How We Review Platforms

Every review on this site follows the same evaluation framework. Here is what we check, in order of importance.

1. Therapist licensing verification

We verify that every platform's practitioners are licensed mental health professionals (LMFT, LCSW, LPC, or doctoral credentials) or explicitly disclose that they use coaches. The coach vs therapist distinction is flagged prominently on every review where it applies. We check license numbers against state licensing board lookups for randomly sampled therapists.

2. Real pricing transparency

We use actual current pricing pages, not marketing-page anchor prices. We document what a typical first month costs, including any introductory discounts that expire. We note all hidden fees (session-length caps, extra charges for video vs text, cancellation penalties).

3. Test diary protocol

We sign up for each platform, complete the intake questionnaire, receive a therapist match, and attend at least two live sessions before publishing a review. We test the cancellation flow, the async messaging response times, and the billing transparency.

4. Citation floor

Every clinical claim is backed by a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed sources with DOI or PMID links. We do not cite press releases, marketing materials, or self-published studies.

5. Conflict of interest disclosure

This site earns commission from affiliate links. Our scores and verdicts are determined before affiliate agreements are negotiated. No platform receives a higher score in exchange for a higher commission rate. If we cannot negotiate an affiliate agreement with a platform, we review it anyway.

6. Author disclosure

This site is published by Max Yao. I am a publisher, not a licensed clinician. Every clinical claim on this site is anchored to peer-reviewed sources you can verify. I am not qualified to provide therapy advice, and nothing on this site constitutes such advice.