Most of us were never taught how to vet a teacher, guide, or program. Here’s a practical, therapist-friendly framework you can use. You don’t need all green lights, but you should know where the yellows and reds are.

Time in practice

Eldership matters. This is not about ageism, it’s about ‘seasoning’. Who mentored them? How many years of practice and service? What do their peers say privately? and most importantly, are they humble about their path?

Depth over certificates. Training is a start and academics are one way to learn. Supervision, community accountability, and demonstrable service histories matter more because it shows competency.

Lineage and context

Who taught them? Can they name their teachers, and do those teachers recognize them?

Cultural integrity: If the practice arises from a specific people or place, are they operating with permission, reciprocity, and cultural humility? Are they giving back in ways they can communicate when asked?

Community recognition and repair

What happens when things go wrong? Ask about ethics policies, grievance processes, and historical ruptures. How do they name their mistakes and show their repairs?

Source of knowledge

Balanced epistemology: “Downloads” and intuition can be beautiful and are real things for me and many communities, and they should be tempered by study, supervision, and reality testing. Beware of leaders who elevate personal revelations above all checks and balances, because every community of healing has checks and balances inherent in the work.

Walk-the-talk alignment

Congruence: Do their private behaviors (as far as you can responsibly know) align with their public values? Are they open about human challenges regarding boundary violations, money games, or evasions of accountability?

Accessibility and reciprocity

Ethical pricing:  Everyone needs to eat. And yet wisdom should be more than a luxury good. Is there a sliding scale, community offering, scholarship, or service-back exchange?

Safety structures

Healing literacy: Do they understand trauma, consent, and scope of practice? Do they collaborate with clinicians when appropriate? Are medical/psychological screenings part of the intake for high-intensity work?

Outcomes that translate

Do the Integration test: Testimonials are nice; transformed daily living is better. Can they articulate how insight becomes practice over time?

Lastly, trust yourself with red flags: Your nervous system knows when something is off. Listen to the micro-signals: a tightening in the gut, a slight head pressure, a sense that you’re rushing. Slow down. Ask one more question. Sleep on it.