About

A gentler kind
of technology.

haven was built on a quiet belief: that being heard is a need, not a luxury. And that the tools we reach for in hard moments shouldn't be harvesting us for ad revenue while they help.

Most people don't need a diagnosis. They need someone — or something — to sit with them for a few minutes, reflect back what they're feeling, and help them find a next step. haven is our attempt at that thing.

Not a replacement for therapy. Not pretending to be a friend. Just a careful, private space to think out loud, with eight voices designed to meet different moods.

What we stand for

Three non-negotiables.

The principles that shape every feature and every word.

01

Privacy is a promise, not a feature.

We don't host your data. We don't have a database. We don't have analytics. haven runs in your browser and talks directly to the AI provider you choose. When you close the tab, the conversation is gone — and that's intentional.

02

Boundaries are part of the care.

Every mentor is prompted to know what it is and what it isn't. We won't diagnose. We won't prescribe. We will — every time — point toward human help when it's warranted. A tool that won't admit its limits isn't safe.

03

Gentleness beats cleverness.

We tuned the mentors to slow down, to reflect, to ask. Not to dispense quick fixes. When you're in the middle of something hard, the wrong kind of help can make things worse. We'd rather be soft and useful than impressive and brittle.

Under the hood

How it works, plainly.

No black box. Here's the whole stack.

1

You pick a mood and a mentor

Each mentor is defined by a short system prompt describing their name, role, and style — plus a shared safety rubric every mentor follows.

2

Your browser calls Google's Gemini API directly

There is no haven server. The request goes from your browser to Google, using an API key that lives in your localStorage and nowhere else.

3

The response appears in your chat

The message history is kept in memory so the mentor has context. Close the tab and it's cleared. No sync, no cloud, no leak.

4

You can export or forget

One click downloads the transcript as a text file for your own records. Or don't — the default is forgetting.

FAQ

Honest answers.

Is haven a replacement for therapy?

No — and we'd be worried about anything that claimed to be. haven is a low-friction place to think out loud, try grounding tools, or feel a bit less alone at 2am. If you're dealing with something ongoing or acute, please connect with a licensed professional. The resources page has places to start.

Who sees my conversations?

Your conversations go from your browser to Google's Gemini API and back. We don't run a server, so no conversation ever reaches us. Google's data policy applies to API traffic — worth reading if that matters to you.

Why do I need my own API key?

Because "free with no account" only works if the cost is somewhere. We didn't want the cost to be your data or your attention, so we chose to let you bring your own key. Gemini offers a generous free tier — most casual use costs nothing.

What if I mention self-harm or suicide?

Every mentor is prompted to respond with compassion and to surface crisis resources immediately: 988, Crisis Text Line, and similar. It will not try to handle a crisis alone. If you're in one right now, please call or text 988 — a real person will pick up.

Can I use haven on my phone?

Yes. It's a responsive web app — open it in any browser on any device. There's no app to install. If you'd like a home screen icon, "Add to Home Screen" in your mobile browser works well.

Can I save or journal my conversations?

Inside a session, yes — hit the download button in the chat header to export the transcript as a plain text file. Between sessions, nothing is stored; that's by design. If journaling matters to you, export and keep the file somewhere you trust.

Is haven free?

The haven interface is free and open. The only cost is whatever Google charges you for Gemini API usage, which for most people is $0.

Which mentor should I pick?

Honestly: whichever one feels right. Use the mood picker for a suggestion, but the best mentor is the one whose voice makes you want to keep talking. You can switch anytime.

A few important limits.

haven is not a licensed mental health provider, and it cannot diagnose, treat, or prescribe anything. If you're in an emergency or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, please reach out to a crisis line (988 in the US) or go to your nearest emergency room. If you're looking for ongoing care, please work with a qualified therapist or psychiatrist. haven is designed to complement that care — never to stand in for it.

That's the whole idea.

A private corner of the internet where you can show up exactly as you are.

Open haven