🌸 Please respect my privacy at this time 🌸
@virtualSolace44
I wasn't aware of this. If this is true, it's a serious privacy concern.
@trueconfidant I came across it while doing a training to be a room supporter. You can search therapist’s profiles (who are not affiliated with cups) by city and state- which by the way most of those therapists have no idea they have provider profiles on cups. Then you can search listeners by state. In my state there are two therapists with pending complaints filed against them…advertised by 7 cups lol. Maybe I should apply for the 7 cups quality and risk team 😂
@virtualSolace44
Wow that's wild. I have never come across it lol. Thanks for bringing it up. I'm sure the team will look into it.
@virtualSolace44
Hi, thanks for asking about this. The directory is part of our local support system, designed to bridge the gap between online and offline support. When someone searches for help in their area, this directory helps them see that compassionate support does exist close to home - even if it's online for now.
Your presence on 7 Cups, even virtually, makes local mental health more accessible. Many people who reach out to us are looking for someone who understands their cultural context, time zone, or region. This small piece of state-level info helps them feel more connected and safe when taking that first step toward support.
That said, your privacy and comfort matter. When a listener signs up, they voluntarily share their state to help match with those who may need localized support. If you’d prefer not to appear in the directory with that info, you can always opt out by heading to your settings and removing your state information.
The role of a listener, whether supporting someone across the world or across the street, continues to be a vital part of the healing journey for so many. Thank you again for asking and for being a part of our community.
@Heather225
Hi. I like the idea of sharing local resources. I think there is a good idea here.
But I also have concerns about my location as a listener being shared.
I live in a very small country. Significantly smaller than a US state. I would never choose to share the name of my country on here due to the risks of being identified. I had a look in the settings and I couldn't find a way to decline to share country location. Can you give more specific directions? The best I could do was select the wrong country.
@virtualSolace44
I also noticed this recently, and raised a question about it. And I also have concerns. I will respond to Heather below, but i just wanted to say thanks for raising it.
@Clio9876 do you know if or how is it possible to disable our state to be visible publicly?
@ingeniousEnergy223
The only thing I found I could do was to lie about my location. So, I selected a location that isn't my true location.
I see, thank you for letting me know :)