Choosing Therapy Editorial Policy
Choosing Therapy Does Not Provide Professional Advice
The mental health information provided on ChoosingTherapy.com is meant to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your existing physicians, therapists, or other health professionals. Our content is not a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or mental health issue. Never disregard professional medical or mental health advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on Choosing Therapy.
Likewise, the information provided on ChoosingTherapy.com is not sufficient help for those experiencing a mental health emergency. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing a mental health emergency, visit your nearest emergency room, call 9-1-1, call the suicide hotline at 9-8-8, or call one of these mental health helplines to receive immediate care and guidance.
Choosing Therapy wants to make it easier for people to get accurate, helpful, and up to date mental health information and to more easily receive care from mental health professionals.
While the mental health information provided by Choosing Therapy is broadly applicable to a global audience, the Choosing Therapy the professional resources we reference are focused on serving the United States of America only.
We’re 100% Editorially Independent
Choosing Therapy is 100% editorially independent. Any and all decisions about the content published on Choosing Therapy (and the information therein) is made by the Choosing Therapy Editorial Team with the advice and guidance of Choosing Therapy’s Mental Health & Medical Advisory Teams. Importantly, our editorial independence extends to our reviews of product and services.
Who Writes Choosing Therapy Content?
The content on Choosing Therapy is written by an experienced group of licensed therapists, credentialed mental health professionals, board-certified doctors, as well as HR professionals, medical journalists, and mental health advocates.
Every article on Choosing Therapy prominently features the author of that article and includes a link to their Author Page. This enables our audience to review our authors’ credentials, experience, professional background and affiliations, accolades, social media presence, and significant publications they (or their work) has been featured in. All outbound links within Author Page content will be no-followed to avoid any appearance of link exchange.
Any content on Choosing Therapy that was not created or reviewed by a medical or mental health professional will clearly indicate this at the top of the page. Such content should be exceedingly rare.
Our expert writers are supported by an experienced team of editors, designers, and SEO professionals.
All the content you find on Choosing Therapy is held to the exacting editorial, medical, and ethical standards detailed on this page.
If you would like to become a contributing writer for Choosing Therapy, learn more here.
Editorial Review of All Content
All of the content on Choosing Therapy is the product of a dedicated team of professionals working to ensure that we relay accurate, helpful, up to date information on mental health. Content (articles, visuals, videos, etc.) is published on our site only after being vetted and reviewed by our Editorial Team. After publication, all content will be periodically updated to reflect the most current information and remains subject to our Corrections Policy.
Choosing Therapy’s editorial policies are inspired by, and designed to comply with the high standards set by:
- Health On the Net (HON): HON is a non-profit organization associated with the World Health Organization (WHO) with the mission of promoting transparent and reliable health information online. The HONcode details eight (8) core principles for ethical online publication of health information on the web.
- The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): SPJ is a journalism organization dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. The SPJ Code of Ethics has four core tenets and reminds us that ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair, and thorough.
- Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ): AHCJ is a nonprofit, independent organization with the mission of improving the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting. Their Statement of Principals builds upon the SPJ Code of Ethics while adding further details for those publishing content in the healthcare space.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): FTC’s online advertising disclosure guidelines were last updated in 2013 and outline the consumer protection laws that ensure that products and services are described truthfully online so that the marketplace is free of deception and unfair practices.
Sources
All sources must be deemed trustworthy and reputable by our Editorial Team, Medical Advisory Team, and Mental Health Advisory Team. Those sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, non-profit organizations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Sources will be cited in APA format.
Our editorial staff reviews the quality of sources within all content prior to publication as part of Choosing Therapy’s standard publication process.
Interviews
Interviewees featured in content on Choosing Therapy are not given “copy approval” privileges. Those concerned that the facts of a story might be misconstrued may request to check the facts in advance of publication without receiving the complete text of the article.
Interviewees are not paid or otherwise compensated for sharing their insights, perspectives, etc.
Outbound Linking
Choosing Therapy may link to external web pages if those pages relate to a source or source material used to inform or create our content. We may also link to external web pages if they provide additional information or assistance that are valuable to our audience.
All outbound links will be directed to web pages deemed trustworthy and reputable by our Editorial Board and include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, non-profit organizations, and other high-integrity sources of journalism.
Our editorial staff reviews the quality of external links within all content prior to publication as part of Choosing Therapy’s standard publication process.
Choosing Therapy may place outbound links within the body of content when it is presumed the audience will see the target webpage as a resource, not just a source. In all other cases, outbound links to sources will be added at the end of the article in the “Sources” section.
Outbound links will open in a different browser window.
Choosing Therapy does not offer links in exchange for payment, access, or any other in-kind arrangement. To avoid confusion, outbound links will be no-followed if there is any possible appearance of a paid relationship. All outbound links within Author Page content will likewise be no-followed.
Article Titles
Titles are our first opportunity to establish trust with our audience. As such, the articles at Choosing Therapy will feature titles that clearly and accurately convey the content, regardless of where that content may be found/appear (search, social, internal, etc.). Vague and/or sensational language will be avoided.
Scientific Consensus
Choosing Therapy favors scientific consensus where and when it exists.
Choosing Therapy will cover alternative views within the mental health community, particularly when those alternative views have for one reason or another entered popular culture or mainstream conversation. Choosing Therapy will make all efforts to clearly describe which views hold scientific consensus and which do not.
Where scientific consensus does not exist, Choosing Therapy will cover the topic from a neutral perspective and represent each view to the best of our ability so that our audience has access to the best information available.
Medical Review and Mental Health Review by Advisory Teams
Choosing Therapy maintains a Medical Advisory Team and a Mental Health Advisory Team which work alongside our Editorial Team to ensure the information we’re providing is accurate, evidence-based, and up to date.
Our Medical Advisory Team is made up of board-certified physicians. They review every article that includes a statement of medical fact to ensure that our content upholds the strict medical integrity our audience expects and deserves.
Our Mental Health Advisory Team is made up of licensed mental health professionals. They regularly review our articles to ensure the information provided conforms to the guidelines provided by relevant government agencies and professional organizations.
Our content is updated regularly to reflect new research, to update statistics, or to better answer the questions our audience is asking. Updated content is also subject to review by our Medical and Mental Health Advisory Teams.
Keeping Information Current
Choosing Therapy strives to update our content every 12 months.
Every article on Choosing Therapy will include several dates:
- the original date of publication
- the date of the most recent update
- the date of any significant update that occurred between the original publication and the most recent update.
When articles experience significant revisions, a record will be made in the “Update History” in order to detail previous authors, previous medical reviewers, and summarize the changes made to the content.
During significant revisions facts, figures, and findings from government agencies, industry and professional associations, and non-profit organizations will be checked for continued accuracy and relevancy.
Conflicts of Interest
Choosing Therapy requires all writers and editors to disclose conflicts of interest, including financial relationships and/or affiliations with persons, groups, or organizations.
Our conflict of interest policy is designed to ensure our audience has no reason to doubt the validity or veracity of the mental health information they find on Choosing Therapy.
Choosing Therapy does not receive any funding or payment from the pharmaceutical industry.
Advertising
Choosing Therapy does not feature any banner ads, video ads, sponsored articles, or pay-for-placement links in any of its content. By removing distracting banner ads and video ads and eliminating the ethical questions and confusion that sponsored articles create, we’ve created a better environment for audience members to learn about the important topics of mental health and wellness.
ChoosingTherapy.com is supported in part through the therapists and other providers who participate in the Choosing Therapy directory service.
Additionally, ChoosingTherapy.com earns revenue through certain online affiliate partnerships. A complete list of our current partnerships can be found on Choosing Therapy’s advertising policy page.
Product and Service Reviews
Choosing Therapy believes that getting the right support during one’s mental health and emotional wellness journey can make all the difference. Choosing Therapy is in a unique position to help our audience evaluate and navigate the ever-growing number of products, services, and brands in the market. Whether that support is in the form of a therapist, a psychiatrist, a mood-tracking tool, or a mindfulness app, we’re dedicated to helping our audience better understand their options.
All reviews of products, services, and brands on ChoosingTherapy.com are the result of independent research, careful analysis of user feedback, extensive first-hand experience, and testing, as well as interviews with industry experts. Our audience can trust our expert reviews because each is backed by a comprehensive and transparent methodology with scoring rubrics that are thoughtfully designed by product experts and licensed mental health professionals.
Every review on ChoosingTherapy.com features a convenient summary of our full methodologies and scoring rubric, clearly lists pros and cons, links to alternative solutions that outperform in key areas, and provides detailed analysis of the product, service, or brand based on hands-on, personal testing by our experienced team members.
We strive to keep product and service details up-to-date, we update content regularly, and we re-test/re-evaluate products and services as appropriate. While we may earn affiliate revenue from some companies we review, all our reviews are fair, objective, and 100% editorially independent.
Learn More About Our Scoring Criteria
Review Scoring Criteria for Online Therapy Platforms
Review Scoring Criteria for Online Psychiatry Platforms
Review Scoring Criteria for Meditation Apps
Review Scoring Criteria for Yoga Apps
Review Scoring Criteria for EHR, EMR, & PMS Platforms
Review Scoring Criteria for Mindful Drinking Apps
Review Scoring Criteria for Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs
Review Scoring Criteria for Website Builders for Therapists
Review Scoring Criteria for Anger Management Classes Online
Review Scoring Criteria for Online Group Therapy & Support Groups
Review Scoring Criteria for Therapist Directories
Corrections Policy
Choosing Therapy is dedicated to accurate, clear mental health information. We promptly make corrections and/or clarifications to our content when deemed necessary by the Editorial Board and/or our Medical & Mental Health Advisory Team.
If the errors are minor (such as spelling, grammar, or style), the content will be adjusted without notice since the content’s meaning & intent is not affected.
Notice will be given when corrections are needed for errors that are significant and material. Notice will provide the date of the correction and a summary of inaccuracies and changes made. That notice will be made at the bottom of the content and will be posted for 30 days.
You can notify our team of potential errors by emailing [email protected].
Reviewing and Updating Our Editorial Policy
Choosing Therapy may review, update, and/or revise our editorial policy periodically. You will see three dates on this page: 1) original publication date, 2) date of last change and, 3) date of last review. If significant updates or revisions are made, we will publish an article to inform our audience of what changes were made and why.
How to Contact Us About Our Editorial Policy
Choosing Therapy’s mission is to deliver the most helpful, accurate mental health information on the web. We’re also trying to make connecting with a therapist quicker and easier. If you have questions for us, or suggestions on ways we can improve, we’d like to hear from you. You can email us directly at [email protected].
This content was last updated 9/21/2023 by the Choosing Therapy team.
