Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to shymind.com. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the shymind.com website, AI chat assistant, self-help tools, Training Grounds activities, Vault, and Expert Marketplace (together, the "Service"). By creating an account or otherwise using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

shymind.com is a self-improvement and peer-coaching platform designed to help people build confidence and overcome shyness and social anxiety. The Service includes:

• An AI-powered chat assistant that offers general guidance, suggestions, and conversation practice;
• A library of interactive self-help tools and assessments, with results saved to your personal Vault;
• Training Grounds - gamified exercises designed to build social confidence through practice;
• An Expert Marketplace connecting users with independent coaches and mentors ("Experts") for messaging-based support.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the Service. By registering, you represent that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and current.

4. Account Registration & Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access. We offer standard account security features including secure password reset and login-alert notifications.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Harass, threaten, abuse, or demean any other user or Expert;
• Impersonate any person, or misrepresent your identity, qualifications, or affiliation;
• Post or transmit spam, malware, or unsolicited advertising;
• Upload unlawful, obscene, or infringing content;
• Attempt to circumvent rate limits, security controls, or platform safety features;
• Scrape, reverse-engineer, or resell access to the Service without our written permission.

Full behavioral standards are set out in our Community Guidelines, which are incorporated into these Terms by reference. Violations may result in warnings, suspension, or permanent termination of your account, at our discretion.

6. Expert Marketplace Terms

shymind.com is a discovery and messaging platform that connects users with independent Experts - it is not itself a healthcare, counseling, or coaching provider, and does not perform, supervise, guarantee, or take responsibility for any advice, coaching, or service an Expert provides. Experts listed on shymind.com are independent professionals or coaches, not employees, agents, contractors, or representatives of shymind.com acting on our behalf.

• Verification reflects our review of documentation an Expert chose to submit, not an independent background check, a license verification with any regulatory body, or a guarantee of an Expert's competence, conduct, or the outcome of any session - unless expressly stated otherwise;
• shymind.com does not employ, direct, supervise, or control what an Expert says or does, and is not a party to, and has no obligation regarding, any arrangement, session, or advice exchanged between a user and an Expert;
• shymind.com has no obligation to intervene in, resolve, or take responsibility for the outcome of any interaction between a user and an Expert, beyond the content-moderation and reporting process described in our Community Guidelines;
• Pricing information shown on an Expert's profile is informational; the Service does not currently process payments on behalf of Experts or users for sessions.

You are solely responsible for evaluating whether a given Expert is appropriate for your needs, and for any decision to engage one. shymind.com's role begins and ends with providing the platform that lets you find and message each other.

7. Content & Intellectual Property

The Service, including its software, design, tools, and original content, is owned by shymind.com or its licensors and protected by intellectual property laws. You retain ownership of content you submit (messages, tool responses, journal entries), but grant us a limited license to store, process, and display it as necessary to operate the Service and, where you choose to share it, with the Expert you send it to.

8. Messaging, Safety Review & Reporting

Messages sent through the Service (including shared Vault insights and voice messages) are stored so conversations can be delivered and reviewed for safety and policy compliance. You can report a message or account that violates our Community Guidelines; reports are reviewed by our team. We may access message content when investigating a report, suspected abuse, or a legal obligation.

9. Fees

The Service is currently offered free of charge. We reserve the right to introduce paid subscriptions, premium features, or Expert-session payment processing in the future, with advance notice.

10. Termination

You may delete your account at any time from your account settings, which permanently erases your journey data, messages, reviews, and uploaded files as described in our Privacy Policy. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or the Community Guidelines, or to protect the safety of other users.

11. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE AI ASSISTANT'S OUTPUT, EXPERT ADVICE, OR ANY CONTENT ON THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, shymind.com AND ITS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, AND CONTRACTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH ANY EXPERT OR OTHER USER.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE ABOVE, shymind.com SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR THE ADVICE, CONDUCT, QUALIFICATIONS, OR PERFORMANCE OF ANY EXPERT, AND FOR ANY OUTCOME OF A SESSION OR INTERACTION BETWEEN A USER AND AN EXPERT. shymind.com HAS NO OBLIGATION TO GUARANTEE, ENSURE, OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY RESULT A USER DOES OR DOES NOT ACHIEVE THROUGH AN EXPERT, THE AI ASSISTANT, OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE SERVICE. THE SERVICE IS A TOOL FOR SELF-HELP AND CONNECTING WITH INDEPENDENT COACHES, NOT A GUARANTEE OF ANY THERAPEUTIC, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL OUTCOME.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold shymind.com harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms or misuse of the Service.

14. Governing Law & Disputes

shymind.com is available to users worldwide, and we aim to comply with applicable laws in the regions we serve. If a dispute arises, we ask that you first contact us so we can try to resolve it informally and in good faith. Nothing in these Terms removes any non-waivable consumer protection rights you have under the mandatory laws of your country or state of residence, regardless of what this section says. Where a dispute cannot be resolved informally, it will be settled through binding arbitration or the courts of competent jurisdiction over the parties, as permitted by applicable law.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will update the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, provide additional notice (such as an email or in-app notification). Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

16. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms can be sent to Support@Shymind.com or via our Contact page.