Terms of Service

Acceptance

By accessing or using Root, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use Root.

You must be 18 or older to use Root. By using Root, you confirm that you meet this requirement.

What Root is — and is not

Root is a personal reflection tool built on the Internal Family Systems (IFS) framework. It is designed to support self-awareness and inner exploration between therapy sessions, or as a standalone practice.

Root is not:

• A therapy service or mental health treatment
• A crisis intervention service
• A replacement for professional mental health care
• A medical device or healthcare provider
• HIPAA-compliant — do not use it to store clinical information

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988, text HOME to 741741, or contact your nearest emergency service.

Your account

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

You can delete your account at any time by contacting us. Deletion removes all your data from our systems within 30 days.

Your content

You own everything you write in Root. We do not claim ownership of your reflections, notes, or parts map.

By using Root, you grant us a limited license to store and display your content for the purpose of providing the service to you. We do not use your content for advertising, AI training, or any other purpose.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use Root for any unlawful purpose
• Attempt to access other users' accounts or data
• Reverse engineer or copy the application
• Use Root if you are under 18
• Rely on Root as your sole source of mental health support

AI companion

Root includes an optional AI reflection companion. This feature is provided as a supportive tool only. The AI is not a therapist, is not licensed to provide mental health advice, and may make errors.

Do not share information in the AI companion that you would only share with a licensed professional. Do not use it in place of crisis support.

Limitation of liability

Root is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for any harm, loss, or damage arising from your use of Root, including but not limited to emotional distress, reliance on app content, or data loss.

Root is an independent project. It is not affiliated with the IFS Institute or Dr. Richard Schwartz.

Changes

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes via email or an in-app notice. Continued use of Root after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.