I checked out Inclusive Therapists and found the directory platform helpful for connecting with affirming and diverse providers. Acting as a directory, Inclusive Therapists doesn’t offer therapy services directly. Instead, you know when you utilize Inclusive Therapists that the care providers you’ll find are dedicated to and knowledgeable about working with clients just like you. Many providers take insurance and offer sliding scale rates.
Inclusive Therapists at a Glance
- Cost: Varies by provider
- Insurance Accepted? Yes (varies by provider)
- Medication Available? Yes (psychiatrists & other prescribers on the directory)
Pros & Cons:
Pros - Designed specifically for marginalized and underserved clients.
- Search by identity, speciality, payment type, and location.
- You know the providers you find on Inclusive Therapists are committed to anti-oppressive care.
- “Get Matched” service can match you with a provider instead of searching the directory.
Cons - Limited number of providers for some locations.
- No direct scheduling tools embedded within the platform.
- Care experiences will vary widely depending on the provider you use.
Preview Inclusive Therapists
Inclusive Therapists is a free-to-use online directory for those who are seeking affirming mental health care. It is designed specifically for marginalized communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and disabled people. Providers can be sorted by the services they provide, like psychotherapy, coaching, and medication management, as well as by a host of other filter options, from insurance accepted to the identity of the provider.
When I used the directory, it was quick and easy to search for inclusive therapists. You can pick one filter option from the start (I started with my provider’s identity), and then enter your location and click “search now.” Once results load, you can use a variety of filters, like insurance, to zoom in on therapists who will be suited to your specific needs. This process left me feeling confident that the therapist I contacted will be a good fit for me.
Inclusive Therapists is a smaller community of therapists than many mainstream directory platforms. Your options may be limited, especially as you use filters to zoom in on the best therapist for you. By the time I had filtered down my options, there was only one therapist left who was both listed as available and fit what I was looking for. If you don’t find who you are looking for on Inclusive Therapists, it may help to look on more specific identity-based provider directories.
Some therapist directories for specific marginalized communities include:
Detailed Inclusive Therapists Review
Inclusive Therapists is a justice-centered care directory. It’s not a therapy platform but a directory with filters for identity, service, payment, location, and more to search for a provider yourself, or you can use its free Get Matched Service. Inclusive Therapists’ nonprofit organization, Mental Health Liberation, offers a BIPOC Therapy Fund and a Liberatory Student Support Circle.
Personally, I’m a gay, nonbinary, transgender therapist who is relocating to Colorado, where my current wonderful therapist is not licensed. I need to find a therapist I can trust to be inclusive and knowledgeable about my identity and experiences. I’ve used Inclusive Therapists in the past to help others find referrals, and it seemed like an obvious place to start my own search for an inclusive therapist.
Review our scoring criteria for online therapist directories here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Directory Services
The Inclusive Therapists directory allows you to search not just by identity, location, or payment options, but also by the type of service you’re looking for. Whether you’re seeking individual support, relationship counseling, group therapy, or something more specific like medication management or spiritual care, you can filter your search to match the kind of help you need.
I searched for an individual therapist for myself using the filters for Individual Therapy or Counseling, along with my insurance provider, the state location of Colorado, and a provider whose identity is “Gender Nonbinary, Non-Conforming, Queer, Expansive, or Agender.” I received an email immediately after messaging the provider I chose confirming my message. Providers are expected to respond within 5 days, but I received an email 2 hours later letting me know that my message had been viewed and that I should receive an email directly from the provider soon.
It can be overwhelming to know what type of service you need, especially if this is your first time looking for care or if past experiences haven’t been a great fit. You’re not alone if the different kinds of service options at Inclusive Therapist are confusing. The following sections explain the different kinds of services available on Inclusive Therapists to help you figure out what might be the right fit for you.
Individual Therapy or Counseling
Individual therapy or counseling is one-on-one support with a licensed provider to work through mental health concerns, explore identity, or navigate life challenges. You can also choose to filter psychotherapy or counseling services by the age groups of child or adolescent, or by in-person or virtual therapy.
Coaching
Coaching focuses on helping people move toward specific goals or personal growth, whether in work, relationships, or daily life. It’s not therapy and isn’t meant to treat mental health conditions, but can be helpful if you’re feeling stuck or want support through a change.
Educator, Speaker, or Consultant
Some providers offer education, training, or consultation for individuals, organizations, or communities. These services often center mental health, inclusion, and social justice.
Family Therapy or Counseling
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on improving communication and resolving conflicts within a family unit. It helps family members understand each other’s perspectives, strengthen relationships, and work collaboratively to address challenges.
Group Therapy or Support
Group therapy brings together individuals with similar experiences or challenges to share and support each other under the guidance and process of a trained therapist. These sessions provide a sense of community, reduce feelings of isolation, and offer diverse perspectives on coping strategies.
Holistic or Spiritual Care
Holistic therapy or spiritual care often integrates spiritual, ancestral, or body-based healing practices. It may include approaches like energy work, ritual, or mindfulness.
Medication Management or Prescription
Psychiatric medication providers are providers in the directory who are licensed to prescribe and manage psychiatric medication. This service may include evaluation, ongoing support, and medication adjustments.
Psychological Evaluation, Testing, and Assessment
These are formal assessments used to explore things like autism, ADHD, or learning differences. Some may include written reports for accommodations or diagnosis.
Relationship, Couples, Marriage Therapy or Counseling
Couples, partners, or marriage counseling is a type of therapy that supports people in romantic or relational partnerships. It can help with communication, intimacy, or navigating challenges together.
Get Matched Service
Inclusive Therapists offers a free Get Matched service to give users who are overwhelmed by searching the directory another way to find a mental health provider that is a good fit for them.3 You don’t need an account to use the service and you can specify what type of care you are looking for.
The form asks about your preferences and needs, including your location, insurance, desired services, provider identity, and specific areas of support. It’s designed to reduce the work of searching and support people who may feel overwhelmed navigating traditional directories. The service does not guarantee availability but will provide up to three potential provider matches.
Mental Health Liberation
Mental Health Liberation is the nonprofit arm of Inclusive Therapists with two programs, the BIPOC Therapy Fund and the Liberatory Student Support Circle.1,2
Mental Health Liberation’s four-prong mission is:
- Bridging BIPOC communities with informed, affirming providers
- Empowering future generations of BIPOC therapists and mental health advocates
- Dismantling systemic barriers
- Reclaiming healing for marginalized communities
BIPOC Therapy Fund
The BIPOC Therapy Fund connects individuals to identity-affirming, professionally licensed BIPOC therapists at no cost.1 The fund is intended for first-time therapy participants who do not currently have a provider. While availability can be limited, the fund is one of very few resources offering truly free therapy specifically for BIPOC individuals, with an emphasis on matching clients to providers who are trained in liberation-based frameworks.
Liberatory Student Support Circle
The Liberatory Student Support Circle is a space for BIPOC students in mental health fields to receive mentorship, share resources, and build community.2 These offerings help support the next generation of mental health providers while working to shift the broader system. From a user standpoint, the website is easy to navigate, and the language used throughout reflects a deep understanding of community needs, making it feel like a space where healing is possible.
How Much Does Inclusive Therapists Cost?
Inclusive Therapists is free to use for people searching for a therapist. It is not a subscription therapy service; instead, it’s a public directory where credentialed providers pay to be listed. Rates, insurance acceptance, and availability vary by provider, since all care takes place outside the platform itself.
If you plan on using insurance, you can sort the directory by insurance provider, which will likely lower your cost substantially. If you don’t have insurance or find a provider who seems like a good fit but doesn’t take your plan, many therapists on the platform offer sliding scale pricing. In fact, you can sort the directory by sliding scale rates, which go as low as $0–$25 (though there’s no guarantee that you’ll find a provider offering a rate that low in your state).
Who Does Inclusive Therapists Serve?
Inclusive Therapists serves individuals of all ages nationwide who are seeking affirming and inclusive care, with a focus on marginalized and underserved populations. Inclusive Therapists centers clients and providers who hold identities often overlooked or harmed in traditional mental health systems.
Inclusive Therapists focuses on building a bridge between mental health providers and clients around BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, disabled, immigrant, and other identities who often face adversity. Since individual providers manage their own practices, areas of focus, types of services, and availability vary by provider, but many of the listed providers offer services for children, adolescents, couples or partners, and families.
Providers listed on Inclusive Therapists treat a variety of concerns like anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, identity development, grief, and life transitions. Many also offer support for chronic illness, neurodivergence, burnout, and experiences of oppression or marginalization. Treatment approaches vary by provider and may include modalities like EMDR, somatic therapy, internal family systems, narrative therapy, and more.
Alternatives & Competitors
If you’re having a difficult time finding a provider who suits your needs on the Inclusive Therapists platform, you have other options. Many services allow you to search for therapists and other providers by insurance, specialty, identity, and more.
Open Path Collective - Best for Cash Pay
- Price: $65 one-time fee; $30–$70 per session
- Insurance Accepted? No
- Therapy & Psychiatry? No
- Location: US & Canada
While the goal of Inclusive Therapists is to offer providers who work with a wide range of identities, the goal of Open Path Collective is to offer therapy at a very minimal cost for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. After paying a $65 lifetime fee, users can find therapists who offer sessions for between $30 and $70.
To use Open Path Collective, clients must state that they don’t have behavioral health benefits that could cover therapy expenses and that their household makes less than $100,000 per year.
Otherwise the platforms operate similarly, as directories that you can filter to find someone who feels like a good fit for your needs.
Learn more in our full Open Path Collective review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Extremely affordable
- Lots of ways to filter directory
- Membership benefits, including resources and wellness courses
Cons - Doesn’t accept any insurance
- No psychiatry or medications offered
- Therapists don’t always respond quickly
Grow Therapy - Most Insurances Accepted
- Price: $75–$250+ cash pay
- Insurance Accepted? Yes
- Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
- Location: All US states
If you’re looking for the convenience of having online therapy and/or psychiatry appointments and billing on a single online platform, Grow Therapy could be a good place to find a new provider. It works similarly to Inclusive Therapists in that users can browse the directory and filter by insurance, cost, specialty, identity, and other options.
Where Grow Therapy differs from Inclusive Therapists is that it also acts as an online platform, so if you find a provider who offers online sessions, they’ll all take place on Grow’s interface.
Read more in our Grow Therapy review for further details.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts a wide range of insurance providers
- Can also filter by sliding scale for cash-pay
- Many search filters available
Cons - Some states may have smaller provider selections
- Prices vary by provider
Therapy Den - Best for Those New to Therapy
- Price: Varies by provider
- Insurance Accepted? Yes
- Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
- Location: All US states
Therapy Den’s search platform and map make it easy to see which providers could be good options for in-person care, or you can search for online providers within your state. It provides you with your top five options based on the parameters you’ve provided, but you can continue to search and browse beyond those five as much as you’d like. Additionally, Therapy Den has a nice cache of articles for those new to therapy, including descriptions of common therapy models and mental health concerns.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Sort by specialty, gender, ethnicity, cost, and more
- Also lists therapy groups
Cons - Certain areas may have few providers
- Site can run a bit slow
Why You Can Trust My Review
“This review is based on my direct experience using Inclusive Therapists as both a provider and a client. I’ve used the platform over the past few years to search for providers for referrals, and recently spent several hours using it to search for a new therapist for myself for relocating to Colorado.
I used the directory search options, applied a variety of filters, and reviewed multiple provider profiles before contacting a therapist who I felt would be a good fit for me. Because Inclusive Therapists is a directory rather than a therapy platform, I did not participate in therapy sessions or interact with customer service. Instead, my evaluation is focused on the ease of usability of the platform and how the directory supports marginalized communities in finding identity-affirming care providers.”
History & News About Inclusive Therapists
- Year Founded: 2019
- Founded by: Melody Li, LMFT
Inclusive Therapists was founded in 2019 by Melody Li (佢/they), a queer therapist and advocate focused on justice in mental health care.4 The platform was created to address the significant gaps in access and safety for people from marginalized communities when seeking therapy. Rather than treating cultural responsiveness as a specialty, Inclusive Therapists was designed from the start to center it.
The directory highlights therapists who are committed to racial, 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergence, and disability justice. It also offers resources and community spaces aimed at building collective care beyond the therapy room. From its launch, the platform positioned itself as a place not only to find care but to change how care is understood and delivered.
Inclusive Therapists also launched Mental Health Liberation, which hosts a BIPOC Therapy Fund that helps provide free, affirming therapy for BIPOC individuals impacted by trauma, oppression, and climate crises.1 This fund focuses especially on those who are queer, trans, or disabled and have historically been pushed to the margins of mental health systems.
Inclusive Therapists has grown over time into more than a directory. It now offers professional development for providers, a member community for connection and support, and public resources like webinars and workshops. While it remains a smaller platform compared to major commercial directories, its mission has stayed rooted in healing justice, identity-affirming care, and liberation-based mental health.
The current Inclusive Therapists team includes:4
- Founder Melody Li (they/them), a nonbinary Hong Konger and mental health justice advocate
- Dr. Ebony Butler (she/her), who focuses on trauma recovery and body autonomy
- Joyce Kabwe (she/her), who supports underrepresented communities through nonprofit work and ethical fashion
- Amanda Huynh (she/her), who brings her background in nonprofit operations and a commitment to racial justice
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Inclusive Therapist’s Vetting and Credentials?
Inclusive Therapists requires providers to have valid credentials and submit detailed written responses about how they practice from a decolonial, anti-oppressive, and justice-aligned lens.
How Do I Contact a Provider on Inclusive Therapists?
You can contact a specific provider directly by clicking the “Message” button on their profile and filling out the contact form. Or, you can use the free Get Matched service to receive personalized provider recommendations based on your needs.3
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
-
Mental Health Liberation. (n.d.-a). BIPOC therapy fund – mental health liberation: Nonprofit free BIPOC therapy & advocacy. https://mentalhealthliberation.org/bipoc-therapy-fund/
-
Mental Health Liberation. (n.d.-b). Liberatory student support circle – mental health liberation: Nonprofit free BIPOC therapy & advocacy. Mental Health Liberation. https://mentalhealthliberation.org/liberatory-student-support-circle/
-
Inclusive Therapists. (n.d.-b). Get matched service: Inclusive therapists – a safer, simpler way to find care. https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/get-matched
-
Inclusive Therapists. (n.d.). About: Inclusive therapists – a safer, simpler way to find care. https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/about
Your Voice Matters
Can't find what you're looking for?
Request an article! Tell ChoosingTherapy.com’s editorial team what questions you have about mental health, emotional wellness, relationships, and parenting. Our licensed therapists are just waiting to cover new topics you care about!
Leave your feedback for our editors.
Share your feedback on this article with our editors. If there’s something we missed or something we could improve on, we’d love to hear it.
Our writers and editors love compliments, too. :)