This question usually baffles me and some of my colleagues. Knowing the market prices I understand that my services are far from the most expensive. At the same time, stepping into my clients’ shoes I understand that psychotherapy is a largely ephemeral process. There is nothing you can touch or measure, like, for example, a crown after visiting a dentist. It is often more difficult to pay for what you can’t see. I will try to explain using specific examples that you as clients pay for and what we psychologists charge for.
Adults usually come to me in a dissatisfied state, Each person deals with it in their own way, but the majority is already spending money to dull unpleasant feelings: shopping, food, alcohol, drugs, endless travelling, extreme sports – all require investment and can bring long-term satisfaction only if a person already enjoys life as it is. Many psychological symptoms with time become physical, which have to be (not always successfully) treated by doctors or healers. Finally, our internal “black holes” usually absorb a lot of energy, which could be directed towards work and interesting and profitable projects. Successful and timely psychotherapy helps avoid unnecessary expenses and find strength and energy for engaging and profitable activity.
In the case of children it is a bit more complicated: it is hard to say what are the characteristics that currently seem problematic to the parents. Maybe these individual qualities will help them in future? This is why my task with children is to support their developmental path and help them with any emotional difficulties if the circumstances become too difficult (conflicts within the family, changes of environment, loss of a family member, illnesses etc.). Maybe such an approach would help your family economy, or maybe you’ll have to spend even more on new interests of your child.
When it comes to the specialist, if their professional level is high enough (see How to find an appropriate specialist?), the psychotherapist will spend a significant part of their earnings on supervision (consultations with more experienced colleague), professional courses, conferences, special literature and personal psychotherapy. Only in this case can a psychotherapist offer you good quality work. Among other things, the majority of psychologists does not work from home, but rent an office (see why can’t we meet at my flat, café or hotel?). So of what you pay to a psychologist at least half of it goes towards “working materials”.
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