The Shocking Fraud Behind Seven Cups Therapy

Are You Getting Scammed by Your “Online Therapist”? The Shocking Fraud Behind Seven Cups Therapy

Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, LMFT, BCC

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.

Let’s set the scene. It’s 2 a.m. You’re staring at the ceiling, emotionally exhausted, and finally decide it’s time to reach out for support. You grab your phone, Google “virtual counselor” and—bingo—you land on a sleek, award-winning website promising instant support such as seven cups therapy. The words “licensed therapist” are sprinkled all over the page. It looks legit. It sounds legit. But what if I told you that behind the curtain, what you’re actually getting isn’t therapy at all—but something much more dangerous?

In this episode of the Love, Happiness and Success podcast, I sat down with investigative journalists Rebecca Ruiz and Lauren Kraus to uncover the disturbing truth behind seven cups therapy and the rise of therapy fraud online. 

We’re talking about virtual counselors who aren’t actually therapists, therapy platforms using deceptive marketing tactics, and even anonymous chatrooms that expose vulnerable users to abuse, trolling, and predation. I know. It’s a lot. But if you or someone you love has ever sought help online—or plans to—you need to hear this.

This is your crash course in how to protect yourself from shady platforms and confidently connect with ethical, qualified help. Because when you’re finally ready to make a change in your life, the last thing you need is to be misled by someone pretending to help.

When “Free Online Therapy” Is Really Therapy Fraud

If you Google “free therapy,” chances are high you’ll see seven cups therapy at the top. They’ve won awards, been labeled “best for teens,” and sound oh-so-legit. But here’s the twist: many of their so-called therapists? Not actually therapists. Many aren’t licensed, some aren’t licensed in your state (which matters), and some might not have any qualifications at all to be serving as a virtual counselor. Here’s a fantastic article that Abigail Rueger put together when she went down this rabbit hole, in her reporting for Choosing Therapy.

But aside what happens when you attempt to connect with a legitimate therapists, it is even dicier when you opt for one of the free or low cost options that are often being portrayed as the equivalent of therapy: Like chatrooms, and “peer counselors.” And the people you’re chatting with in the seven cups therapy anonymous support rooms? They’re often “listeners” who went through a 15-minute quiz (no joke) and are now fielding deeply personal and sensitive emotional issues.

This isn’t just a red flag. It’s a full-blown red carpet rolled out for abuse, manipulation, and even predatory behavior. And yes, it’s already happened—to teens, to adults, to people just like you who were looking for real help and got something very, very different.

The Business of Looking Legit

One of the most disturbing pieces of this puzzle? The marketing.

Some companies—including seven cups therapy amongst others—spend big bucks to win search engine rankings and secure glowing reviews. But here’s the kicker: many of those “best online therapy” badges and awards? They’re not always earned. They’re often paid for.

Yep. As in, “pay-to-play” style promotion. Some directories even reach out to practices like mine at Growing Self and say, “If you want to keep your award badge on our site, you’ll need to pay us.” (Spoiler alert: I declined).

So when you, in your most vulnerable moment, trust those shiny stars and endorsements from…who, exactly? Be on alert: You might be getting funneled into a business model that is not what it seems, and was never about your well-being—and definitely not about matching you with a qualified virtual counselor. Perhaps you’ve just encountered a convergence of for-profit business entities (online therapy companies and the media organizations taking their money to promote them).

Legitimate therapists have been losing their minds when they discover that they are being used to bait clients into these operations. If you surf around on 7 Cups, you will see a great looking bio of a professional, legitimate local therapist on these sites (perhaps even mine!)

But what you don’t know is that this information was scraped off of therapist’s websites without their consent. And that when you click that inviting “get in touch” button that you *think* will connect you with the therapist you’re selecting… it actually just collects your info, and sends you into a marketing funnel where you might get connected with a totally different therapist who may or may not be qualified to help you, and may not even be licensed in your state.

This is not new. The same deceptive bait and switch practice was being used by Therapists are rallying, and there is now a class action lawsuit intended to create consequences for 7 Cups, and make them knock this off.

But it gets worse. (Really).

You’ll also start getting offers to participate in “free therapy” or very low cost “therapy” with “listeners,” either one one-on-one, or in chatrooms. This is where things get very dark, very fast.