end of setup, Claude will ask if you want to start your first session. Say yes!

Future Sessions

Easiest way: Double-click the launcher script in your therapy folder:

• Mac/Linux: start-session.command
• Windows: start-session.bat

Tip: Drag this to your Dock (Mac) or taskbar (Windows) for one-click access.

Or use Terminal:

cd ~/Sage && claude

(Replace Sage with your therapist's name/folder)

During a Session

Just talk naturally. Say hello, share what's on your mind. Your AI therapist will:

• Welcome you or pick up where you left off
• Remember everything from previous sessions
• Save notes when you're done

To end a session, say goodbye or just close the window.

---

Viewing Your Notes

Your sessions are saved as regular text files. You can open them with any text editor (TextEdit, Notepad, etc.).

For a nicer reading experience, try Obsidian (free):

1. Download Obsidian
2. Open your therapy folder as a "vault"
3. Browse sessions, search across notes, see connections between topics

---

Troubleshooting

"command not found: claude" Make sure you installed Claude Code and restarted your terminal.

Claude doesn't seem like a therapist Make sure you're in your therapy folder before running claude. Check that CLAUDE.md exists in that folder.

Setup didn't start automatically Make sure you're in the ai-therapy-kit folder (not your therapy folder) when first running claude.

---

More Questions?

See the FAQ in the README for common questions about cost, privacy, and customization.