How Much!

What price do you put on your mental health? It’s a hard question to answer and even if you know the answer today, it may change if your health or circumstances change.

I often have clients express surprise at the cost of a session with me. Believe it or not that surprise can go both ways. It is sometimes “that much!” and often I hear “is that all!”. It is these two very opposite responses that have lead me to put finger to keyboard and write this blog.

Many people in the UK have been brought up with the NHS. This wonderful establishment has set an expectation that ALL health care is free. Sadly with funding and resourcing levels the way they are this is not always possible and sometimes the best course of treatment for an individual is not available through the NHS. Some complementary treatments are considered too alternative or unproven (this is probably a blog for another day as I can feel a rant coming on as I write those words); sometimes the wait is too long for a service or you are restricted to a small number of sessions (e.g. 4 counselling sessions). So this ‘free’ options may not be available or suitable.

I know myself that pricing for the service that I offer is hard. I have many years of experience in a variety of therapies as well as a good dose of life experience. I also wish to help people get the change that they want at a price they can afford while earning a living myself. Which makes pricing less than simple. Wouldn’t it be great if we could offer free treatment to everyone while being able to live?  What I do know is that the pricing of my services is based on my speciality, training, experience, location and the market.  However if a therapist is overpriced compared to others offering a similar service in the same location it does not necessarily mean it is better. When choosing a therapist do your homework -see my article for more information

So far we have covered the expectation of the client and pricing of the service. Next I want to cover exactly what are you paying for? The short answer is my time and expertise. You are NOT paying for a cure or a guaranteed fix. This is because I cannot force you to change. You can only change if you want to and put the effort in (see article). Some therapists will offer a guarantee, personally I feel that this is the wrong motivation for the client as it can reduce their incentive. I can’t make you change, what I can do is tailor the session to best fit with you; your motivations and your personality. I can facilitate the change with you and I can guide and support you.

I would like to finish by asking you some questions, what are you prepared to pay for change? Are you invested in doing the work to achieve it?

For some people having matching cushions and the latest mobile phone is more important.

If you genuinely want the change and cannot find a way to afford it then please reach out. I offer a limited number of clients reduced rate sessions based on their means.

There is another way ...