1. Agreement

1. This Agreement describes the terms and conditions for use of our Services and governs your access to and use of the Services provided by Kooth. You should read this Agreement carefully before using or accessing our Services. By using our Services, you are entering into this Agreement and are agreeing to the terms of this Agreement.

2. Kooth may revise our Terms of Service at any time by updating this Agreement and posting it. You should periodically visit either our website or application and review the Terms of Service to determine if any changes have been made. We may also notify you by email of any material changes to this Agreement. Your continued use of our Services after any changes have been made to the Terms of Use signifies and confirms your acceptance of any such changes or amendments to the Terms of Service.

2. Privacy

1. Protecting information you provide is important to us. Please review our privacy policy ("Privacy Policy"). By using or accessing our Services, you are also agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy.

3. Ownership

1. Kooth retains all ownership rights, title and interest (including all intellectual property rights) worldwide to the Services, including to all software and content. No rights are granted to you other than as expressly set forth in these terms. All trademarks, service marks and trade names are owned by Kooth. Except for any information that is in the public domain, you are not authorized to reproduce, transmit or distribute the proprietary information connected with our Services. Under no circumstances will you acquire any ownership rights or other interest in any content by or through your use and/or access to our Services. By posting information either through our website or our application, you represent that you have the right to grant permission for use by Kooth.

4. Definition of Services:

Coaching Coaching is provided by trained coaches who aren’t necessarily licensed mental health professionals. Coaching is short-term and focused on helping you reach specific goals, like improving in school, planning for your future, or making friends. Coaching is about taking action now and looking ahead, using strategies like setting goals and making plans to help you manage everyday stress and challenges.

Counseling Counseling, also called therapy, is provided by licensed mental health professionals. It can be short-term or long-term, depending on what you need. Counseling helps you work through a wide range of issues, from everyday stress to more serious mental health concerns like anxiety or depression. Counseling looks at your past, present, and future, aiming to find and address the root causes of your challenges, using evidence-based methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help improve your mental and emotional well-being.

What's the difference?

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Who performs the service?
Who performs the service?
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  Coaching: Trained coaches with either a relevant certificate or degree in a mental health related field.
  Coaching: Trained coaches with either a relevant certificate or degree in a mental health related field.
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  Counseling: Licensed mental health professionals.
  Counseling: Licensed mental health professionals.
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What is the purpose of the service?
What is the purpose of the service?
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  Coaching: Short term, goal-driven and action-oriented. Designed to help you achieve specific objectives.
  Coaching: Short term, goal-driven and action-oriented. Designed to help you achieve specific objectives.
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  Counseling: Short or longer term. Can address a variety of issues, including long-standing and pervasive mental health challenges.
  Counseling: Short or longer term. Can address a variety of issues, including long-standing and pervasive mental health challenges.
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What is the focus of the service?
What is the focus of the service?
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  Coaching: Present and future.
  Coaching: Present and future.
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  Counseling: Past, present, and future.
  Counseling: Past, present, and future.
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What is the scope of the service?
What is the scope of the service?
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  Coaching: Best suited for single issues such as challenges in making friends, academic difficulties, or career transitions.
  Coaching: Best suited for single issues such as challenges in making friends, academic difficulties, or career transitions.
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  Counseling: Can address a wide range of issues, from mild to significant, including chronic conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, and more.
  Counseling: Can address a wide range of issues, from mild to significant, including chronic conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, and more.
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What type of interventions does the service provide?
What type of interventions does the service provide?
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  Coaching: Non-therapeutic; goal oriented.
  Coaching: Non-therapeutic; goal oriented.
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  Counseling: Utilizes therapeutic interventions and evidence-based treatment models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and more.
  Counseling: Utilizes therapeutic interventions and evidence-based treatment models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and more.
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What level of need does the service address?
What level of need does the service address?
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  Coaching: Mild to moderate.
  Coaching: Mild to moderate.
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  Counseling: Mild to significant psychological distress and mental health disorders.
  Counseling: Mild to significant psychological distress and mental health disorders.
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What techniques does the service use?
What techniques does the service use?
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  Coaching: Motivational interviewing, goal setting, and action planning techniques.
  Coaching: Motivational interviewing, goal setting, and action planning techniques.
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  Counseling: A structured approach with therapeutic techniques to improve mental health and emotional well-being.
  Counseling: A structured approach with therapeutic techniques to improve mental health and emotional well-being.

5. Site use

1. Kooth grants you a limited, revocable, nonexclusive license to use our Services solely for your own personal use and not for republication, distribution, assignment, sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. You agree not to copy materials accessed, reverse engineer or break into either our website and/or our application, or use Kooth's materials, products or Services in violation of any law. The use and access of our Services is at the discretion of Kooth and may terminate your use and/or access of our Services at any time for any reason.

Keeping yourself safe

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Please make sure that the information you give us is accurate. This includes the area where you live and the year and month you were born. If you have entered your information incorrectly by mistake, please let one of the practitioners know so that they can advise you what to do
Please make sure that the information you give us is accurate. This includes the area where you live and the year and month you were born. If you have entered your information incorrectly by mistake, please let one of the practitioners know so that they can advise you what to do
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Keep your account private - don't show anyone your password or share your account with someone else
Keep your account private - don't show anyone your password or share your account with someone else
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Don't use your full name or surname, give out details of specific locations like the name of your school or a place you like to go to with your friends or share details such as email addresses or your phone number or your date of birth
Don't use your full name or surname, give out details of specific locations like the name of your school or a place you like to go to with your friends or share details such as email addresses or your phone number or your date of birth

Respect others

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Be polite to other Kooth service users and the Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors
Be polite to other Kooth service users and the Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors
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Show each other kindness; rude or offensive comments won't be published
Show each other kindness; rude or offensive comments won't be published
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Be sensitive to others and remember that things you say may impact on them
Be sensitive to others and remember that things you say may impact on them
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Don't bully or be unkind to other Kooth service users or talk in a violent or aggressive way
Don't bully or be unkind to other Kooth service users or talk in a violent or aggressive way
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Make sure your language is appropriate - try not to use swear words or use sexually explicit language. Anything that is homophobic or racist won't be published
Make sure your language is appropriate - try not to use swear words or use sexually explicit language. Anything that is homophobic or racist won't be published
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It's important to be truthful on Soluna and not pretend to be someone else
It's important to be truthful on Soluna and not pretend to be someone else
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Sometimes you might feel cross or frustrated but it's important to try not to take it out on the Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors or other service users on the site
Sometimes you might feel cross or frustrated but it's important to try not to take it out on the Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors or other service users on the site
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Any kind of abusive, violent or threatening behavior towards other Kooth service users or our Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors will not be tolerated. Misuse of the service may result in your account being deactivated or we may take further action against anyone who threatens the safety of other service users or our staff. This could include an escalation to the police in cases of potential or actual criminal activity
Any kind of abusive, violent or threatening behavior towards other Kooth service users or our Kooth team of practitioners and counsellors will not be tolerated. Misuse of the service may result in your account being deactivated or we may take further action against anyone who threatens the safety of other service users or our staff. This could include an escalation to the police in cases of potential or actual criminal activity

Service Misuse Definitions

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Misuse is any behavior that disrupts service integrity, violates boundaries, consumes disproportionate resources, or undermines equitable access.
Misuse is any behavior that disrupts service integrity, violates boundaries, consumes disproportionate resources, or undermines equitable access.
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Pranks are intentional behaviors that disrupt services, mislead staff, or create false crises.
Pranks are intentional behaviors that disrupt services, mislead staff, or create false crises.
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Service Limit Misuse occurs when a user bypasses or violates platform restrictions or eligibility rules.
Service Limit Misuse occurs when a user bypasses or violates platform restrictions or eligibility rules.
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Sexual Gratification is any sexualized interaction or attempted sexualized interaction with staff or in spaces not intended for sexual content.
Sexual Gratification is any sexualized interaction or attempted sexualized interaction with staff or in spaces not intended for sexual content.
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Aggression, Harassment, and Threats are characterised as threatening, aggressive, or harassing behavior toward staff or service users.
Aggression, Harassment, and Threats are characterised as threatening, aggressive, or harassing behavior toward staff or service users.
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Imminent Risk Misuse occurs when a user falsely indicates that they may be in imminent danger to bypass service limits, manipulate decisions, or create unnecessary urgency.
Imminent Risk Misuse occurs when a user falsely indicates that they may be in imminent danger to bypass service limits, manipulate decisions, or create unnecessary urgency.
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Excessive Non-Essential Contact occurs when a user repeatedly contacts Kooth’s Contact Center without the intention to engage in the Services.
Excessive Non-Essential Contact occurs when a user repeatedly contacts Kooth’s Contact Center without the intention to engage in the Services.

Some topics are sensitive

1. You might hear the word "trigger" used on Soluna, a trigger is something that can set off memories, emotions or feelings in someone else. It's hard to avoid every possible trigger but there are some common things that shouldn't be posted on Kooth as they might trigger others. These topics are best spoken about with Kooth counsellors, where services are available, who are trained to support you.

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Eating disorders - we won't publish height, weight or BMI calculations, posts that are pro eating disorder or competitive, descriptions of ED behaviors or details and quantities of food in relation to ED behaviors
Eating disorders - we won't publish height, weight or BMI calculations, posts that are pro eating disorder or competitive, descriptions of ED behaviors or details and quantities of food in relation to ED behaviors
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Self-harm- we won't publish any posts that contain details of methods of self-harm or descriptions of self-harm injuries
Self-harm- we won't publish any posts that contain details of methods of self-harm or descriptions of self-harm injuries
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Feeling suicidal - we won't publish anything that talks about suicidal plans
Feeling suicidal - we won't publish anything that talks about suicidal plans
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Experiences of abuse or trauma - details of experiences of abuse and trauma are best discussed with counsellors, where services are available. You can share with others your stories of overcoming difficult events but we won't be able to publish any specific details
Experiences of abuse or trauma - details of experiences of abuse and trauma are best discussed with counsellors, where services are available. You can share with others your stories of overcoming difficult events but we won't be able to publish any specific details
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Legal stuff - we won't be able to post anything that talks about a criminal offence or criminal behavior
Legal stuff - we won't be able to post anything that talks about a criminal offence or criminal behavior

Publishing and downloads

1. In Soluna, everything that you post or submit to the site is checked by staff members who moderate what you've written and make sure it doesn't break any of the community boundaries.

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Sometimes a moderator might delete your post. Whoever moderates what you've written will message you to let you know if your post can't be published
Sometimes a moderator might delete your post. Whoever moderates what you've written will message you to let you know if your post can't be published
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Documents on the site may be downloaded and used for personal, non-commercial use only
Documents on the site may be downloaded and used for personal, non-commercial use only
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All rights are reserved; no part of Soluna, including information, images, photos, trademarks & logos may be copied, republished, posted, broadcast or reproduced in any form whatsoever without our prior written permission from Kooth
All rights are reserved; no part of Soluna, including information, images, photos, trademarks & logos may be copied, republished, posted, broadcast or reproduced in any form whatsoever without our prior written permission from Kooth

6. Right to monitor

1. Kooth reserves the right to monitor materials or information posted to our website and/or application and shall have the right to remove or modify any information for any reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you remain solely responsible for your use of any information contained on the website or mobile application.

7. Compliance with laws

1. You agree to comply with all applicable laws regarding your access and/or use of our Services. You further agree that information provided by you is truthful and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

8. Indemnification

1. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold Kooth and our partners, employees and affiliates harmless from any liability, loss, claim and expense, including reasonable attorney's fees, related to your violation of this Agreement or use of our Services.

9. Disclaimer

1. The information on our website and/or mobile application is provided on an "as is", "as available" basis. You agree that use of our Services is at your sole risk. Kooth disclaims all warranties of any kind, including but not limited to any express warranties, statutory warranties, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. To the extent your jurisdiction does not allow limitations on warranties, this limitation may not apply to you. Your sole and exclusive remedy relating to your use of our Services shall be to discontinue accessing those Services.

10. Limitation of liability

1. Under no circumstances will Kooth be liable or responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential (including damages from loss of business, lost profits, litigation, or the like), special, exemplary, punitive or other damages, under any legal theory, arising out of or in any way relating to our Services, your use of our Services, or content created in connection with our Services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with our Services and/or content is to cease all of your use of the Services.

2. You may have additional rights under certain laws (including consumer laws) which do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, the exclusions or limitations in this Agreement that directly conflict with such laws may not apply to you.

11. Use of information

1. Kooth reserves the right, and you authorize us, to use and assign all information regarding the use by you of our Services and all information provided by you in any manner consistent with our Privacy Policy.

12. Applicable law

1. You agree that the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions, will govern this Agreement and any dispute that may arise between you and Kooth or its affiliates.

13. Severability

1. If any provision of this Agreement shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that this Agreement will otherwise remain in full force and effect.

14. Waiver

1. The failure of Kooth to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of this Agreement by Kooth must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Kooth.

15. Termination

1. Kooth may terminate this Agreement at any time, with or without notice, for any reason.

16. Relationship of the parties

1. Nothing contained in this Agreement or your use of our Services shall be construed to constitute either party as a partner, joint venturer, employee or agent of the other party, nor shall either party hold itself out as such. Neither party has any right or authority to incur, assume or create, in writing or otherwise, any warranty, liability or other obligation of any kind, express or implied, in the name of or on behalf of the other party, it being intended by both parties that each shall remain independent contractors responsible for its own actions.

17. Entire agreement

1. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between you and Kooth and governs your access and/or use of our Services, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral or written, between you and Kooth with respect to the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may also be subject to additional Terms of Service, posted policies (including but not limited to Kooth's Privacy Policy), guidelines or rules that may apply when you use the website or mobile application.

18. Contact information

Address: 167 North Green Street Chicago, IL, 60607, USA Email: thoughts@kooth.com

19. California Residents

The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by therapists, clinical social workers, or professional clinical counselors. You may contact the board online at bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.

For Users Accessing Counseling Services in New Jersey

Consent to Treatment

By accessing and using our telehealth counseling services, you confirm that you are eligible for these services, located in New Jersey, and are voluntarily consenting to receive counseling from licensed or qualified mental health professionals through secure online platforms.

You understand that:

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Counseling may involve discussing sensitive or difficult topics, which can at times lead to emotional discomfort.
Counseling may involve discussing sensitive or difficult topics, which can at times lead to emotional discomfort.
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While counseling may be helpful, no specific outcomes can be guaranteed.
While counseling may be helpful, no specific outcomes can be guaranteed.
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You have the right to ask questions about your care, participate actively in treatment decisions, and discontinue services at any time.
You have the right to ask questions about your care, participate actively in treatment decisions, and discontinue services at any time.

All services are delivered via telehealth only. You agree to participate in sessions in a private, safe environment, free from distractions or interruptions, and to maintain your own confidentiality to the extent possible.

Minors

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While we encourage parent or guardian involvement in the counseling process, if you are 16 years of age or older, New Jersey law allows you to consent to temporary outpatient mental health services without parental or guardian involvement (N.J.S.A. 9:17A-4).
While we encourage parent or guardian involvement in the counseling process, if you are 16 years of age or older, New Jersey law allows you to consent to temporary outpatient mental health services without parental or guardian involvement (N.J.S.A. 9:17A-4).
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Your treatment will be considered confidential, meaning we will not share information with anyone outside of Kooth, including your parent or guardian, unless:
Your treatment will be considered confidential, meaning we will not share information with anyone outside of Kooth, including your parent or guardian, unless:
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  You give written permission, or
  You give written permission, or
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  Disclosure is required by law (e.g., if there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others, suspected abuse or neglect, or a valid court order).
  Disclosure is required by law (e.g., if there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others, suspected abuse or neglect, or a valid court order).
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If you are under the age of 16, we require parental or guardian consent to begin treatment, unless another legal exception applies.
If you are under the age of 16, we require parental or guardian consent to begin treatment, unless another legal exception applies.

Please note that these laws may change, and this policy reflects the law as of September 2025. We will inform you if changes affect your eligibility to consent or your confidentiality rights.

Acknowledgment

By continuing to use our services, you confirm that:

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You understand the nature of telehealth mental health counseling.
You understand the nature of telehealth mental health counseling.
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You are providing your informed consent to participate.
You are providing your informed consent to participate.
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If you are under 18, you are either legally permitted to consent under NJ law, or you have obtained necessary parental or guardian consent.
If you are under 18, you are either legally permitted to consent under NJ law, or you have obtained necessary parental or guardian consent.

Last updated September 26, 2025