#459 - Are You Getting Scammed by Your “Online Therapist”? The Shocking Fraud Behind Seven Cups Therapy
Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
4.6 • 849 Ratings
🗓️ 23 June 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if the “therapist” you’re pouring your heart out to… isn’t a therapist at all?
In this jaw-dropping episode of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast, I’m joined by investigative journalists Rebecca Ruiz and Lauren Krause to expose the shocking truth behind Seven Cups Therapy and the dark world of therapy fraud—including unlicensed “helpers,” fake reviews, and predatory chatrooms masquerading as support.
This isn’t just about bad advice or unqualified "virtual counselors." It’s about real people being misled, emotionally exploited, and sometimes even preyed upon while they’re at their most vulnerable. We dive into how this happens, how to protect yourself (or someone you care about), and how to tell the difference between a real therapist and a clever imposter.
If you've ever Googled "online therapy" late at night and clicked on what looked like a trustworthy, affordable platform, you NEED to hear this.
Timestamps:
01:43 - What’s Really Going On with Online Therapy Platforms
03:44 - Seven Cups Therapy: Behind the Curtain
05:21 - Why You Shouldn't Trust Those Awards and Reviews
07:52 - "Virtual Counselors" vs. Actual Therapists
10:45 - How to Spot Therapy Fraud in the Wild
12:50 - Ethical Gray Zones in the Coaching Industry
14:56 - Red Flags of Fake Support Services
18:48 - The Danger of Marketing Funnels Masquerading as Help
21:22 - How Fake Therapy Can Harm Real People
23:02 - The Truth About Licensing, Credentials & Oversight
25:48 - Behind the Scenes at Seven Cups: A Reporter’s Story
28:32 - Inappropriate Chatroom Behavior and No Accountability
37:16 - Free Resources to Help You Make Empowered Choices
If you're looking for actual therapy or coaching from trained, licensed professionals—not a chatbot or a mystery stranger in Timbuktu—you can always find help here at Growing Self. We offer real free consultations so you can find a great fit and know exactly what you're signing up for. No pressure, no weird bait-and-switch. Just ethical, expert support that actually works.
👉 Click here to schedule! We’d love to hear from you!
And if this episode struck a nerve, or opened your eyes, or made you yell “WAIT, WHAT?!”—come join me on Instagram or YouTube. I break down big topics like this every week. You’ll get expert insights, practical tools, and compassionate advice to help you create love, happiness and success in your life.
Xoxo
P.S. If you know someone who needs to hear this episode, share it with them today. Let’s look out for one another. 💛
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby, and you're listening to the Love, Happiness, and Success |
| 0:13.5 | podcast. |
| 0:23.6 | So picture the situation, so relatable. You're awake. It's 2 o'clock in the morning. You can't sleep. And you've been feeling low. |
| 0:28.6 | You are not yourself. And you finally decide to do something about it, which is great. Use Google online therapy, totally appropriate. |
| 0:38.5 | But the first thing that comes up looks legit, right? |
| 0:42.5 | You may be routed to these so-called carrying strangers, |
| 0:46.7 | but they're not therapists. |
| 0:48.2 | They may try to act like a therapist. |
| 0:50.4 | Some may even kind of present themselves as therapists, |
| 0:53.2 | which I've seen, but that's not what they do and they don't have the clinical training. |
| 0:58.0 | Okay, it's not even that expensive. You sign up, put in your credit card information, and then pour your heart out, get connected with someone. |
| 1:06.0 | But what you didn't know is that the person on the other end of that, your air quote therapist |
| 1:13.6 | might not be licensed or they might not be licensed in your state or they might not be a therapist |
| 1:19.6 | at all. |
| 1:21.6 | What's really worrisome about these situations is that someone has gone there looking for help |
| 1:26.6 | and they might end up |
| 1:28.0 | being on the receiving end of predation asking people to engage with sexual behavior, abuse, |
| 1:35.1 | trolling, et cetera. And I know this sounds crazy, but it's actually happening right now. We need to |
| 1:41.7 | talk about this. That's why I've invited journalists Rebecca Ruiz and Lauren |
| 1:47.0 | Krause, both of whom who have done some phenomenal reporting uncovering what is really going on |
| 1:54.1 | with many of these online therapy platforms, including ones like Seven Cups, which if you look online, has won all these |
| 2:03.4 | awards, fascinatingly. So if you're thinking about getting help, it is fantastic, but it's |
... |
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