What Psychology Today does

Psychology Today is a privately-held mental health publishing and marketplace company founded in 1967 by Nicholas Charney and operated through two New York-incorporated legal entities — Sussex Publishers LLC (editorial/magazine) and Sussex Directories Inc. (directory). It is led by CEO Jo Colman, headquartered at 16 West 22nd Street, Suite 200, New York, and employs 251–500 people. Its core product is the "Find a Therapist" directory, billed as the world's largest portal to psychotherapy, operating across 20 countries with 971,000 average weekly unique users in the US alone and ranking as the top Google search result for therapy-seekers 96.2% of the time. The business also includes Psychology Today Magazine (six issues per year since 1967), an extensive blog with expert-authored content, self-assessment tests, the Sessions HIPAA-compliant telehealth video platform, and a $29.95/month Professional Membership subscription that provides listed therapists with SEO enhancement, client matching, and the Sessions teletherapy platform.

The company monetizes primarily through recurring B2B subscription revenue from licensed mental health professionals paying $29.95/month (no contracts, cancel-anytime) to be listed in the directory, with secondary revenue from print/digital magazine subscriptions, digital advertising (via Google Ads/DoubleClick and interest-based targeting), and de-identified data analytics shared with research partners. Distribution is self-serve/PLG: professionals sign up independently at join.psychologytoday.com, consumers discover therapists through dominant organic search and the blog as top-of-funnel content, and conversion is amplified by self-assessment quizzes that capture pre-therapy intent. Marketing channels include blog content, the magazine, SEO, social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky), and targeted advertising.

The underlying technology is a lightweight web directory platform with therapist profiles, advanced filtering (location, specialty, insurance), and telehealth integration, hosted on AWS, secured via Cloudflare, and operated using HubSpot (CRM), Zendesk (support), Intuit and Bill.com (billing), and MailChimp (email). Compliance posture is self-attested for HIPAA (Sessions only), GDPR, and CCPA. AI usage is limited to process automation in chat and customer-service workflows — no proprietary models, AI/ML hires, or research initiatives are disclosed. Competitive positioning rests on (1) six decades of brand authority in the psychology category, (2) dominant Google Search ranking for therapy-related queries, and (3) a two-sided 20-country marketplace whose SEO authority compounds with scale.

Name

Psychology Today

Legal name

Sussex Publishers LLC

Website

https://psychologytoday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Psychology Today operates the world's largest online therapist directory, spanning 20 countries with 971,000 weekly US users, alongside a six-times-yearly print/digital magazine. Revenue comes primarily from $29.95/month professional memberships plus advertising and subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Mental Health Directory and Publishing

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health Therapist Marketplaces (HLALALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurodevelopmental & Behavioral Therapy Platforms (ADHD/Autism/Behavioral Coaching) (HLALAEAJ), Psychiatry & Medication Management Platforms (HLALAEAB), Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG)

Keywords

• Therapist directory services
• Mental health publishing
• Online therapy platform
• Professional directory listings
• Psychology content publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Directory Membership: Mental health professionals pay a monthly subscription fee to maintain their profile in the therapist directory and access member benefits including SEO enhancement, client matching tools, and the Sessions telehealth platform. No contracts required; cancel anytime.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital subscriptions to Psychology Today Magazine, published six times per year since 1967. Features expert-authored articles on psychology and mental health topics.
3. Digital Advertising: Targeted advertising placements across the website and in email communications. Uses cookies and web beacons for interest-based advertising. Third-party ad networks including Google Ads/Adsense and DoubleClick are utilized.
4. Data Analytics Services: De-identified and aggregated user data used for research, statistical analysis, and industry insights. Shared with analytics services for product improvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Psychology Today operates a therapist directory across 20 countries connecting individuals seeking mental health support with licensed professionals, who pay a monthly membership fee to be listed. The company also publishes Psychology Today Magazine six times per year, hosts an expert-authored blog covering psychology and behavioral science, and offers the Sessions HIPAA-compliant telehealth video platform to member professionals.

Product overview

Psychology Today is a multi-platform mental health content and services company operated by Sussex Publishers LLC. The core offering consists of three integrated products: (1) the Therapist Directory, a 20-country platform connecting users with licensed mental health professionals; (2) Psychology Today Magazine, a six-times-yearly print and digital publication featuring expert-authored psychology content; and (3) the Psychology Today Blog, a website publishing daily articles by clinicians and researchers. Supporting these are Self Tests and Quizzes for mental health self-assessment, a Professional Membership subscription ($29.95/month) providing enhanced therapist profiles and SEO benefits, and the Sessions teletherapy platform for HIPAA-compliant video sessions. The company also offers a free directory for therapy-seekers monetized through professional listings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Find a Therapist: Online directory connecting consumers with licensed mental health professionals including therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers, and support groups.
• Psychology Today Magazine
• Sessions

Products and services

• Psychology Today Therapist Directory An online directory connecting consumers with licensed mental health professionals including therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers, and support groups across 20 countries. Users can search by location, specialty, insurance, and other criteria, and access detailed profiles, video introductions, and confidential contact options.
• Psychology Today Magazine A print and digital magazine published six times per year featuring authoritative translational science writing on psychology and mental health topics by clinicians, experts, and researchers. Available via subscription through subscribe.psychologytoday.com.
• Psychology Today Blog An online publishing platform featuring articles, blog posts, explainers, and reference material written by clinicians, experts, and researchers across psychology and behavioral science fields, covering topics from addiction to parenting and career.
• Self Tests and Quizzes Interactive psychological assessments including clinical screening tests for autism, depression, anxiety, OCD, and personality disorders, alongside personality quizzes on narcissism, emotional intelligence, and dating red flags.
• Psychology Today Professional Membership A $29.95/month subscription for mental health professionals providing enhanced directory listing with SEO optimization, profile visibility, comprehensive client filters, real-time tracking data, and a protected phone number. No contracts or commitments required.
• Sessions Teletherapy Platform A free HIPAA-compliant telehealth video platform available to Psychology Today professional members for conducting remote therapy sessions with their clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.2% top Google ranking for therapy-seekers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAWS provides cloud data hosting and storage services for Psychology Today's platform infrastructure, ensuring secure and reliable data management for user information and content.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloudflare provides security and performance optimization services including DDoS protection, bot management, and content delivery network functionality.
• Google AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics is used for website traffic analysis and user behavior insights to improve platform functionality and marketing effectiveness.
• Google Ads/AdsensecoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle's advertising platforms are used for targeted ad placements across the Psychology Today website and for pay-per-click advertising campaigns.
• DoubleClickcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle's DoubleClick (now part of Google Marketing Platform) is used for digital advertising, ad serving, and cross-context behavioral advertising.
• ZendeskcoreTechnology or IntegrationZendesk provides customer support software and helpdesk solutions for Psychology Today's member and user support operations.
• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationHubSpot is used for customer relationship management, email marketing automation, and customer support operations.
• Intuit and Bill.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntuit and Bill.com process professional membership subscription payments and billing. These payment processors securely handle transaction processing without Psychology Today storing sensitive billing details.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Calmerry: Direct-to-consumer online therapy subscription with a heavy app-led, younger-skewing brand. Represents the consumer-acquisition threat from app-first therapy brands against Psychology Today's web-directory model.
• BetterHelp: Largest direct-to-consumer online therapy platform. While Psychology Today is a directory of independent clinicians, BetterHelp competes by capturing therapy-seeker intent and routing them to its own therapist network — making it the principal substitute on the demand side.
• Talkspace: Vertically integrated teletherapy platform with insurance billing. Comparable as a competing acquisition channel for therapy-seekers; Psychology Today loses the referral step when consumers route directly to Talkspace providers.
• Headway: Therapist-network marketplace that helps clinicians accept insurance. Overlaps with Psychology Today's directory model on the supply side (helping therapists get found and get paid), with stronger payer integration.

Direct peers

• GoodTherapy: Therapist directory combined with editorial content on mental health. The closest 1:1 functional analogue to Psychology Today on both the directory and the content side.
• Zocdoc: Healthcare provider marketplace where professionals pay to be listed and consumers book by specialty/location. Closest analogue to Psychology Today's directory model in product mechanics, though broader (medical, dental, mental health).
• Opencare: Patient-facing marketplace for booking healthcare appointments including mental health professionals. Directly comparable directory/marketplace mechanic and target buyer (independent therapists paying for visibility).
• Verywell Mind: Consumer mental health content site with editorial content, self-assessments, and a therapist-finding resource. Comparable to Psychology Today's blog and self-tests modules and competing for the same therapy-seeker top-of-funnel.

Broad incumbents

• Lyra Health: Enterprise mental health benefits platform that curates its own therapist network for employer clients. Competes for the same therapist supply as Psychology Today members and offers a B2B-bundled alternative to consumer therapy directories.
• WebMD: Broad consumer health content and provider directory destination. Comparable as a parallel editorial-plus-directory model in the broader health category and a competitor for therapy-seeker intent and ad dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/psychtoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/psychologytoday
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psychology-today
• Instagraminstagram.com/psych_today
• TikToktiktok.com/@psych_today

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Psychology Today