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Editorial, Evidence and Clinical Review Policy

Editorial, Evidence and Clinical Review Policy

Effective date: 3 August 2026

CounselorAid publishes educational content about psychology, mental well-being, therapeutic skills, coaching, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle practices. This policy explains how content is researched, written, labelled, reviewed and corrected.

Editorial principles

  • Write for general readers in clear language without removing clinically important distinctions.
  • Separate established facts, guideline recommendations, emerging evidence and original reflection exercises.
  • Avoid guaranteed outcomes, miracle claims, fear-based language and unsupported statistics.
  • Include practical limitations, contraindications and situations requiring professional support.
  • Preserve disagreement or uncertainty when reliable sources do not reach one conclusion.

Source hierarchy

For health and treatment claims, CounselorAid prioritises current clinical guidelines, government health agencies, original treatment manuals, official professional organisations, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and peer-reviewed studies. Commercial websites, general media and unsourced quotations should not be used as the main evidence for clinical claims.

Evidence labels

  • Established therapy skill: The skill is described in an identified treatment manual or recognised professional source.
  • Original CounselorAid exercise: CounselorAid created the format or prompts. The exercise is not independently validated unless evidence is specifically provided.
  • DBT-informed, CBT-informed or ACT-informed: The resource draws on named principles but is not presented as an official standalone skill or complete treatment.
  • Validated assessment: Used only when validation evidence, population, scoring and permissions are documented.
  • Reflection tool or check-in: Intended for awareness or discussion, not diagnosis.

Authorship and independent review

Pages should identify the responsible author or editorial team and the date of the latest evidence review. Independent clinical review is claimed only when a named professional with relevant qualifications has reviewed the content. Editorial review, fact-checking and independent clinical review are different processes and should not be presented as interchangeable.

DBT content standard

DBT pages distinguish comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy from standalone skills teaching and worksheets. Skills are assigned to the appropriate module. Treatment claims must reflect the population, programme and evidence reviewed. Adapted DBT applications are not presented as equally established for every diagnosis.

Worksheets and downloadable resources

Worksheets should state their origin, intended use, validation status, limitations, safety information and version where possible. A downloadable file is reviewed for terminology, instructions, accessibility and potentially harmful examples before it is described as professionally suitable.

Updates

Clinical and safety-sensitive content is reviewed when major guidelines change, significant new evidence becomes available, an error is reported or an internal audit identifies a concern. The last review date should not be changed for minor formatting edits that do not include an evidence check.

Conflicts and commercial content

Advertising, affiliate relationships, sponsorships and gifted products should be disclosed. Commercial relationships must not determine scientific conclusions, hide material limitations or convert advertising claims into health advice.

Reporting concerns

Readers can report possible factual, safety, attribution or accessibility problems through the contact page. Substantive corrections are handled under the Corrections Policy.