Tethered Consulting
Effective Date: May 1, 2026
You are interacting with an artificial intelligence system, not a human being. Tether is an educational coaching tool for navigating organizational change — not therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis services. No human reviews or approves individual responses in real time. In an emergency, call 911.
Tether is a single AI coaching tool deployed by employers to help their employees navigate organizational change. It is not a consumer app — it is a professional development tool accessed through your organization.
The platform is grounded in the ADKAR change management model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) and evidence-based psychological frameworks including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing. These frameworks inform how Tether approaches coaching conversations about change uncertainty, adjustment, and adoption.
Tether was developed by Joree Rose, MA, LMFT, and Dr. John Schinnerer, PhD (UC Berkeley). Their professional training and clinical experience shaped the coaching frameworks, knowledge base, and safety protocols embedded in the platform. See Section 5 for important context about their roles.
Tether is powered by Claude, a large language model developed by Anthropic, Inc. This means:
| Tether IS | Tether IS NOT |
|---|---|
| An educational coaching tool for navigating work-related organizational change | Therapy, counseling, or clinical mental health care |
| Grounded in evidence-based frameworks (ADKAR, CBT, ACT, motivational interviewing) | Medical care, diagnosis, or treatment of any condition |
| Available 24/7 for in-the-moment coaching support during change | A crisis service or emergency resource |
| Scenario-specific coaching for reorgs, new managers, system rollouts, and change adoption | A substitute for your organization's EAP |
| A professional development resource deployed as a workplace benefit | A performance management, surveillance, or monitoring tool |
| Designed to complement human HR, manager, and EAP support | Continuously monitored by a human in real time |
Joree Rose is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), mindfulness teacher, author, and educator based in California. She contributed her clinical expertise and evidence-based frameworks to the design and content of the Tether platform. Joree Rose is not providing licensed therapy, counseling, or clinical mental health services through Tether. Tether is not a clinical service, and no therapeutic relationship is formed between Authorized Users and Joree Rose through use of the platform.
Dr. John Schinnerer holds a PhD in Psychology from UC Berkeley. He is an executive coach, speaker, and applied psychologist with extensive experience in emotional intelligence, change navigation, and organizational performance. He contributed his coaching expertise, research knowledge, and curriculum frameworks to Tether's design. Dr. Schinnerer is not providing licensed clinical psychological services through Tether. His contributions to Tether are in the capacity of an educator and coach, not as a licensed clinician delivering clinical care.
Users should be aware of the following inherent limitations of AI coaching:
Tether employs an automated three-tier safety system designed to recognize when an employee's needs exceed what a coaching tool can provide and to redirect them to appropriate human support.
The vast majority of interactions fall here. Stress about a reorg, frustration with a new manager, anxiety about job security, uncertainty during a system rollout — these are exactly what Tether is built for. The AI coaches normally: acknowledges, reframes, asks a focused question, suggests a next step.
When an employee expresses hopelessness, feelings of being trapped, or prolonged despair that goes beyond situational work stress, Tether activates a soft escalation. The AI pauses coaching, acknowledges what was shared without judgment, states clearly that this goes beyond typical work stress, and refers the employee to their company's EAP as a confidential resource.
When an employee mentions self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or intent to harm themselves or others, Tether stops coaching immediately. The AI expresses direct concern, provides the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and instructs the employee to call 911 if in immediate danger. The coaching conversation does not continue.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US, 24/7)
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (mental health and substance use, 24/7, free and confidential)
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Emergency Services: Call 911
Do not rely on Tether to detect an emergency. If you or someone you know is in danger, call 911 immediately.
Safety protocol limitation: These protocols are automated and may not catch every at-risk situation. They are designed to help — they are not a substitute for human judgment, a licensed mental health professional, or emergency services.
Tether discloses at the start of each session, and on this page, that the user is interacting with an artificial intelligence system and not a human being. This disclosure is required by California AB 489 for automated decision systems and AI-powered services.
California SB 243 (effective July 1, 2025) establishes safety requirements for AI systems that interact with users on personal topics. Tether complies through: (1) a three-tier safety protocol that redirects users to crisis resources when warranted; (2) automated logging of safety event activations (not conversation content); (3) annual anonymized reporting on safety event rates, beginning July 1, 2027; and (4) this AI disclosure page. Safety event logs are retained for a minimum of three years.
Tethered Consulting, as the operator of the Tether platform, is responsible for the AI system's design, safety protocols, and compliance with California AI law. Anthropic (the model provider) is not the operator of Tether and is not responsible for Tether's use of its API.
By accessing and using the Tether platform, you confirm that you:
Questions about Tether's AI design, safety protocols, or compliance practices should be directed to:
Tethered Consulting
joree@comcast.net