Tethered Consulting
Effective Date: May 1, 2026 | B2B Enterprise Agreement
This is a business-to-business agreement between Tethered Consulting and the organization (the "Customer") that licenses the Tether platform. If you are an employee accessing Tether through your employer, your use is governed by your organization's agreement with Tethered Consulting. Individual employees are "Authorized Users" under this agreement — not parties to it.
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a binding legal agreement between Tethered Consulting ("Tether," "we," "us," or "our") and the organization entering this agreement ("Customer," "you," or "your"). By executing an Order Form, accessing the Tether platform, or permitting Authorized Users to access the platform, the Customer agrees to be bound by these Terms.
The individual accepting these Terms on behalf of the Customer represents and warrants that they have the authority to bind the Customer to this agreement. If you do not have such authority, you must not accept these Terms or permit access to the platform.
"Authorized Users" or "End Users" means the employees, contractors, or other individuals the Customer authorizes to access and use the Tether platform. The Customer is responsible for all Authorized Users' use of the platform.
Tether is an AI-powered change management coaching tool designed to help employees navigate organizational change. The platform is grounded in the ADKAR change management model and evidence-based frameworks including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing principles. It was developed by Joree Rose, MA, LMFT, and Dr. John Schinnerer, PhD.
Tether is not a therapy service, mental health treatment, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), crisis service, or substitute for licensed clinical care. It is an educational and coaching tool for professional development in the context of organizational change. No clinical or therapeutic relationship is formed through use of the platform.
The Customer agrees to communicate this distinction clearly to their Authorized Users as a condition of this agreement.
The Tether platform is powered by Claude, a large language model developed by Anthropic, Inc. Tether's coaching logic, ADKAR-aligned frameworks, and knowledge base are proprietary to Tethered Consulting.
By entering this agreement, the Customer agrees to:
The Customer is responsible for ensuring that all Authorized Users comply with the following conditions of use. By accessing the platform, Authorized Users agree to:
The Customer accepts liability for any breach of these conditions by their Authorized Users to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Tether provides the Customer with access to anonymized aggregate reporting on platform usage, ADKAR stage distribution, and engagement metrics. Individual Authorized User conversations are not shared with the Customer. HR administrators and platform managers see only aggregated, de-identified data.
Tether's AI processes Authorized User messages to generate coaching responses. Message content is transmitted to Anthropic's API and, for retrieval-augmented generation, to OpenAI's embeddings API. Both providers process data subject to their own privacy policies and, by default, do not use API-submitted data to train their models.
For full details on data collection, use, retention, and sharing, see the Privacy Policy. Customers who require a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for GDPR or other compliance purposes should contact joree@comcast.net.
Tether employs a three-tier automated safety system to respond to Authorized Users who may be in distress:
| Tier | Trigger | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Normal coaching range: stress, change anxiety, uncertainty, frustration | Standard ADKAR-aligned coaching response |
| Tier 2 | Hopelessness, feeling trapped, prolonged despair beyond situational stress | Coaching pauses; AI acknowledges distress, refers to company EAP as a confidential resource |
| Tier 3 | Any mention of self-harm, suicidal ideation, or intent to harm oneself or others | Coaching stops immediately; AI provides 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and instructs user to call 911 if in immediate danger |
Important limitation: These safety protocols are automated and imperfect. They are designed to detect certain language patterns but may not identify every at-risk situation. Tether is not a crisis service. Neither Tethered Consulting nor the platform can guarantee detection of or response to every emergency. Tether does not replace an EAP, clinical mental health services, or emergency services.
Safety event logs (Tier 2 and Tier 3 activations) are retained for a minimum of three years in compliance with California SB 243 requirements. Events are logged by timestamp and protocol level — not by conversation content linked to identifiable individuals. See the Crisis Escalation Protocol for full details.
All intellectual property in the Tether platform — including but not limited to coaching logic, system prompts, ADKAR-aligned frameworks, knowledge bases, user interface, design, software, and documentation — is and remains the exclusive property of Tethered Consulting or its licensors.
Nothing in these Terms grants the Customer any ownership interest in the platform. The Customer receives a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the platform for its Authorized Users during the term of its agreement with Tether.
The Customer retains ownership of any data it provides to Tether. By using the platform, the Customer grants Tether a limited license to process such data as necessary to provide the service.
Each party agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the other party's non-public information disclosed in connection with this agreement ("Confidential Information"), using at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information (but no less than reasonable care).
Confidential Information does not include information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of the receiving party; (b) was known to the receiving party before disclosure; (c) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of the disclosing party's Confidential Information; or (d) is required to be disclosed by law, regulation, or court order, provided the receiving party provides prompt notice where permitted.
THE TETHER PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, TETHERED CONSULTING DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY.
AI-generated coaching responses may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for a particular situation. Tether does not warrant that the platform will meet the Customer's requirements or that its outputs will be error-free. The platform is an educational tool and its outputs do not constitute professional advice of any kind.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL TETHERED CONSULTING BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, BUSINESS, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR THE USE OF THE PLATFORM, EVEN IF TETHERED CONSULTING HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
TETHERED CONSULTING'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO THE CUSTOMER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE FEES PAID BY THE CUSTOMER TO TETHERED CONSULTING IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.
These limitations reflect an agreed allocation of risk between the parties. They apply regardless of the theory of liability (contract, tort, strict liability, or otherwise) and will survive and apply even if any limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
The Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Tethered Consulting and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and successors from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law principles. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in California for any matters not subject to arbitration under Section 14.
Before initiating formal proceedings, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the platform. Either party may initiate the negotiation process by providing written notice to the other party. The parties agree to negotiate for at least thirty (30) days before pursuing arbitration.
If negotiation does not resolve the dispute, it shall be finally settled by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Commercial Arbitration Rules (not the Consumer Arbitration Rules). Arbitration shall take place in California. The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
This arbitration provision applies to disputes between Tethered Consulting and the Customer (the contracting organization). Authorized Users who are individual employees are not parties to this arbitration agreement.
All disputes between the parties shall be resolved on an individual basis. Neither party may bring or participate in any class, consolidated, or representative proceeding.
These Terms, together with any executed Order Form and any applicable DPA, constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous negotiations, representations, and agreements.
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
No waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective unless in writing. No waiver constitutes a continuing waiver or a waiver of any other provision.
The Customer may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without Tethered Consulting's prior written consent. Tethered Consulting may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets.
Tethered Consulting reserves the right to update these Terms. Material changes will be communicated to the Customer's designated admin contact with at least thirty (30) days' notice. Continued use of the platform following the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
Questions about these Terms should be directed to Tethered Consulting at joree@comcast.net.