A dated check, not a badge
What a license check means on Couch Commons
A license check means a named clinician's record matched the issuing authority's own register, and the profile prints which register we searched and when. It does not mean Couch Commons guarantees treatment quality, outcomes, availability, insurance coverage, or a clean disciplinary history. Joining starts membership and onboarding; it never purchases a check or a public listing.
Reviewed .
What the receipt carries
A published profile with a license check shows:
- The clinician's name and professional credential.
- The license number, as the register displays it.
- The state or jurisdiction that issued the license.
- The official register we searched, by name — NYSED for New York.
- The status that register returned.
- The date we searched it.
A license check does mean
A matching official professional record was found and written down on a specific date.
A license check does not mean
A guarantee, an endorsement, a paid ranking, a background check, an availability promise, or a judgment about therapeutic fit.
Membership and the check are separate
A clinician pays $19.99 per month or $179.91 per year for Couch Commons membership. Annual billing gives the clinician 3 months free, every year they renew. The payment does not make the profile public and does not buy a license-check receipt. Publication waits for the official record to match. If best-effort automated and human review still cannot check it, the clinician does not receive a receipt and is not published.
A dated receipt can change
Professional records and registrations can change, which is why the date matters. A successful recheck updates the date. If a later result stops matching, the profile pauses and we keep checking daily; it returns when the registry matches again. An unclear result is not published as a negative claim about the clinician.
Keep different claims separate
The license check, interstate practice authority, availability, insurance participation, fees, specialties, identity and access details, and the clinician's own description of their practice are different facts. Couch Commons labels each by its source and its freshness rather than melting them into one oversized trust badge.
Questions about the license check
Is a Couch Commons license check a background check?
No. The receipt reports a match to an official professional-license source. It should not be read as a universal background check.
Can a clinician pay to receive a license-check receipt?
No. Starting membership starts onboarding. A receipt requires a matching official record.
Does a license check mean a therapist is accepting clients?
No. Availability is a separate clinician statement and needs its own confirmation date.
Does a license check mean Couch Commons recommends the therapist?
No. A check reports official credential evidence. It is not an endorsement, ranking, outcome promise, or statement that the clinician is the right fit for everyone.