1. Introduction and Acceptance

These Terms and Conditions of Use ('Terms') govern your access to and use of areeka care S.A.L.'s online platform, website, and mobile applications (collectively, the 'Platform,' 'areeka care,' 'we,' 'us,' or 'our'). By accessing or using the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. Definitions

• User/Client/You: Any individual who accesses or uses the Platform.
• Specialist: Independent licensed mental health professionals, including psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, clinical psychologists, counsellors, and other comparable mental health practitioners qualified under applicable law.
• Services: The technology services provided by areeka care, including scheduling, messaging, video communications, and payment facilitation between Users and Specialists.
• Session: A scheduled live interaction (e.g., video call) or other professional engagement between a User and a Specialist via the Platform.
• Content: Any information, text, graphics, audio/video, or materials available through the Platform.

3. Emergency Disclaimer

areeka care is not an emergency or crisis-response service and does not provide urgent care. If you or someone you know is in danger or at risk of harm, call 112 or your local emergency number immediately.

4. Nature of Services and Professional Independence

areeka care provides technology that connects Users with independent Specialists. areeka care does not practice medicine or psychology, does not provide therapy or medical advice, and is not the employer, agent, or representative of any Specialist. All clinical services are provided solely by Specialists, who are independently responsible for their professional conduct, licensing, and compliance with applicable laws and ethical codes. areeka care does not supervise or control the methods, advice, or treatment plans of Specialists and is not liable for outcomes of Sessions or interactions. The Client–Specialist relationship is independent of areeka care.

5. Eligibility and Age Requirements

You must be 18 years or older, or the minimum legal age of consent for therapy in your jurisdiction. If under the applicable age, verifiable parental/guardian consent is required; accounts for minors remain inactive until consent is verified. By using the Platform, you certify that your use complies with the laws of your country of residence and that the information you provide (including emergency contact) is accurate.

6. Account Registration, Security and Compliance

To access Services, you must create an account and provide truthful, current, and complete information. You are responsible for keeping credentials confidential and for all activities under your account. You must not share or use another person's account.

We may access and use account information for fraud prevention, legal compliance, trust and safety, and quality assurance. We may suspend or terminate accounts providing false information or violating these Terms. Where required by law, we will notify you of data breaches affecting your personal data.

7. Specialist Standards, Vetting and Suspension

All Specialists must meet minimum qualification requirements and pass verification (e.g., licenses and credential checks and a clinical interview). Specialists must comply with local licensing laws, ethical codes, and professional standards. areeka care may suspend or remove Specialists for verified misconduct, non-compliance, or risk to Users.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform lawfully and responsibly. You must not:

• Use the Platform for emergencies;
• Harass, impersonate, or post unlawful/harmful content;
• Attempt to hack, overload, or disrupt systems;
• Collect or disclose others' personal data without consent;
• Conduct automated scraping, data mining, or extraction;
• Reverse engineer or probe security.

We may monitor and moderate activity to protect Users and ensure compliance.

9. Payments, Fees and Refunds

Payments for Sessions are processed through integrated third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, Whish Money, OMT). By completing a purchase, you authorise us to charge your selected payment method. A portion of the payment compensates the Specialist; a portion is retained by areeka care for technology, administration, and operational costs.

• Refunds: All fees are non-refundable once a Session is confirmed, except at the sole discretion of areeka care.
• Chargebacks/Disputes: You agree to first contact areeka care to resolve any billing issue before initiating a chargeback with your provider.
• Off-Platform Payments: Specialists are not authorised to accept direct/off-platform payments; doing so may result in account suspension.
• Security: Card payments are processed by Stripe; cash payments may be processed via Whish Money or OMT. Processors are independent third parties; areeka care is not responsible for their acts or omissions.

10. No Medical Advice; Care Limitations

The Platform and its Content are provided for informational and facilitation purposes only and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. areeka care does not prescribe medication and does not guarantee outcomes. Online care has limitations (e.g., inability to respond to emergencies or perform in-person assessments). Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment questions.

11. Intellectual Property and License

All Platform software, design, and content are the property of areeka care S.A.L. or its licensors and are protected by applicable IP laws. Subject to your compliance with these Terms, areeka care grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Platform for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may not copy, modify, create derivative works, reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, or otherwise attempt to derive source code from the Platform or Content, nor may you redistribute, sublicense, or make commercial use thereof without prior written consent.

12. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

areeka care does not store or retain any records of therapy conversations or session notes made by the specialist during sessions - these remain exclusively with the specialist conducting the session.

You acknowledge and agree that therapy-related records may be subject to mandatory legal retention and cannot be deleted on request where the law requires retention.

We follow strict international standards to protect your information - including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Lebanese privacy regulations. These frameworks guide how we collect, store, and safeguard your personal and health data.

The only data we collect and retain are the necessary details you provide when registering on the platform, such as your name, email address, phone number, and session preferences, to provide our online therapy services and communicate with you safely. Your information is handled with transparency and respect, and protected through strong security measures.

We may process anonymised or aggregated data for research, analytics, and quality improvement, in full compliance with applicable law. Cross-border transfers (if any) will be handled with appropriate safeguards as required by data-protection regulations.

Inactive accounts shall be automatically deleted after two (2) years, unless the user logs in again to reactivate the account. By resetting your password and accessing your account, you acknowledge and confirm your intention for areeka care to maintain your account and associated data in active status.

You remain in full control of your data. You can request to access, update, or delete it at any time.

Certain financial/transaction data may be retained separately for accounting compliance.

13. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided 'as is' and 'as available'. areeka care does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or meet your expectations, nor does it warrant the accuracy or completeness of any Content or advice provided by any Specialist.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, areeka care, its directors, employees, affiliates, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive damages, or loss of profits, data, goodwill, or emotional distress, arising out of or relating to your use of the Platform, any Session, or any Specialist's conduct. In all cases, areeka care's aggregate liability arising from or related to these Terms and your use of the Platform shall not exceed the total fees you paid for Sessions via the Platform in the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with the Platform is to stop using it.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless areeka care S.A.L., its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your misuse of the Platform;
• Your violation of these Terms;
• Third-party claims related to your content, conduct, or data misuse.

16. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms or engage in conduct deemed harmful to Users, Specialists, or the Platform. You may stop using the Platform at any time by closing your account. Upon termination, we may retain data as required by law. Any outstanding payment obligations survive termination. Sections relating to intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, governing law, and dispute resolution survive termination.

17. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Class Actions

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Lebanon. Any dispute shall be brought exclusively before the courts of Beirut, Lebanon. To the extent permitted by law, you agree to waive any right to participate in class actions or consolidated proceedings against areeka care.

18. Changes to Terms

We may amend these Terms at any time. Updated versions take effect upon publication on the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance. We encourage you to review the Terms periodically.

19. Consent

By using areeka care, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms.

areeka care is a registered brand of areekaweb S.A.L. (Lebanon).

Last updated: 19 November 2025