How We Verify Therapists
Trust is the entire point of a platform like TherapyKind. This page explains, in plain terms, what has to be true about a therapist before they appear here, and how you can check our work.
1. Independent licensure, not just "licensed"
Every state licenses mental health professionals at more than one level. Early-career clinicians often hold provisional or associate licenses (titles like "associate" or "intern," or state-specific credentials such as LMSW or LAC in some states) that require them to practice under a supervisor's authority. There is nothing wrong with that stage of a career. TherapyKind, however, only lists therapists whose license permits them to practice independently, without clinical supervision. And because two states sometimes use the same letters to mean very different things, we check what a credential means in that specific state.
2. Licenses you can verify yourself
We don't ask you to take our word for anything. Profiles display the therapist's license and link to the official state licensing board's lookup tool, where you can confirm the license's status directly with the government body that issued it. If we can't confirm a working verification link for a state's board, we'd rather show nothing than guess.
3. In-person sessions, required
Every therapist on TherapyKind maintains a physical practice location and sees clients in person. Therapists who offer both in-person and telehealth sessions qualify; telehealth-only practices do not get listed. When a listing shows a city, there is a real office behind it.
4. Claimed and unclaimed listings
Some listings are managed directly by the therapist. These are claimed listings, and they carry a verified badge. Others are unclaimed: we build those from publicly available professional sources such as state licensing records, professional directories, and the therapist's own practice website, so that clients can find licensed in-person care and the therapist can claim the profile and take it over. Parts of unclaimed listings may be drafted with the assistance of AI tools, and they are reviewed before publication.
When a therapist claims their listing, they sign an attestation confirming that they are fully licensed to practice independently and that they offer in-person sessions. We also review claims before handing over control, so a listing can't be claimed by someone who isn't the therapist.
5. When something is wrong
If a listing is inaccurate, or if you are the listed therapist and want your listing corrected or removed, use the Report option on the listing or email hi@therapykind.com. Once we've verified the request comes from the therapist (or their representative), we honor removal requests promptly, and always within 7 business days. Full details are in our Terms of Service.
What we don't do
- We don't rank therapists by who pays us more.
- We don't publish star ratings or reviews.
- We don't diagnose, treat, refer, or recommend a specific therapist. Instead, we verify credentials and put the information in front of you. Choosing a therapist is yours to do, and we encourage you to use the license-verification links on every profile.
Want to know more about us? Read about TherapyKind, or start browsing therapists.