Are directory listings verified?

Usually only at signup, and often self reported after that. Ask when the licence was last confirmed.

Is an EAP confidential from my employer?

Providers report usage numbers rather than names, but people still feel the connection. If that stops you using it, a paid route outside work is reasonable.

Why is the marketplace roster smaller?

Because every listing is reviewed before it goes live rather than opened by paying a listing fee.

Therapist Directory vs EAP vs Marketplace: How to Find Help

The three common routes to finding a couples professional, what each one verifies, how long each takes, and which one to use when you want a session this week.

There are three normal ways to find a professional. They behave very differently once you are past the search results.

A directory

A directory is a paid listing page. Professionals write their own profile, pay to appear, and you contact them by email or phone. Most directories check a licence number at signup and nothing after that.

Strength: breadth, including specialists you will not find anywhere else. Weakness: no live availability, so you email five people and hear back from two. Payment, cancellation and complaints are all handled off platform, between you and them.

A workplace EAP

An employee assistance programme gives you a small number of funded sessions through your employer's provider.

Strength: free at the point of use, and often quick to start. Weakness: session caps, an assigned counsellor rather than one you choose, and a service that ends when the allocation ends. Couples work is not always covered, and some people avoid it because it is connected to work.

A marketplace

A marketplace holds the listing, the calendar, the payment and the complaint route in one place. PairLume is a marketplace.

Strength: what you see on a card is bookable now, money is held until the session completes, and there is a route to dispute a booking that does not depend on the professional agreeing. Weakness: the roster is smaller than a national directory, so a very narrow specialism may not be represented yet.

What actually gets checked

Directory EAP PairLume Identity checked Sometimes Yes Yes Licence confirmed with the issuing body Rarely rechecked Yes Yes, and shown as the verified tick Live availability No Not shown to you Yes, from the real calendar Money held until session completes No Not applicable Yes Independent complaint route No Employer provider Yes, disputes reviewed by our team

The verified tick here means we confirmed a therapy licence with the body that issued it, so that person is a clinician working inside a regulated scope. A profile without the tick has still passed identity and credential checks and is labelled accurately as non licensed.

Which to use

You want a session this week with clear pricing: marketplace. You have a rare specialism or need a specific modality: directory, and expect a wait. You need free sessions and your employer offers them: EAP first, then a marketplace when the allocation ends.

Read [how we verify experts](/how we verify) for the detail behind the tick.