The Science Behind the Match
At Pleiades, we believe that the therapeutic alliance is the foundation of successful therapy. Our proprietary matching algorithm is built on decades of psychological research on therapeutic relationships, treatment efficacy, and personality compatibility. This page explains how our algorithm works specifically from the therapist perspective.
Unlike platforms that simply match based on availability or specialty, our algorithm takes a multi-dimensional approach to create therapeutic partnerships that are more likely to succeed. For therapists, this means building a practice with clients who respond well to your unique style and approach.
The Therapist Assessment
When you join Pleiades, you'll complete our comprehensive Therapist Assessment. This assessment measures:
- Therapeutic Style - Your approach to the therapeutic process
- Communication Patterns - How you typically communicate with clients
- Personality Traits - Your natural tendencies and traits that influence your therapeutic presence
- Specializations - Your areas of clinical expertise and training
- Treatment Modalities - The therapeutic approaches you use
The assessment takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and consists of scenario-based questions, preference selections, and standardized personality measures adapted specifically for therapeutic contexts.
Maximizing Your Assessment Results
When taking the assessment, respond based on your authentic therapeutic style rather than what you think might be "ideal." Our algorithm works best when it has an accurate picture of your natural approach, as this leads to more compatible matches.
Key Matching Factors
Our algorithm analyzes multiple dimensions of compatibility between therapists and potential clients:
Therapeutic Alliance Factors 40%
These factors relate to the interpersonal dynamics between therapist and client:
- Communication Style Compatibility - How well your communication style meets the client's needs and preferences
- Personality Congruence - The degree to which your personality traits complement the client's
- Goal Alignment - How well your approach aligns with the client's therapy goals
Clinical Expertise Factors 35%
These factors ensure you have the expertise to address the client's specific needs:
- Presenting Issues Match - Your experience with the client's specific concerns
- Treatment Approach Efficacy - How effective your preferred approaches are for the client's issues
- Specialized Training - Relevant specialized training for the client's situation
Practical Considerations 25%
These factors address logistical compatibility:
- Availability - Alignment between your schedule and the client's preferred times
- Session Format - Match between your offered formats (virtual/in-person) and client preferences
- Insurance/Payment - Compatibility between your accepted payment methods and client's insurance/budget
Match Quality Scores
Each potential therapist-client match receives a comprehensive compatibility score ranging from 0-100%, calculated from the factors above. As a therapist on Pleiades, you'll only receive match suggestions with a compatibility score of 70% or higher.
Match suggestions are presented to both therapists and clients with detailed information about why the match is likely to be effective, highlighting specific areas of compatibility to help both parties make informed decisions.
How Matches Are Presented
When our algorithm identifies a potential match, the process works as follows:
- Match Notification - You'll receive a notification about a potential new client
- Client Overview - You'll see an anonymized profile with presenting concerns, goals, and compatibility details
- Therapist Decision - You can choose to accept or decline the match based on the information provided
- Client Notification - If you accept, the client receives you as a match suggestion in their dashboard
- Scheduling - If the client selects you, they can schedule an initial consultation directly through the platform
This dual opt-in system ensures that both you and the client have agency in the matching process, while still benefiting from the algorithm's compatibility insights.
Optimizing Your Match Quality
As a therapist on Pleiades, you can take several steps to improve the quality of your matches:
- Complete Your Profile Thoroughly - Provide detailed information about your approach, specialties, and experience
- Keep Your Availability Updated - Regularly update your calendar to ensure matches are made with clients whose scheduling needs you can meet
- Provide Session Feedback - After sessions, provide brief feedback about the match quality to help the algorithm learn and improve
- Update Your Assessment Periodically - As your practice evolves, update your therapist assessment to reflect changes in your approach or specializations
Professional Development Impact
As you gain new certifications, training, or expand into new treatment modalities, be sure to update your profile. This will allow the algorithm to match you with clients who could benefit from your enhanced skill set.
Algorithm Updates and Evolution
The Pleiades matching algorithm is continuously refined based on several inputs:
- Outcome Data - Anonymized data about therapeutic outcomes for different match patterns
- Retention Analysis - Analysis of which matches lead to longer-term therapeutic relationships
- Feedback Incorporation - Direct feedback from therapists and clients about match quality
- Research Integration - New findings from psychological research on therapeutic relationships
We release major algorithm updates quarterly, with minor refinements happening continuously. Therapists are always notified before significant changes to the matching system.
Match Quality Metrics
In your therapist dashboard, you'll have access to personalized match quality metrics:
- Match Acceptance Rate - The percentage of suggested matches you accept
- Client Selection Rate - The percentage of clients who choose you when presented as a match
- Retention Rate - The percentage of your matched clients who continue beyond 6 sessions
- Outcome Measures - Anonymized, aggregated data on client progress and satisfaction
These metrics help you understand the effectiveness of your matches and provide insights for practice development.
Ethics and Bias Mitigation
We've designed our algorithm with careful attention to ethical considerations and bias mitigation:
- The algorithm is regularly audited by independent experts to identify and remove potential biases
- Demographic factors are only considered when they have demonstrated clinical relevance or when explicitly requested by the client
- All data used in the matching process is secured with enterprise-grade encryption and HIPAA-compliant protocols
- Therapists always maintain clinical autonomy and can decline matches if they feel they're not well-suited to address a client's needs