Providing counseling to people who are anxious, lost, troubled, or grieving is an incredibly rewarding experience. That is until it’s time to ask the people you’ve just helped pay their bill.
Why is it that billing therapy clients can feel so… awkward?
It’s because you are offering mental and emotional support and advice, much like a friend or loved one does. Think about it: when you pour your heart out to your best friend over nachos and margaritas, they typically don’t say, “Hey, since I just listened to you go on and on about how your boss takes complete advantage of you, why don’t you pick up the check.”
The difference between getting support and advice from loved ones and getting it from an educated professional is obvious. While loved ones mean well, they have not put …show more content…
You set these boundaries ahead of time to protect yourself, so don’t crumble in the moment, but stick to your guns.
Feel Good About Your Services and Your Fees
Of course, all of the tips I’ve just offered won’t help you one bit if deep down you feel guilty about charging people for getting help. Remember that you are providing a valuable service. Do you think cardiologists should feel guilty about accepting payments? Certainly not!
Your service is also fundamentally important to many people’s quality of life. And, like the heart specialist, you have also spent a great deal of time and money on receiving specialized training to be able to offer clients the care they need when they most need it.
For these reasons, don’t ever feel ashamed or guilty about taking money in exchange for essentially caring for people.
Resolve Any Issues You May Have About Money
It’s ironic that you have been trained to identify patterns in others, yet often cannot see them in yourself. If you can’t seem to shake the payment guilt I just mentioned, it may be that you have deep-seated money
Why is it that billing therapy clients can feel so… awkward?
It’s because you are offering mental and emotional support and advice, much like a friend or loved one does. Think about it: when you pour your heart out to your best friend over nachos and margaritas, they typically don’t say, “Hey, since I just listened to you go on and on about how your boss takes complete advantage of you, why don’t you pick up the check.”
The difference between getting support and advice from loved ones and getting it from an educated professional is obvious. While loved ones mean well, they have not put …show more content…
You set these boundaries ahead of time to protect yourself, so don’t crumble in the moment, but stick to your guns.
Feel Good About Your Services and Your Fees
Of course, all of the tips I’ve just offered won’t help you one bit if deep down you feel guilty about charging people for getting help. Remember that you are providing a valuable service. Do you think cardiologists should feel guilty about accepting payments? Certainly not!
Your service is also fundamentally important to many people’s quality of life. And, like the heart specialist, you have also spent a great deal of time and money on receiving specialized training to be able to offer clients the care they need when they most need it.
For these reasons, don’t ever feel ashamed or guilty about taking money in exchange for essentially caring for people.
Resolve Any Issues You May Have About Money
It’s ironic that you have been trained to identify patterns in others, yet often cannot see them in yourself. If you can’t seem to shake the payment guilt I just mentioned, it may be that you have deep-seated money