STANDARDS & COVENANT
The Heartye Covenant
Ten clauses. Each one can be cited — the aggrieved party defends themselves with the rule itself, not with the platform's goodwill.
Most of the trust crisis in mental health is not the malice of bad actors, but the absence of a set of rules both sides can read and both sides can invoke. Platform terms are written unilaterally by the platform — and interpreted unilaterally by the platform when something goes wrong. That is part of the problem.
The Heartye Covenant was written against this: ten clauses, each with sources, open in full. It binds those who seek support, it binds listeners, and it binds Heartye itself. Every revision is logged publicly. It is v0.9 — we do not pretend it is finished, and we sincerely invite you to help write it.
Rules are not written to punish anyone. They are written so that the weaker party has something to cite.
—— THE COVENANT · PREAMBLE, DRAFT V0.9
Equality
No one stands above anyone. The platform is not an authority; it is a connector. Seekers and listeners are equals in dignity — including equals with Heartye itself.
Mental Health Law of the PRC (dignity of persons with mental disorders is protected by law); UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Respect
Seekers have the right to hold things unsaid. Either side may leave a session at any time. Not pressing further is the first courtesy of listening.
Rogers, Client-Centered Therapy (1951); American Psychological Association, Ethical Principles Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity
Privacy
Conversations are not persistently stored by default; they are auto-deleted after time-limited retention. No profiling, no advertising, no training.
Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC (PIPL); APA Ethics Code Standard 4: Privacy and Confidentiality
Freedom
Either party may end a session at any moment. Leaving is a right, not a fault. No reasons required, no apologies required.
BACP Ethical Framework: the client's right to end the counselling relationship at any time
Responsibility
When you can no longer carry it, you must refer before you exit. Referral is not failure; it is responsibility. Recognising signals beyond your own competence is a required course for every listener.
Chinese Psychological Society, Code of Ethics for Clinical and Counseling Psychology (referral and competence-boundary clauses)
Authenticity
AI must never impersonate a human presence. AI is infrastructure, not a participant. At any moment you may ask "are you human?" and receive an honest answer.
Interim Measures for the Administration of Generative AI Services (no false representation or impersonation); Heartye WeYann Product Whitepaper, AI positioning clause
No labels
Pain does not need to be assessed for value before it can be caught. No diagnosis, no definitions, no labels — asking for help requires no eligibility review.
WHO report on mental health stigma (stigma drives label avoidance)
No mysticism
Linking psychological support with astrology, tarot, or "energy healing" is permanently prohibited. Psychological support stands on the side of science.
The falsification tradition since Lilienfeld et al., What's Wrong with the Mental Health Professions?; industry rules against claims beyond professional scope
No commercial harassment
During companionship: no selling, no funneling, no conversion. The platform is a space of trust, not an advertising channel. For 72 hours after a session ends, no marketing messages may be sent to the seeker.
APA Ethics Code (prohibition of exploitation and improper multiple relationships); BACP Ethical Framework (exploitation prohibited)
Traceability
The platform verifies every participant's identity as the law requires, yet users never see each other's. When something goes wrong there is a record; every other day, no one knows. Both hold at once.
Cybersecurity Law of the PRC (real-name registration); WeYann Privacy Whitepaper (user-to-user anonymity)
On sources: the references above are public documents and regulations consulted during drafting, cited to the level of document and clause for verification. Citation does not imply endorsement of Heartye by these institutions. Where a covenant clause conflicts with a cited source, the reading more protective of the user prevails.
REVISIONS
Revision log
Renamed "Open Framework" and published in full; sources added clause by clause; public comments open until October 1.
Internal draft: the ten-clause framework took shape; "Equality" and "Traceability" replaced "Friendliness" and "Transparency".
To be published after the comment period: public feedback absorbed, with an "adopted / not adopted" list and reasons.
CO-CREATE
This covenant is still being written.
We sincerely invite you to write it with us.
Whether you are a practitioner, a seeker, a researcher, or simply passing by — if you have been hurt in this industry, seen its problems, or know which clause is not sharp enough, we want to hear it.
Give feedback
Any clause — wrong, insufficient, or too soft — point at it directly. v1.0 will answer every comment with an adopted / not adopted list.
covenant@heartye.cnCite a clause
If you have been treated unfairly here or on any platform, cite this covenant in your appeal. The most-cited clause is the clause most in need of strengthening.
Every letter is heardCo-sign
Organizations and practitioners may apply to co-sign. Signing is not an endorsement of Heartye — it is a shared commitment to these ten baselines.
hello@heartye.cn