About TheraLume
Making the first step less of a burden.
TheraLume exists to take the searching out of finding a therapist — without taking the choosing away from you. Therapists introduce themselves; you decide who, if anyone, you want to talk to.
Why it exists
Finding a therapist asks the most from people who have the least to give.
Choosing a therapist means reading dozens of profiles, guessing at fit from a paragraph, and sending messages that may never be answered — usually while already struggling. Directories and referral lists each solve part of this, and many people do find good care through them.
We wanted to reverse the effort. You describe what matters once. Therapists who think they could be a potential fit reach out and explain why. The reading, comparing and deciding still belong to you — the searching does not.
Who is behind it
Founded by two siblings, from two sides of the problem.
Sashaun kept seeing the same thing in her own practice: when the fit is right, care works — but a great many people never get that far, because the finding is built around browsing rather than being met. Her brother Shavauhn left full-time work to build software that gives people more agency. TheraLume is the two views put together.
Sashaun Clarke
Founder — Registered Psychotherapist
Brings the practitioner’s view of what a workable referral actually looks like: the right fit, arriving at a moment the person can act on it.
Shavauhn Gabay
Co-founder — DevOps engineer
Builds the software side, with a long-standing interest in tools that give everyday people more control over their own decisions rather than less.
Principles in practice
What these ideas actually change in the product.
Values are cheap to write. These are the decisions they cost us.
Fit decides who reaches you — not payment
Therapists cannot buy placement in front of you or move themselves up a list. Paying for a TheraLume plan is not an endorsement by us, and it is not a signal about the quality of anyone’s care.
How introductions are sentSharing is a decision you make, not a default
Your answers begin as a private draft. No therapist sees them, and no one can contact you, until you review what would be shared and approve it. You can switch it back off at any time.
Privacy and safetyWe would rather say nothing than say something unproven
No invented testimonials, no match percentages presented as clinical probability, no guaranteed reply times. If we cannot measure it yet, this site does not claim it — including on this page.
Scope and accountability
What we are, and what we are not.
TheraLume does
- Hold your preferences as a private profile
- Let therapists introduce themselves to you
- Give you a place to accept, decline or ignore
TheraLume does not
- Provide therapy, assessment or diagnosis
- Set fees or take payment for sessions
- Operate as a crisis or emergency service
Your therapist is your care provider, and your relationship is with them. The regions and eligibility we currently support are stated on how matching works. If you are in danger or in crisis, call 911 or 988 — messages here are not monitored in real time.
The next step
See how matching actually works.
The process page walks through every step, what is shared at each one, and what happens if no one reaches out.
How matching worksReady already? Start My Match · Are you a therapist? TheraLume for therapists
Shavauhn also builds Kazibee, an unrelated software project. Mentioned as founder context only; it has no role in how therapists are introduced to you.