What we will not claim
Methods have owners and certifications. These clinicians claim none.
AI-generated illustration. Not a real office.
Several well-known therapy methods are trademarks, and the right to say "certified" in them belongs to private bodies that train and test people. An invented clinician holds none of those certificates, so this site names approaches in plain words and claims no method.
What you will see advertised
“Certified EMDR, Gottman and IFS therapists, DBT-certified and EMDRIA approved.”
Quoted in order to be refused: this practice never says it, and the rest of this page says why.
Why a practice says it, and why it misleads
A well-known method's name sounds like proof of rigor. A reader who has come across one in an article often goes looking for somebody who does exactly that, and a practice that names it appears in the search.
It misleads because some of these names are trademarks, and the right to say "certified" in them belongs to a private body that decides who qualifies. A practice that uses the name without holding the certificate borrows somebody else's reputation. A practice that does hold one is saying something real, but the reader still cannot tell, from the name alone, how much that took.
It also puts the weight in the wrong place. Many people find that how well they get on with their clinician matters at least as much as the name of the method, and the way to find out is to talk to the person. That is what the free call is for.
What the law says
As it read in October 2026.
A business may call something certified only against criteria another body set, and must say who (6 RCNY § 5-14).
It is unlawful to use another's mark in a way likely to cause confusion about affiliation, sponsorship or approval (15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)).
A licensed professional may not claim professional superiority it cannot substantiate (8 NYCRR § 29.1(b)(12)).
- 6 RCNY § 5-14 (opens the source in a new tab) A business may call something "certified" only against criteria another body set, and must say who.
- 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) (opens the source in a new tab) It is unlawful to use another's mark in a way likely to cause confusion about affiliation, sponsorship or approval.
- 8 NYCRR § 29.1(b)(12) (opens the source in a new tab) A licensed professional may not advertise in a way that is false or misleading, guarantees a service, makes a claim it cannot substantiate, claims superiority, or offers a bonus or inducement other than a reduced fee.
What this practice does
The approaches on the clinicians' pages are described in plain words — noticing thoughts and habits, making room for feelings, looking at patterns between people — rather than by a method's brand.
A real practice built from this design would name a method and a certificate only where a clinician actually holds it, with the body that issued it.
Keep reading
- How each clinician works, in plain words
- Questions to ask on a free first call
- How to choose a therapist in New York
The other things this site will not claim
Book a free call
Book a free fifteen-minute call, or go straight to a first session if you know what you want. Nothing is paid online, and nothing on the form asks why you're coming.