Fraud is rampant in therapy and counseling services. Mental health patients are a vulnerable population, seeking help in a time of great need, and bad actors see an opportunity to extract money through misdiagnosis, overbilling, fake licenses, and even fake PhDs. Each state regulates and licenses therapists, but knowing where to go is hard when you’re already emotionally underwater; you’re left staring at lists of letters after names, wondering how those add up to the time and money this is going to cost you.

We’re speaking from personal experience: our filed legal complaint explains the story of Stephen Cohen Henriques, aka “Dr. Stephen Cohen,” a man who was not what he claimed.

Have you experienced fraud at the hands of an unlicensed or unethical mental health practitioner? We’re here to help. Select your state above to read a comprehensive guide about your state’s licensing program and how to always check for a license before seeing a therapist, or check out our Resources to start your Credential Request Letter.

Effective therapy means being vulnerable, but you need to be safe before you can be vulnerable. Know your therapist.