How we vet therapists.

Every therapist on Saudade Therapy is verified by a person, against primary sources, before their profile exists — and the method is public. Directories usually say "verified" and leave it there. We publish what the word means, because a badge you can't audit is decoration.

What we check, step by step

1. Identity. The applicant is who they say they are — a live video call, not just documents.
2. Education. Diploma of a completed degree in psychology, medicine, or a recognized psychotherapy education (school, hours, supervision), received by email and inspected.
3. License or registration, at the source. We look the applicant up in the registry of the country where they claim to be licensed — for example the psychological or psychotherapy chambers and registers in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the regulator of the country where they practice today. A registry entry we cannot find or confirm means no listing.
4. Interview. A 20–30 minute video conversation: experience, modalities, how they work with diaspora-specific themes, and expectations of the platform's rules.
5. Decision, recorded. Accept or decline, with the reasons kept on file. Declined applicants are told why.

What a profile shows — and never shows

• The exact title the therapist lawfully holds, and where they hold it — "psiholog, licensed in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is displayed exactly so. Titles like "psychotherapist" are legally protected in many countries (Germany and Austria among them); we never apply a protected title to anyone who doesn't hold it in that jurisdiction.
• What was verified and when: education, registry entry, interview date, and the date of the next re-check.
• No star ratings and no testimonials. Public reviews of therapy sit badly with confidentiality and can be gamed in both directions; we collect feedback privately instead.

After listing: feedback and removal

Verification doesn't end at the front door. Clients can send us private feedback at any time, and every report is read by a person.

• Immediate removal for boundary violations, practicing outside a valid license, or misrepresenting credentials.
• Review and possible removal for repeated serious concerns — a pattern, not a single bad fit.
• Annual re-verification of every license and registry entry; a lapsed license suspends the profile until it is renewed.

We publish the policy so both sides know the rules. What we never do: sell placement, accept payment for a badge, or let anyone — including a paying supporter, if paid extras ever exist — buy their way past any step above.

What vetting is not

Vetting confirms credentials and conduct rules; it is not a guarantee of fit or outcome, and it is not supervision of care. Therapy remains a relationship between you and your therapist — including scheduling, payment, and clinical content, none of which pass through us. Choosing whom to work with stays your call; our job is that the facts on the profile are true.

Saudade Therapy is not a crisis service. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, find a crisis line for your country — they answer immediately.