Community Guidelines

PSY.one is not a noticeboard for anyone who calls themselves a psychologist. We vouch to our readers for the qualifications of every specialist and for every article we publish. That is why our requirements for specialists go well beyond “holds a certificate from some online school” — and we take them seriously.

1. Why these guidelines exist

1.1.Readers often come to the journal in a vulnerable state. They can’t tell a professional from someone who has done a weekend course, a scientific approach from esoterica, or careful advice from dangerous advice. The community does that work for them.

1.2.These guidelines are binding on all PSY.one specialists, authors, reviewers and experts. Section 8 applies to readers in the comments. The guidelines supplement the Terms of Use (psy.one/terms).

2. Who can become a specialist

2.1.Core education must be a university degree in psychology: a bachelor’s, specialist or master’s degree in psychology, clinical psychology, occupational psychology or organisational psychology from a state-accredited university.

2.2.The following do not count as core education: professional retraining, refresher courses, online school programmes, coaching programmes, “intensives”, marathons or certificates of attendance. Such training can be listed as further education.

2.3.Method. Specialists state the approach they work in and confirm their training in it: a long-term programme, not a one- or two-day seminar.

2.4.Practice and supervision. Specialists maintain a practice and receive regular supervision. Supervision is confirmed once a year.

2.5.Master’s students in psychology may become specialists in order to write articles and take part in the community. Consultations through PSY.one are offered only after graduation.

2.6.Documents confirming education, practice and supervision are seen only by the administrator and the editor-in-chief; they are kept in private storage.

3. Methods we accept, and methods we don’t

3.1.The community includes specialists from various fields of psychological support that are recognised by the professional community and grounded in research: cognitive behavioural therapy and its branches, psychodynamic therapy and psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, existential and humanistic approaches, systemic family therapy, schema therapy, emotionally focused therapy, clinical psychology and neuropsychology, organisational and business psychology, and psychologically grounded coaching.

3.2.We do not accept or publish:

• esoteric practices: astrology, numerology, tarot, “energy” and “ancestral” practices, past-life regression;
• Hellinger family constellations and their variations;
• methods that promise a guaranteed result in a fixed number of sessions;
• “diagnosis” from a photograph, handwriting or date of birth;
• practices built on pressuring, humiliating or isolating a person.

3.3.If a specialist’s method raises doubts, the editor-in-chief may ask for confirmation of their training and of the scientific basis of the method.

4. A specialist’s ethics

4.1.Limits of competence. Specialists work only with what they are trained in. If there are signs of a mental disorder, addiction, violence or a risk to life, they refer the person to a doctor or the emergency services rather than trying to cope alone.

4.2.No diagnosis at a distance. Specialists do not diagnose readers in the comments, do not make judgements based on a single message, and do not give consultations in the comments. They may share general information and suggest seeing a specialist.

4.3.No dual relationships. Specialists do not enter into personal, romantic, sexual, business or financial relationships with clients, do not counsel relatives, friends or work colleagues, and do not accept gifts of any kind from clients.

4.4.Confidentiality. What a client says in a consultation is not discussed publicly. Cases in articles must be composite or fully anonymised so that the client cannot be recognised, or used with the client’s written consent.

4.5.Honesty about yourself. A profile contains only verified education and real experience. Invented titles, “international certificates” from unknown organisations and inflated years of practice are not allowed.

4.6.Honesty about results. Specialists do not promise a cure, timeframes or guarantees, and do not frighten readers or pressure them to book.

4.7.Working through the site. If a client came through PSY.one, consultations with them are held and paid for through PSY.one. Experts do not offer clients to continue working outside the site and do not leave their contact details in messages, articles or comments.

4.8.Respect for colleagues. Professional disagreements are discussed with arguments. Mocking colleagues, their approaches or their clients is unacceptable.

4.9.The specialist’s own state. Specialists do not hold consultations when their state interferes with their work, including under the influence of alcohol or other substances, and take a break if they need help themselves.

5. Articles

5.1.The article is written by its author. AI can be used as an assistant — to check the text or find wording — but not to write the whole article. The author is responsible for every statement.

5.2.Statements of fact are backed by research, and the article has a list of sources. The author’s opinion is presented as opinion, not as scientific fact.

5.3.An article is not an advertisement. The text contains no links to your own services, courses, marathons or social media, no calls to book and no promo codes. The specialist’s profile under the article tells readers about them.

5.4.No borrowing without attribution. Plagiarism is a serious violation (section 9).

5.5.Articles are written for a general audience: without scaremongering, stigma, or advice that is dangerous to follow without a specialist. Suicide and self-harm are covered only with care and with helpline details; methods are never described.

6. Peer review

6.1.Reviewers do not review texts by people they are personally or professionally connected with: relatives, co-authors, students, their supervisees or their supervisors. They report the conflict of interest to the editor and decline the review.

6.2.A review assesses the text, not the author: its accuracy, its grounding in sources, the safety of its advice for the reader and its compliance with these guidelines. Comments are specific and respectful.

6.3.Until publication, an article is confidential: the reviewer does not share it or use the author’s ideas.

6.4.Reviewers meet the deadline or decline the review in advance.

7. Experts

7.1.Expert status is granted by the editor-in-chief to a specialist who has contributed to the journal and the community (articles, reviews, answers to readers) and follows these guidelines, after a personal interview with the editor-in-chief.

7.2.An expert is a face of the journal. All the rules for specialists apply to them, and violations are treated more strictly.

7.3.The price of a consultation on PSY.one may not exceed the expert’s lowest price for the same consultation on other public platforms, including aggregators and directories of psychologists. The expert confirms this each time they change their price. Overpricing is a violation: booking may be suspended and the profile blocked.

8. Readers’ comments

8.1.Be respectful to authors, specialists and each other. No insults, harassment, politics or advertising.

8.2.Don’t post information about your health or other people’s personal data. Comments are not the place for a consultation: if you need help, please see a specialist.

8.3.Don’t advise others to stop treatment or medication, don’t diagnose, and don’t describe methods of self-harm.

8.4.If you are feeling very bad and have thoughts of harming yourself, call 112 or the helpline of the Emergency Psychological Assistance Centre of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations: +7 495 989-50-50. Outside Russia, call your local emergency number or find a helpline at https://findahelpline.com.

9. Violations and consequences

9.1.Breaking the guidelines. The user receives a warning by email stating the violation. If the violation is repeated, the account is blocked.

9.2.For specialists, in addition:

• material that breaks the guidelines is removed from publication or hidden until corrected;
• booking may be suspended while the matter is investigated;
• expert status may be withdrawn;
• specialist status may be withdrawn.

9.3.Serious violations — specialist and expert status are withdrawn immediately and consultations are switched off:

• false information about qualifications or forged documents;
• dual relationships with a client, including sexual ones;
• disclosing what a client said in a consultation;
• plagiarism;
• esoteric and dangerous practices presented as psychological help;
• inviting PSY.one clients to work and pay outside the site.

9.4.Violations that may be contrary to the legislation of the Russian Federation may be referred to the competent authorities.

10. Complaints about a specialist

10.1.You can complain about a specialist, an article or a review by writing to psy@psy.one or using the “Report” button next to a comment.

10.2.Complaints are considered by the editor-in-chief. The specialist is given the opportunity to explain. The decision is made with reasons and communicated to both parties.

10.3.A specialist may appeal against a decision once by writing to psy@psy.one; the appeal is considered by the administrator.

10.4.The name of the person who made the complaint is not disclosed to the specialist unless the investigation requires it.

11. Review of these guidelines

11.1.These guidelines are updated as the community grows. Specialists are informed of significant changes by email.