How many psychologists does it take to change a light globe?
It’s cheaper to get an electrician.
Therapists, psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are business people. First and foremost they have bills to pay, mortgages to negotiate, children to put through college and the myriad of other expenses we all have to deal with. That’s life.
I loathe being reminded I am paying someone to take care of my mental health issues. But that is the reality of the situation. I am handing over tens of thousands of dollars and in return getting a brand new personality – but unlike a car or a new washing machine, there is no twelve month guarantee. The therapist gets paid whether the client gets well or not and when he/she puts their fees up, that pay-rise increment over a week can equate to my entire wage. If I said that didn’t make me feel a bit bitter I would be lying.
My father, not a fan of the psychotherapy industry, gleefully tells me the story (over and over again) of someone he knows who spent his not inconsiderable inheritance seeing a psychiatrist for a recognizable mental condition and after watching his legacy dwindle away year after year ended up in a far worse condition. When this person ran out of money, the psychiatrist refused to see him. As I pointed out to Dad (over and over again) this health professional is running a business, albeit in the caring industry, and he still needs a certain amount of income in order to survive. I would not expect an electrician or a plumber to work for nothing.
What are the financial ethics and personal morals and values of therapy? I have read where some well-known psychotherapy authors and practitioners feel guilty about charging so much money just for some talk-therapy. I applaud their guilt. I wonder if medical doctors, lawyers, accountants and politicians feel the same amount of guilt, humility and anxiety when they charge more for an hour than I make in the entire day. I also know of therapists who means test their clients charging on a sliding scale, giving discounts and even working pro-bono. Personally, I think a frequent therapy scheme or “buy ten, get one free” as standard practice would be a fabulous idea for people in long-term therapy.
So what do you actually get for your money?
A new mother?
A caring friend?
A warm and fuzzy feeling of connection and intimacy?
A depleted bank account and self-destructive tendencies whenever someone asks you, “How do you feel?”
A total mind f**k? (yes that happens), or
A better life with richer future earning potential?
I could have bought a second house with the money I have spent on the mental health industry (not just my personal therapist) and if I weigh up money spent -v- mental health received, I would go with the latter. While I still resent forking out bucket loads of cash, the alternative is worse. When all is said and done, it is only money. Thanks to my therapist I am earning a living and studying for a degree which will put me in a higher earning bracket.
Life wasn’t meant to be fair, equal or easy and mental health is a genetic lottery.
It’s quite simple for me. Without therapy, I would not be here.
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I often find myself reminding some of my colleagues that the work I do, the fact that I have a job, and the money I make, the things I own, etc etc are all because of someone else’s suffering.
Without these individuals, I would have nothing.
Helps them to see the reality of the world and maybe become more humble in the process.
Thank you for your post. I plan on sharing it with others.
Wow. Dr. Wayne, I wouldn’t think of it that way. I would think of it more as you have all of those things because you’ve tried to ease others’ suffering. You didn’t make them suffer. They were already hurting before they met you. Being humble and staying grounded is good, I agree, but why punish yourself for being paid to do your job? You’re trying to create a world with less pain.
I think the fact that 2 human beings are connecting on some level makes it a beautiful thing, regardless of the money involved. I doubt that many effective therapists out there are in this field solely for the money Somewhere in them is a desire to help others. I think we pay for their time and their expertise, but not for their caring. That comes from within. Just my opinion, of course…
I’m in an HMO, and my therapist gets a salary. This does impact the dynamic; covering the mortgage or tuition isn’t directly tied to MY payments, and I don’t give it much thought.
I go to the therapist because my friends and family, priest or boss - while good listeners - do not have the expertise in managing anxiety symptoms or recovering from a trauma.
Similarly, my firm charges clients by the hour for my expertise. Getting paid for your expertise seems very normal to me.
I have been in therapy for 2 years now. Thank god I have an excellent health plan that gives me unlimited sessions…I could go 7 days a week if I wanted to. All I have to do is pay a co-pay…10 dollars a session…a small price to pay if you ask me. I am very lucky in that sense, some people don’t have insurance or their insurance caps the amount of sessions they are allowed to have.
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