Our vetting process

First thing's first: is your potential therapist licensed? Our therapists submit their license number for review, and we verify good standing with local governing bodies.

Due to HIPAA regulations (i.e., confidentiality), therapists cannot share their clients' information with us. So therapists on Best Therapists are required to submit three peer reviews.

Since many therapy-goers want to protect their privacy online, most therapists don't receive online reviews. But just in case, we search for negative and positive reviews on sites like Google Business and Yelp.

Our mental health system is broken. Many therapists have to see a high volume of clients to make a living, which eventually leads to burnout and compassion fatigue. Therapists on Best Therapists see no more than 20 clients per week, so you know that your therapist is emotionally available for you and ready to help. Plus, our therapists are actively accepting new clients—so no waitlists here!

To get featured on Best Therapists, therapists must acknowledge that they do not perpetuate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, or fatphobia of any kind.

After a therapist passes our vetting process, we send anonymous evaluation forms to therapy-seekers (like you!) after consultations. We also have an anonymous complaint form for anyone to submit if they have concerns about one of our therapists.