What it is
Thread is a conversational AI tool inside the Rula Patient App. It gives your clients a space to navigate difficult moments as they arise, reflect on their thoughts and feelings, access resources you've recommended, and identify topics to discuss in their next session with you.
Thread is AI, it is not a clinician. It does not replace the role of a therapist.
At this time, access to Thread varies baed on location, insurance, age and other factors.
Currently, the Rula Patient App and accompanying Rula provider portal features for providers is available to a small group of patients as we continue to test the experience and gather feedback. We’ll let you and your patients know when it becomes available more broadly.
How clients use Thread
When a client opens Thread, they have a space to type what they're feeling or what's on their mind in the moment. The conversation may include follow-up questions, and Thread can surface coping skills or articles the client can open and complete right in the app. The client can also note how they're feeling as they go.
Thread was developed with input from clinicians and pulls from context you've shared with the client — such as session summaries and recommended exercises — to stay consistent with their care between sessions. Before their first conversation, clients acknowledge that Thread is a conversational AI tool that does not replace a trained provider and is not for crisis support.
What it does not do
Thread is never in the driver's seat. It does not diagnose, prescribe, provide therapy, or make any clinical decisions, and it is not a replacement for or extension of therapy. It is also not a messaging channel to reach you, and it isn't customer support. You remain the source of your client's clinical care.
How it connects back to your sessions
Thread can help clients identify things they want to discuss with you. Those can flow into the topics they prepare for an upcoming session — so a client may arrive with a clearer sense of what they want to talk through. You see this through the topics they choose to share, not through the conversation in Thread itself.
Privacy and safety
Thread is designed to give clients a private space to reflect on what's on their mind between sessions. Conversations are encrypted, are not part of the client's medical record, and aren't shared with you as part of ongoing care.
That means Thread is separate from client–provider messaging: you're not expected to review Thread conversations, and you can't respond to them. You'll only see what a client chooses to bring into your work together, such as topics they share for an upcoming session.
Thread also includes safety safeguards. Every message is evaluated for potential safety concerns before Thread responds, and if a client may be at immediate risk, Thread ends the conversation and directs them to appropriate crisis resources, including the Rula 24/7 crisis line. If a conversation is flagged for safety, Rula will notify you and share relevant information so you can support your client's care.
FAQ
Can I see my clients’ Thread conversations?
- In our research, clients said they wanted a private space to reflect between sessions and decide what to bring into their session with you. To preserve that privacy, Thread conversations are not shared with providers. Clinical care and decision-making remain with you, and you’ll be notified through Rula’s safety protocol if a message indicates a risk of harm.
Which clients have access?
- Thread is only offered to adult patients (18 or older) in individual therapy. Access may be limited based on where your client lives or their insurance carrier.
Can I opt a client out of Thread, or can my clients opt out?
- Yes. If you have a client whom you do not recommend using Thread, please email provider-feedback@rula.com. Thread is also optional for clients, and they may choose not to use it or discontinue use at anytime
Does anything from Thread show up in the medical record?
- No. The conversations in Thread do not become part of the client's medical record.
How does Thread handle safety concerns?
- Every client message is evaluated for potential safety concerns before Thread responds. If the safety system identifies that a client may be at immediate risk, Thread ends the conversation and directs them to appropriate crisis resources, including the Rula 24/7 crisis line. If a conversation is flagged for safety, Rula will notify you via email and share relevant information from the conversation.
How is Thread different from ChatGPT or other AI tools?
- Thread is a conversational AI tool built for use between sessions, and it pulls from context you've shared with the client, such as a recent session summary or a recommended exercise, to keep the conversation relevant to their care.
Thread is AI, it is not a clinician. It does not replace the role of a therapist.
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