What It Means to Be Verified by Psychology Today

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Psychology Today offers a wide variety of mental health professionals including, but not limited to, psychologists, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, art therapists, and occupational therapists.

While every Psychology Today professional provides legitimate mental health services to members of the public, many have an additional seal on their profiles indicating that they have been “Verified by Psychology Today.”

What does the “Verified by Psychology Today” seal mean?

The “Verified by Psychology Today” seal indicates that a professional’s license or primary credential has been fact-checked by the Psychology Today team. The professional’s name, contact details, and license or accreditation (that is, their membership in an accredited professional body) are up to date and in good standing. The professional is not currently subject to any restrictions that prevent them from practicing.

Many states and national professional organizations in the United States (e.g. the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) maintain online databases of licensed mental health providers. Using information provided by these sources, Psychology Today staff will confirm the provider’s license number, name, contact information, when the license became active, its expiration date, and whether the professional is subject to any license restrictions that prevent them from practicing (for example, behavior complaints or failure to complete required continuing education courses). If the state in which the provider practices does not have an online database, the provider may provide Psychology Today with a copy of their license to obtain the “Verified” seal.

Psychology Today re-verifies credentials whenever they expire and are renewed. How often this occurs varies by the professional’s location and specific type of credential. We conduct routine reviews of licenses based on certain states’ expiration schedules, which usually occur every two to five years. Therapists may also manually update their license information on the directory upon renewal, at which point Psychology Today will re-verify that all the information is correct to maintain the professional’s verification seal.

Certain types of mental health professionals provide services for which their state does not currently offer professional licenses or certifications. Potential examples include art therapists, pastoral counselors, and treatment centers. Psychology Today imposes certain educational and supervision requirements, which vary by region. If the professionals are qualified to provide the services they offer and meet our requirements for the region they’re listing in, they may be selectively included in the directory but will not display the verification seal.