Editorial and Care Policy

How we write guides

Sources first. Facts come from primary sources where possible: California's Board of Behavioral Sciences and Board of Psychology, federal agencies such as CMS and the IRS, professional associations such as AAMFT and APA, and the organizations that train therapists in each method. Each guide lists its sources and the date we checked them.
No invented numbers. If we cannot find a reliable source for a figure, such as a typical fee, we say so rather than guess.
Plain language. Short sentences, no jargon without an explanation, the answer first.
Dated reviews. Every guide shows a "Last reviewed" date. We review cost, insurance and telehealth guides at least every six months, and sooner when rules change.
Neutral on methods. We describe approaches by what their own organizations and the research say, link to each official site, and do not rank methods.

Clinical topics

Our first guides are practical and non-clinical: choosing a therapist, cost, insurance, telehealth, licenses and the first call. Topics that involve clinical judgment, such as affair recovery or deciding whether to stay together, will be published only after review by an independent licensed clinician, who will be named on the page. Until then, those guides are marked "coming later."

Safety

Any guide where safety may be relevant points to our safety guide and help numbers. We never suggest that a website, quiz or directory can decide whether couples therapy is safe. Help numbers are rechecked at every review.

Therapist profiles

Only real, licensed therapists who asked to be listed. We never publish sample, placeholder or invented profiles, counts or testimonials.
Each license is checked by hand on the DCA License Search before publishing; the check date is shown.
Each profile shows the name as filed, license title and license number together, as BBS advertising rules require.
Profiles are drafted from the therapist's own website and submissions and approved by the therapist before publishing. We ask therapists to reconfirm details at least yearly.
No client reviews, star ratings or testimonials.

AI assistance

We use AI tools to help research and draft. A person checks every fact against its source before publishing, and profile drafts are approved by the therapist.

Privacy and tracking

We do not use ad pixels, remarketing or third-party scripts. Directory filters run in your browser and are never put in the page address or sent to us. See our privacy policy.

Corrections

If you spot an error, email hello@marriagecounseling.io. We correct factual errors promptly and update the review date.