Disclosure
True North
1. What Sage Is — and What It Is Not
1.1 Nature of Sage
Sage is an artificial intelligence tool designed to provide reflective prompts, educational content, and structured coaching-adjacent support within the True North Strong, LLC program framework. Sage is not a licensed mental health professional, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, counselor, or any other licensed healthcare provider.
Sage does not provide:
- Psychotherapy, psychological counseling, or mental health treatment of any kind
- Diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of any mental health condition or disorder
- Medical advice of any kind
- Crisis intervention or emergency mental health services
- Legal, financial, or medical advice
Sage is an automated AI tool. It has no ability to exercise clinical judgment, no ability to assess imminent risk to safety, and no ability to form a therapeutic relationship. Interactions with Sage are not confidential in the way that licensed therapy communications are protected under law.
1.2 The Coaching Distinction
True North Strong, LLC and its founder Peg McDermott offer life coaching services. Life coaching is not therapy. It is not a licensed profession under the laws of Virginia, California, New York, or any other jurisdiction. Life coaching does not involve the diagnosis or treatment of mental health disorders and is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics, to which True North Strong, LLC adheres, requires coaches to refer clients to licensed mental health professionals when issues arise that fall outside the scope of coaching. Sage is programmed to operate within these same boundaries.
Sage was designed as an extension of the True North Strong, LLC coaching framework — not as an independent practitioner, therapeutic tool, or standalone mental health resource. It reflects the values, methodology, and approach of the CLEAR Pathway coaching framework. It does not replicate, replace, or constitute the services of any licensed professional, including Peg McDermott herself.
2. State-Specific Disclosures
Notice to All Users
The following disclosures are required by or reflect best practices under applicable state laws governing mental health services, AI-assisted tools, and consumer protection. All users are encouraged to read the disclosure applicable to their state of residence.
2.1 California
California Business and Professions Code § 2903 prohibits the unlicensed practice of psychology. Sage does not provide psychological services as defined under California law. Sage is not a licensed provider under the California Department of Consumer Affairs.
Under California’s AI transparency requirements, including provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have the right to know when you are interacting with an automated system. Sage is an automated AI system. You are not speaking with a human being.
Sage generates responses using artificial intelligence. Responses are not authored by a licensed mental health professional and should not be interpreted as clinical guidance.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis in California, please contact the California Crisis Line at 988 or visit your nearest emergency room.
2.2 New York
New York Education Law Article 153 governs the practice of psychology. Sage does not constitute the practice of psychology, counseling, or mental health services as defined under New York law. True North Strong, LLC is not registered as a mental health clinic or provider with the New York State Office of Mental Health.
You are hereby notified that Sage is an automated artificial intelligence system. No human is monitoring your individual conversations with Sage in real time.
If you are in New York and experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or contact NYC Well at 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355).
2.3 Virginia
Virginia Code § 54.1-3600 et seq. governs the practice of counseling and mental health services in Virginia. Sage does not constitute counseling or mental health services under Virginia law. True North Strong, LLC and Peg McDermott operate as life coaches, which is not a licensed profession in Virginia and is therefore not regulated by the Virginia Board of Counseling or any other licensing board.
If you are in Virginia and experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the Virginia Crisis Line at 988 or the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services at dbhds.virginia.gov.
2.4 All Other States
Life coaching is not a licensed or regulated profession in any U.S. state. However, the unlicensed practice of therapy, psychology, or counseling is illegal in all states. True North Strong, LLC and Sage do not provide and are not intended to provide any services that would constitute the practice of therapy, counseling, or psychology under any state’s law. If you are unsure whether the support you need falls within the scope of coaching or requires a licensed professional, please consult a licensed mental health provider in your jurisdiction.
3. Language That Crosses Coaching into Therapy: User Guidance
3.1 What Sage Is Designed to Do
Sage is designed to:
– Provide structured reflective prompts aligned with the True North Strong, LLC CLEAR Pathway coaching framework
– Offer educational content about self-sabotage patterns, limiting beliefs, and personal development concepts
– Support users in completing program coursework and workbook exercises
– Encourage self-reflection and awareness
– Direct users to appropriate professional resources when topics exceed the scope of coaching
Sage will not:
– Diagnose, treat, or assess any mental health condition
– Provide therapeutic interventions such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, or any other clinical modality
– Process trauma in a clinical sense
– Replace ongoing therapy or psychiatric care
– Make clinical assessments of any kind
3.2 Recognizing the Boundary
The boundary between coaching and therapy is meaningful and legally significant. Coaching addresses present-day patterns, goals, and forward movement. Therapy addresses diagnosis, clinical treatment of mental health disorders, and the clinical processing of trauma.
If, during your use of Sage, you find yourself experiencing significant emotional distress, needing to process acute trauma or abuse, managing symptoms of a diagnosed mental health condition, having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, or requiring clinical care for any condition — your needs are beyond the scope of what Sage, True North Strong, LLC, or life coaching can appropriately provide. We strongly encourage you to seek support from a licensed mental health professional.
3.3 Referral Commitment
Sage is programmed to recognize certain content patterns and respond with appropriate referrals to licensed care. This is not a safety guarantee — Sage is an AI with real limitations. If you are in distress, do not rely on Sage as your first or only resource. Contact a crisis line or licensed professional directly.
4. Crisis Response Protocol and Legal Requirements
4.1 Emergency Situations
IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER OR EXPERIENCING A MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY,
CALL 911 OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM IMMEDIATELY.
Sage is not equipped to respond to emergencies. Do not use Sage in place of emergency services.
4.2 Crisis Resources
The following resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Available in English and Spanish across all U.S. states.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
SAMHSA National Helpline (Substance Use): 1-800-662-4357
NYC Well (New York City residents): 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355)
4.3 Sage’s Limitations in Crisis
Sage does not have the ability to contact emergency services on your behalf, assess the severity of a crisis, provide real-time safety planning, monitor your wellbeing between sessions, or guarantee any response within a specific timeframe.
If Sage’s responses suggest you may be in crisis, it will provide crisis resource information. This is an automated response, not a clinical assessment. A human being is not reviewing your conversation in real time. If you are in crisis, please use the resources listed above immediately.
4.4 Confidentiality Limitations
Interactions with Sage are not protected by therapist-client privilege, psychologist-patient privilege, or any similar legal protection. Sage conversations may be stored, reviewed for quality and safety purposes, and used to improve the True North Strong, LLC platform, subject to the True North Strong, LLC Privacy Policy. They do not carry the legal protections afforded to communications with licensed mental health professionals.
5. Liability: The “Extension of Peg” Framing
5.1 Important Clarification
Sage is described within the True North Strong, LLC platform as an “always-available coaching companion” that reflects Peg McDermott’s coaching values, methodology, and framework. This framing describes Sage’s design orientation — it was built using the True North Strong, LLC CLEAR Pathway framework and trained on that methodology.
This framing does not mean, and should not be interpreted to mean, that:
– Sage is Peg McDermott or a substitute for direct interaction with Peg McDermott
– Sage provides the professional judgment of a human coach
– Interactions with Sage are equivalent to personal coaching sessions with Peg McDermott
– Peg McDermott is personally reviewing, supervising, or endorsing individual Sage responses in real time
– True North Strong, LLC guarantees that Sage’s responses will be accurate, appropriate, or complete in any given situation
5.2 No Warranty
SAGE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TRUE NORTH STRONG MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT SAGE WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS, BE AVAILABLE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, BE FREE FROM ERRORS, OR PRODUCE ANY PARTICULAR OUTCOME.
AI-generated content has inherent limitations. Sage may produce responses that are incomplete, inaccurate, contextually inappropriate, or unhelpful in a given situation. You are responsible for evaluating the appropriateness of Sage’s responses for your own circumstances.
5.3 Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TRUE NORTH STRONG, ITS FOUNDER, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF SAGE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
Reliance on Sage’s responses as professional advice of any kind
Emotional distress or harm arising from Sage interactions
Failure of Sage to provide crisis intervention or emergency support
Any action taken or not taken based on Sage’s responses
Technical failures, interruptions, or data loss
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In those states, the above limitations may not apply to you.
5.4 Indemnification
By using Sage, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless True North Strong, LLC and its founder, employees, contractors, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your use of Sage or your violation of these terms.
5.5 Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising from your use of Sage that cannot be resolved informally shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Virginia in accordance with the American Arbitration Association’s Consumer Arbitration Rules.
6. User Acknowledgment
By using Sage, you acknowledge and agree that:
You understand Sage is an artificial intelligence tool, not a human coach, therapist, or licensed professional
You understand that Sage does not provide therapy, counseling, or mental health treatment
You will not use Sage as a substitute for licensed mental health care when such care is needed
You will contact emergency services or a crisis line immediately if you are in danger
You understand that interactions with Sage are not protected by therapist-client privilege
You understand that the “extension of Peg” framing describes Sage’s design framework, not a personal supervisory relationship
You have read and agree to these terms in their entirety
7. Updates to This Disclosure
True North Strong, LLC reserves the right to update this disclosure at any time. The current version will always be available at [INSERT URL]. Your continued use of Sage after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users.
