Ask us anything.We'll be straight with you.

Anyone whose school, employer or organization partners with Counslr, free to them. If you've been invited, you can also subscribe on your own with Counslr Direct.

If your organization partners with us, it's free for you. No insurance, no copays, no claims, no surprise bills.

No. Sessions are unlimited. No caps and nothing out of pocket.

You can have a session anywhere without anyone overhearing. You can reread the conversation later. And typing often feels easier than saying it out loud. Some things are still best face to face, but text works well for most.

Yes, when it's with trained professionals. 89% of Counslr users had never used the mental health resources already available to them. A peer-reviewed study in JMIR Formative Research found most people used on-demand sessions, and more than 80% of sessions happened between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Read the study

That's why every session is live, with a real licensed counselor. No chatbots, no delayed replies. Counselors are trained to build trust and connection in writing.

For your first session, Smart Matching pairs you with an available counselor who fits your needs and preferences. After that, you can schedule with anyone you've talked to before, or start fresh with someone new.

Counslr operates in alignment with HIPAA. The app is encrypted and data is stored using industry-standard protocols. We don't share your information without your consent, except in very specific emergencies. Your organization only sees aggregated numbers, like how many sessions were held or which times are busiest.

In the Counslr app, tap Chat Now to connect with a counselor right away, or schedule a session for a specific date and time. Sessions last up to 45 minutes, and your counselor is actively engaged in the conversation the whole time.

Counslr is available on iOS and Android.

No. Counslr is entirely text-based.

Users must be at least 10 years old to access the Counslr platform.

Text-based communication requires a certain level of reading comprehension, typing ability and emotional vocabulary that typically develops around this age. Younger children often benefit more from interactive, play-based or face-to-face support where trained professionals can pick up on non-verbal cues. Working with children under 10 also involves unique considerations around consent and parental involvement that are better addressed through in-person or family-based support.

Counslr partners with PRIVO, an FTC-approved COPPA Safe Harbor, to manage parental consent and age verification. If you're 18 or older, you'll be asked to pick a verification method (such as a driver's license or government ID, the last four digits of your SSN, a small reversible credit card charge, or an age-verified PayPal account). If you're under 18, you can't verify your own age and will go through the parental permission process instead. Tips: use your legal first and last name (no nicknames); if you recently changed your name or moved, try your previous name or address; check for typos or extra spaces; and if one method gives an error, try another. Still stuck? Use the purple chat circle in the app or email hello@counslr.com. Counslr doesn't receive or store your verification details. PRIVO uses them only to verify your age.

We don't automatically tell campus counseling centers about your Counslr sessions, and we don't ask them about your in-person sessions. If you want information shared, and you give us explicit written permission, we can arrange for it to be shared securely both ways.