EDHA professional standards
Professional Practice & Conduct Guidelines
Effective for every Mental Health Professional participating on EDHA. These Guidelines set EDHA's minimum platform expectations. They are informed by recognised ethical principles for mental-health practice in India, including relevant provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and, where applicable to a professional's designation or registration, standards of the Rehabilitation Council of India and other competent authorities. Each professional remains responsible for the laws, registration requirements and professional standards applicable to their own designation and scope.
1. Individual professional responsibility
EDHA is a technology/platform facilitator. Professionals provide services independently and are solely responsible for their professional judgement, counselling approach, methodology, communications, assessments, recommendations, referrals, documents and other professional material provided to a client. Participation does not create employment, partnership or agency with EDHA or Idalia Mental Health LLP.
2. Competence and scope
Practise only within verified competence, training, experience, registration and lawful professional scope. Do not use misleading titles or claim expertise that cannot reasonably be supported. Refer or escalate where a client's needs fall outside your competence or are unsuitable for online support.
3. Dignity, respect and non-discrimination
Treat every client with dignity and respect. Do not discriminate, demean, intimidate, shame or exploit a client on the basis of personal characteristics, circumstances, beliefs or background.
4. Professional boundaries and prohibited conduct
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Sexual or romantic advances, harassment, coercion, intimidation, discriminatory or derogatory communication, requests for inappropriate personal material, exploitative financial solicitation, knowingly misleading credentials, encouraging dependency for commercial benefit and other serious boundary violations are prohibited.
5. Informed participation
Explain the nature and limits of the service in a manner appropriate to the client, including relevant limitations of online support. Do not promise outcomes. Respect the client's right to ask questions, decline a particular approach or discontinue an interaction, subject to applicable booking terms.
6. Confidentiality and information handling
Protect client confidentiality and handle personal information and documents only for legitimate professional purposes. Disclosure should occur only with appropriate authorisation or where permitted or required by applicable law or professional obligations. Do not secretly record, redistribute or misuse counselling content or documents.
7. Online-session conduct
Join from a reasonably private and professional environment, use appropriate devices and connectivity, take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised persons from hearing or viewing the session and avoid conducting a session in circumstances that materially compromise privacy, safety or professional quality.
8. Availability and reliability
Open appointment slots only when you reasonably expect to be available. If availability changes, promptly close affected unbooked slots and review all future open availability. Attend confirmed sessions on time. Repeated avoidable cancellations, non-attendance or unreliable availability may lead to review, booking restrictions, suspension or removal from EDHA.
9. Rescheduling
A booked session may be rescheduled only with the same professional. Rescheduling should ordinarily occur at least two hours before the scheduled start and normally only once per booking. If you need to change an already-booked session, promptly coordinate with the client and make reasonable efforts to agree a mutually convenient alternative. The revised date and time must be updated in EDHA. A client is not required to accept a professional-initiated reschedule; if no mutually suitable time can be agreed, the booking may be refunded under EDHA policy.
10. Safety, emergency and referral
EDHA is not an emergency service. Professionals remain responsible for appropriate professional judgement concerning safety, referral and escalation. Where immediate risk or urgent medical or mental-health intervention is indicated, direct the person toward appropriate emergency or in-person support consistent with applicable professional duties.
11. Client contact
Contact details shared after a confirmed booking may be used only for legitimate session coordination and professional service purposes. Do not use them for unrelated marketing, harassment, unauthorised solicitation or disclosure.
12. Client concerns and EDHA review
A client who feels uncomfortable, unsafe or concerned about professional conduct may discontinue the interaction where appropriate and write to ask@edha.life with the booking reference and a factual description. EDHA may review platform records, seek information from the professional, restrict or suspend the profile, discontinue participation or take other appropriate platform-level action. Professionals must cooperate honestly and promptly with reasonable EDHA review requests.
13. Complaints outside EDHA
EDHA's platform review is not a substitute for contacting the police, emergency services, a statutory or regulatory body or another competent authority where the circumstances warrant it.
14. Credential and disciplinary changes
Promptly notify EDHA of material changes to qualifications, registration, professional standing, disciplinary status, practice restrictions or other information that may affect eligibility or displayed scope.
15. Consequences of breach
EDHA may request clarification or further verification, restrict displayed scope or bookings, pause visibility, suspend or remove a professional where reasonably required for client safety, credential concerns, serious or repeated conduct issues, legal requirements or platform integrity.
References
These platform Guidelines should be read alongside the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and, where applicable to the professional's designation or registration, current standards and recognised programmes of the Rehabilitation Council of India and other competent professional or statutory authorities. They do not replace a professional's own legal, ethical or regulatory obligations.