Frequently Asked Questions

How does this compare with traditional therapy?
Often people are critical of the idea of online therapy because It is difficult to establish a therapeutic relationship over the Internet. The Professional Advice service available on Psychology.Com' is not a replacement for traditional face-to-face therapy. It should be considered an advantageous alternative or supplement.

How do I choose a therapist?
The list of therapists can be sorted by location or specialty. Once a therapist has been selected, that therapist will be placed on your therapist list. When asking questions, you may select from your list of therapists. You may change therapists, add, or remove therapists from your list any time.

Is this confidential?
This service is completely confidential. At no time will your information, questions, or the responses be disclosed without your permission. This information will only be viewed by the therapist(s) you have selected. We do not require you to provide personal information or identification to use this site.

Further, when using this site the information you submit and receive is sent in an encrypted format using a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). By using a SSL-enhanced browser the information is encrypted so that nobody but the intended viewer is able to read it.

How soon will I get a response?
Response times vary from 1 hour to 48 hours. The variance is due to both the availability of therapist and the complexity or nature of the question being asked. Some questions will require more research and therapists will need more time to provide an appropriate response.

What is a session and what are the fees?
A Session is defined as the combined exchange of your Question and the therapist's Response. Even though your Question may really consist of several questions -- it is only considered one question (and half a Session) if it contained in a single submit.

Therapists set their own rates for sessions. Many therapists provide discounts when you purchase multiple sessions at one time. The rates are provided when you select your therapist and before each purchase.

How are payments made?
Payments are made directly to the therapists from you through Paypal. We selected this payment method to provide you the highest level of convenience, confidentiality and security. With Paypal, payments can be made using a major credit card or a Paypal account. Please note, Psychology.com is not involved in the exchange of funds between you and your selected therapist. We merely keep track of the number of sessions purchased. Please review our Professional Advice User Agreement for more information.