Our Process

Our editorial and clinical review teams aim to provide quality, up-to-date, relevant, and accurate information for our audiences. In general, all articles in the mental health library undergo a comprehensive review process involving two rounds of clinical review by licensed therapists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and licensed psychologists with years of experience in the field. Each piece is reviewed for accuracy as research and current understanding of mental health evolve.

Below are the steps that go into the writing, editing, and review processes to create the mental health library of terms and conditions.

Writer guides and journalistic standards

Before beginning work, writers are vetted for experience and quality. They are also asked to review the editorial standards to which all team members should adhere. Before writers select articles, they are asked to thoroughly understand the Therapeutic Standards guide, which outlines current clinical standards for writing about mental health for the mental health library and other BetterHelp content pages.

Writers generally follow pre-established grammatical and formatting requirements, such as shaping a tone that is professional, educational, and applicable to a wide range of audiences seeking mental health content. They are asked to avoid editorialization or the sharing of personal opinions, and to prioritize clear communication.

Therapeutic standards

The Therapeutic Standards guide outlines terms and phrases to avoid using that may be outdated, stigmatizing, or harmful. The guidelines explore ways to empathetically, compassionately, and ethically write about and address particular topics, including, but not limited to, neurodivergence, abuse, addiction, disability, and depression.

The therapeutic guidelines are reviewed and updated by our clinical review team of licensed therapists. Writers, editors, and clinical reviewers aim to follow these guidelines to align new and current published content with our standards.

Updates and revisions

Research and clinical terminology evolve over time. To reflect this, each piece of content on our site is given an “update” date, which showcases when the content was last reviewed and changed. Updates might include grammatical changes, alignment with the therapeutic standards, updates to terminology, or clinical changes in the psychological sphere.

In general, all published articles and term pages in the mental health library undergo extensive writing, editing, and review processes. You can view each reviewer’s profile and experience on the “Meet the Clinical Team” page or by clicking their name on a reviewed article. The team aims to evolve alongside content, diagnostic manuals, and clinical standards. As steps of the process change or are improved, these details may be available above.