Episode 7: Behind the Listings: The Truth About Therapist Directories

In this episode of Both Sides of the Couch, Kari pulls back the curtain on the business behind therapist directories, from her own experience leaving Psychology Today to uncovering what really happened with Therapy Den after its founder sold it.

She shares her firsthand story of how therapist listings became big business: pay-to-play exposure models, low compensation for writers, hidden ownership structures, and profit-first operations disguised as mental health advocacy. Kari connects these discoveries to a broader issue: the corporatization of mental health and how tech-driven “solutions” often hurt both therapists and clients.

Listeners will hear why so many people struggle to find a therapist, what really happens when you send a contact form through a directory, and how investors, rather than clinicians, are increasingly steering the mental health space.

But Kari also offers practical advice, from ethical alternatives to how clients can vet directories, find legitimate therapist websites, and ask the right questions before starting therapy.

✨ Takeaway: Mental health shouldn’t be a marketing industry. If you’re searching for care, you deserve transparency, integrity, and connection, not a sales funnel.