Why We're Onboarding Therapists Before Clients

If you've visited StartHere.care recently, you might have noticed something: we're not yet open to all clients. That's intentional, and we want to explain why.

The Empty Restaurant Problem

Imagine walking into a restaurant that promises to match you with the perfect meal. You fill out a questionnaire about your tastes, dietary preferences, and what you're craving. Then the waiter comes back and says, "Sorry, we don't have any of that."

That's what happens when therapy platforms launch to clients before they have therapists to match them with. People go through the effort of sharing their preferences, hopes up, only to find no one available.

We're not going to do that to you.

Our Commitment

Before we fully open to clients, we're ensuring that:

1. You'll have real options. Not one or two therapists, but a genuine range of professionals with different specialties, styles, and approaches.

1. Matching will be meaningful. With more therapists, our matching can actually do what it's supposed to do: find therapists who align with your specific preferences.

1. Therapists will be ready. Every therapist on our platform will have had time to complete their profile, set their availability, and be genuinely prepared to take on new clients.

What This Means for You

If you're looking for a therapist right now:

• You can still sign up for early access
• We'll notify you as soon as we have therapists in your area
• You'll be among the first to access our full matching features

If you're a therapist:

• Join now while we're actively building our network
• Shape the platform with your feedback during this foundational period
• Be part of our launch when we open to clients

The Bigger Picture

We know this approach requires patience. We know some people need a therapist right now and can't wait. For those folks, we encourage you to use whatever resources are available: Psychology Today, your insurance directory, referrals from friends or doctors.

But for those who can wait a bit and want a better search experience when they do look, we're building something worth waiting for.

Our goal isn't to be the biggest therapy directory. It's to be the one that actually helps you find a therapist who fits. And that starts with having therapists to match you with.

Join the Waitlist

If you're interested in being notified when we fully launch to clients in your area, sign up for early access. We'll keep you posted on our progress and let you know as soon as you can start matching.

Thank you for your patience. We're building this the right way, and we think you'll see the difference.

StartHere.care is a free therapist-client matching platform, now open to licensed therapists nationwide. [Learn more about our approach](/newsroom/how-starthere-care-works).