1. The Terms and Conditions

The following are the Terms and Conditions (the “Agreement”) which govern your access and use of our online platform through which counseling may be provided (collectively the “Platform”). The Platform may be provided or be accessible via multiple websites or applications whether owned and/or operated by us or by third parties, including, without limitation, the website mindtales.me and its related apps.

Your access to and use of the Platform, is a positive affirmation of your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and by checking the below box you are entering into this Agreement. You should read this Agreement carefully before starting to use the Platform. If you do not agree to be bound to any term of this Agreement, you must not access the Platform.

When the terms “we”, “us”, “our” or similar are used in this Agreement, they refer to any company that owns and operates the Platform (the “Company”).

We reserve the right to amend this Agreement at any time in our sole discretion by posting the revised Agreement on the www.MindTales.me website. Your continued use of the Service after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Agreement.

When the term “applicable law” or similar is used in this Agreement, it refers to the law of the United Arab Emirates.

2. The Counselors and Counselor Services

The Platform may be used to connect you with a Counselor who will provide services to you through the Platform (“Counselor Services”).

We require every Counselor providing Counselor Services on the Platform to be an accredited, trained, and experienced licensed psychologist (PhD / PsyD), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), or similar applicable recognized professional certification based on their state and/or jurisdiction. Counselors must have a relevant academic degree in their field, at least 3 years of experience, at least 1,000 hours of hands-on experience, and have to be qualified and certified by their respective professional board after successfully completing the necessary education, exams, training and practice requirements as applicable.

The Counselors are independent providers who are neither our employees nor agents nor representatives. The Platform’s role is limited to enabling the Counselor Services while the Counselor Services themselves are the responsibility of the Counselor who provides them. If you feel the Counselor Services provided by the Counselor do not fit your needs or expectations, you may change to a different Counselor who provides services through the Platform.

While we hope the Counselor Services are beneficial to you, you understand, agree and acknowledge that they may not be the appropriate solution for everyone’s needs and that they may not be appropriate for every particular situation and/or may not be a complete substitute for a face-to-face examination and/or care in every particular situation.

MINDTALES DOES NOT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR CRISIS SITUATIONS WHERE YOU MAY BE THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE OR IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HARMING YOURSELF OR OTHERS OR IF YOU FEEL THAT ANY OTHER PERSON MAY BE IN ANY DANGER OR IF YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR URGENT NEEDS. IN CASE YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A CRISIS SITUATION, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY CALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICE NUMBER (999 IN THE UAE) OR YOUR LOCAL CRISIS SERVICES, NOTIFY THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND SEEK IMMEDIATE IN PERSON ASSISTANCE. THE PLATFORM IS NEITHER DESIGNED NOR INTENDED FOR USE IN ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CASES AND THE COUNSELORS CANNOT PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE REQUIRED IN ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CASES.

INFORMATION SHARED DURING SESSIONS WITH YOUR COUNSELLOR ARE CONFIDENTIAL; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: IF YOU PRESENT AS A DANGER TO YOURSELF AND/OR OTHER PEOPLE, REPORT ABUSE OF CHILDREN OR ELDERS, WHEREBY YOU ARE REQUIRED TO RELEASE INFORMATION BY LAW OR IF YOU SIGN RELEASE OF INFORMATION.

THE PLATFORM IS NOT INTENDED FOR THE PROVISION OF CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS REQUIRING AN IN-PERSON EVALUATION AND YOU SHOULD NOT USE IT IF YOU NEED ANY OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION OR APPROVALS FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, COURT-ORDERED COUNSELING OR EMOTIONAL SERVICE. IT IS ALSO NOT INTENDED FOR ANY INFORMATION REGARDING WHICH DRUGS OR MEDICAL TREATMENT MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU, AND YOU SHOULD DISREGARD ANY SUCH ADVICE IF DELIVERED THROUGH THE PLATFORM.

DO NOT DISREGARD, AVOID, OR DELAY IN OBTAINING IN-PERSON CARE FROM YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE OF INFORMATION OR ADVICE YOU RECEIVED THROUGH THE PLATFORM.

3. Privacy and Security

Protecting and safeguarding any information you provide through the Platform is extremely important to us. Information about our security and privacy practices can be found below in our Privacy Policy section (The ‘Privacy Policy’).

BY AGREEING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND/OR BY USING THE PLATFORM, YOU ARE ALSO AGREEING TO THE TERMS OF THE PRIVACY POLICY. THE PRIVACY POLICY IS INCORPORATED INTO AND DEEMED A PART OF THIS AGREEMENT. THE SAME RULES THAT APPLY REGARDING CHANGES AND REVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT ALSO APPLY TO CHANGES AND REVISIONS OF THE PRIVACY POLICY.

4. Third Party Content

The Platform may contain other content, products or services which are offered or provided by third parties (“Third Party Content”), links to Third Party Content (including but not limited to links to other websites) or advertisements which are related to Third Party Content. We have no responsibility for the creation of any such Third Party Content, including (but not limited to) any related products, practices, terms or policies, and we will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by any Third Party Content.

5. Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Liability

YOU HEREBY RELEASE US AND AGREE TO HOLD US HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL CAUSES OF ACTION AND CLAIMS OF ANY NATURE RESULTING FROM THE COUNSELOR SERVICES OR THE PLATFORM, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) ANY ACT, OMISSION, OPINION, RESPONSE, ADVICE, SUGGESTION, INFORMATION AND/OR SERVICE OF ANY COUNSELOR AND/OR ANY OTHER CONTENT OR INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE PLATFORM.

YOU UNDERSTAND, AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, SECURITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ACCURACY. THE USE OF THE PLATFORM IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, WE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

YOU UNDERSTAND, AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY AND ALL USE OF THE PLATFORM, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DAMAGES, BE IT DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES.

If the applicable law does not allow the limitation (or if it allows such limitations but with certain restrictions) of liability as set forth above, the limitation will be deemed modified to allow the above limitation to the maximum extent permitted under such applicable law.

This section (limitation of liability) shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

6. Your account, representations, conduct and commitments

You hereby confirm that you are legally able to consent to receive Services, or have the consent of a parent or guardian, and that you are legally able to enter into a contract.

You hereby confirm and agree that all the information that you provided in or through the Platform, and the information that you will provide in or through the Platform in the future, is accurate, true, current and complete. Furthermore, you agree that during the term of this Agreement you will make sure to maintain and update this information so it will continue to be accurate, current and complete.

You agree, confirm and acknowledge that you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and any other security information related to your account (collectively “Account Access”). We advise you to change your password frequently and to take extra care in safeguarding your password.

You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your Account Access or any other concern for breach of your account security.

You agree, confirm and acknowledge that we will not be liable for any loss or damage that incurred as a result of someone else using your account, either with or without your consent and/or knowledge.

You agree, confirm and acknowledge that you are solely and fully liable and responsible for all activities performed using your Account Access. You further acknowledge and agree that we will hold you liable and responsible for any damage or loss incurred as a result of the use of your Account Access by any person whether authorized by you or not, and you agree to indemnify us for any such damage or loss.

You agree and commit not to use the account or Account Access of any other person for any reason.

You agree and confirm that your use of the Platform, including the Counselor Services, are for your own personal use only and that you are not using the Platform or the Counselor Services for or behalf of any other person or organization.

You agree and commit not to interfere with or disrupt, or attempt to interfere with or disrupt, any of our systems, services, servers, networks or infrastructure, or any of the Platform’s systems, services, servers, networks or infrastructure, including without limitation obtaining unauthorized access to the aforementioned.

You agree and commit not to make any use of the Platform for the posting, sending or delivering of either of the following: (a) unsolicited email and/or advertisement or promotion of goods and services; (b) malicious software or code; (c) unlawful, harassing, privacy invading, abusive, threatening, vulgar, obscene, racist or potentially harmful content; (d) any content that infringes a third party right including intellectual property rights; (e) any content that may cause damage to a third party; (f) any content which may constitute, cause or encourage a criminal action or violate any applicable law.

You agree and commit not to violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation or ethical code in relation to your use of the Platform and your relationship with the Counselors and us.

If you receive any file from us or from a Counselor, whether through the Platform or not, you agree to check and scan this file for any virus or malicious software prior to opening or using this file.

You will indemnify us, defend us, and hold us harmless from and against any and all claims, losses, causes of action, demands, liabilities, costs or expenses (including, but not limited to, litigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) arising out of or relating to any of the following: (a) your access to or use of the Platform; (b) any actions made with your account or Account Access whether by you or by someone else; (c) your violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement; (d) non-payment for any of the services (including Counselor Services) which were provided through the Platform; (e) your violation of any third party right, including, without limitation, any intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property or privacy right. This clause shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.

You confirm and agree to use only credit cards or other payment means (collectively “Payment Means”) which you are duly and fully authorized to use, and that all payment related information that you provided and will provide in the future, to or through the Platform, is accurate, current and correct and will continue to be accurate, current and correct.

You agree to pay all fees and charges associated with your Account on a timely basis and according to the fees schedule, the terms and the rates as published in the Platform. By providing us with your Payment Means you authorize us to bill and charge you through that Payment Means and you agree to maintain valid Payment Means information in your Account information.

If you have any concerns about a bill or a payment, please contact us immediately by sending an email to admin@mindtales.me We will evaluate your issue on a case by case basis and, at our discretion, take steps to resolve any issue, including but not limited to helping you find a new Counselor, extending your subscription at no cost to you, and issuing partial or full refunds when applicable.

7. MindTales Refund Policy
   

• You are eligible for a full refund if you contact our support team at social@mindtales.me within 14 days of purchasing your subscription.
• To qualify, your subscription must be unused and you must not have participated in more than one (1) coaching session on the first Month.

• After the initial 14-day window and the complimentary first session of your first month, only partial refunds are available. This is because you’ve already accessed a portion of the service.
• The amount of your partial refund will be based on the unused sessions remaining in your subscription at the time of your request.

• You purchase a 4-session subscription and use 2 sessions within the first 14 days. You decide to request a refund.
• In this case, you would be eligible for a partial refund for the remaining 2 unused sessions.

• Due to the digital nature of our service, refunds cannot be issued after the 14-day window from the initial purchase, except for unused sessions in subsequent months.
• This policy applies to all subscription packages, including those with additional free sessions offered in the first month.
• By purchasing a subscription, you acknowledge and agree to this refund policy, including limitations on refunds for partially used subscriptions. You relinquish any rights to contest this policy through questioning, legal action, or judgement.
• Refunds will be processed using the original payment method within 14 business days.
• Once a refund is issued, you will no longer have access to any remaining coaching sessions in your subscription.

8. Modifications, Termination, Interruption and Disruptions to the Platform

You understand, agree and acknowledge that we may modify, suspend, disrupt or discontinue the Platform, any part of the Platform or the use of the Platform, whether to all clients or to you specifically, at any time with or without notice to you. You agree and acknowledge that we will not be liable for any of the aforementioned actions or for any losses or damages that are caused by any of the aforementioned actions.

The Platform depends on various factors such as software, hardware and tools, either our own or those owned and/or operated by our contractors and suppliers. While we make commercially reasonable efforts to ensure the Platform’s reliability and accessibility, you understand and agree that no platform can be 100% reliable and accessible and so we cannot guarantee that access to the Platform will be uninterrupted or that it will be accessible, consistent, timely or error-free at all times.

9. Notices

We may provide notices or other communications to you regarding this agreement or any aspect of the Platform, by email to the email address that we have on record, by regular mail or by posting it online. The date of receipt shall be deemed the date on which such notice is given. Notices sent to us must be delivered by email to admin@mindtales.me

10. Important notes about our Agreement

This Agreement and our relationship with you shall both be governed by and interpreted solely in accordance with the laws of the United Arab Emirates.

You irrevocably agree that any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination and any dispute regarding non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with it, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered under the arbitration rules of the ICC. The legal place, or seat, of the arbitration shall be Abu Dhabi Global Market. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The number of arbitrators shall be one. The law of the arbitration agreement shall be the law of the United Arab Emirates.

THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND US. YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE NOT RELIED UPON ANY PROMISES OR REPRESENTATIONS BY US EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT.

We may change this Agreement by posting modifications on the Platform. Unless otherwise specified by us, all modifications shall be effective upon posting. Therefore, you are encouraged to check the terms of this Agreement frequently. The last update date of this Agreement is posted at the bottom of the Agreement. By using the Platform after the changes become effective, you agree to be bound by such changes to the Agreement. If you do not agree to the changes, you must terminate access to and stop using the Platform and participation in its services.

We may freely transfer or assign this Agreement or any of its obligations hereunder.

The paragraph headings in this Agreement are solely for the sake of convenience and will not be applied in the interpretation of this Agreement.

If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid, unenforceable, or otherwise contrary to law, the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect.

To clear any doubt, all clauses regarding limitations of liabilities and indemnification shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

11. Screening Methodology

How does MindTales assess my anxiety and depression levels?

At Mindtales, we use industry standard tests to determine your anxiety and depression scores. In particular, for anxiety screening we use a 7-item anxiety scale (GAD-7), and for depression screening we use Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

What is your research-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program about?

All MindTales community members have full access to our comprehensive science-backed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program. Our program equips you with the necessary skills to boost your personal development and embed growth mindset to your life.

12. Here’s a look into what your growth mindset journey includes:

-Online Coaching Sessions – with top licensed professionals/coaches from around the world, giving each individual full flexibility, accessibility, and confidentiality to seek the guidance they need and deserve.

-In-person & Online Group Webinars – we provide you with a pool of topics to choose from depending on your analytics and needs.

Science-backed CBT exercises to help you identify barriers that are preventing you from achieving your goals.

– Holistic Wellness – improve your community and relationships for greater satisfaction in your day-to-day.

– Variety of Meditation Tracks – choose your pick to match your mood.

– Updated Learning Zones – perfect if you’re new to mental health or you’d like to keep learning about CBT.

– Badges and Prizes – with each level unlocked, use your coin collection to access exclusive health content.

– Reminders and Daily Motivation to track important SMART goals, make time for your hobbies and schedule your worrying.

– Personalised Wellness Journey – track your progress weekly and receive recommendations for Activity Zones that can benefit you.

– 360 Journaling – from your Emotions Diary to Gratitude Journal, your reflections are valued, respected and included as a part of your journey.

– Convenience – All this and more, available 24/7 in your pocket.

– Science-backed Insights & Reports – if your journey is with your organisation, we provide HR with monthly reports reflecting your overall culture, feel, and the employee’s emotional wellbeing.

Last Reviewed: March 6 2024