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Why do we pay psychologists? Is it possible to reduce the price or guarantee the result? It is possible and necessary to clarify money issues. Especially since it’s part of therapy.
Basic Ideas
- Psychoanalysis is not just for the rich. Although money is an important element of treatment, it is possible to negotiate the price of a session.
- Medical insurance does not cover psychotherapy. You can only count on reimbursement of expenses if you contact a psychiatrist.
- It is difficult to estimate the cost of a course of treatment in advance. There may be others behind the problem we come to therapy with.
One of the main obstacles for those who want to start psychotherapy is money. In many cases, therapy is really expensive. And how valuable is our own mental well-being to us? This question is at the very center of therapeutic work. We asked experts to find out what the rates are and understand what the price discrepancies are.
Why money matters
We can talk for free about our difficulties (although not about all) with a loved one or a casual interlocutor, but such a conversation does not guarantee full attention to us, does not imply a result or continuation. Even if we are friendly with a psychologist at a party, it is still just a conversation.
Money changes everything. “The payment confirms the seriousness of intentions on both sides: the client and the specialist,” emphasizes systemic family psychotherapist Anna Varga. “And at the same time, it reduces the superimportance of the therapist: he does paid work, and does not work miracles.”
Many clients believe that the therapist is omnipotent. Paying, they get a chance to quickly understand that he is an ordinary person and does not feed on the holy spirit. The patient loses illusions, but gains autonomy. And at the same time, taking out his wallet, he returns to reality after a session during which he was busy exploring the imaginary and the unconscious.
What do we pay for
To help us achieve our goals in therapy, the psychologist uses the methods and techniques that he has learned during his expensive and many years of education. We pay him for qualifications, experience, skill.
“A psychologist maintains his professional level, and this requires expenses from him,” notes Daniil Khlomov, a Gestalt therapist. “He goes into personal therapy because clients share difficult experiences with him, and he needs to cope with it, participates in paid conferences, consults with colleagues about his work.” The cost of the service also often includes the rent for the room rented by the psychotherapist.
By and large, “payment serves as a guarantee that the psychotherapist has no other interests than the interests of the client,” emphasizes Daniil Khlomov.
How much is it
The prices quoted by analysts and therapists reach 10 rubles per session, with an average cost of 000 rubles. (In the provinces, prices are somewhat lower than in Moscow.) The price depends on the frequency of sessions, experience, reputation, and sometimes ambitions of the therapist, and the cost of rent. With long-term therapy, as a rule, one price is set for all sessions.
Transferring money from hand to hand helps the client to return to the real world. This is a sign that the meeting is over.
The frequency of sessions is determined in consultation with the therapist and may change during the course of the analysis. The duration of treatment can be one year, five or ten years – it all depends on your problem and motivation. But you can stop psychotherapy at any time without having to pay a penalty. Talk to your psychoanalyst or therapist about this: he or she will help you determine if you have really finished analysis or therapy, or if a resistance phenomenon has been triggered, because in the process of treatment you have come close to something very important and possibly hurting you.
How to calculate the cost of the course
It is not easy to make an estimate of the upcoming costs of therapy, because one problem may open up another, and then the number of meetings increases. More precisely, we can say about the cost of a very short therapy (6-12 sessions for a phobia like fear of air travel will cost from 18 to 000 rubles; 120 sessions for agoraphobia – from 000 rubles).
Is it possible to change the tariff during therapy
Yes, if your income has changed and the specialist believes that these negotiations are part of the therapeutic process. Payment is one of the instruments of influence that promote change, so discounts should be psychologically justified, Daniil Khlomov believes: “It is important for a client to pay not below their capabilities. If he is looking for something cheaper than he can afford, he thereby creates an attitude towards himself as less significant than he really is.
When and how do we pay
There is no consensus on when it is better to pay for the meeting at what point in the session. “Some therapists prefer to receive money at the beginning of the appointment so that they don’t have to think about it later,” says Anna Varga. For others, changing hands is a way to ground the client at the end of the session. Transferring money from hand to hand helps the client to return to the real world. This is a sign that the meeting is over.
Some therapists let clients choose when to calculate, using their choice as a diagnostic tool. “The way a client handles money gives me additional information about him,” notes Daniil Khlomov. “Whether he seeks to pay for several sessions in advance or forgets to pay, this probably reflects the behavior that is characteristic of him in ordinary life.”
Recently, psychotherapy on the Internet has been developing. “Skype allows you to receive qualified assistance remotely,” notes Anna Varga, “and increases the popularity of cashless payments. It seems to me that we will soon all switch to cashless payments. Therefore, the question of when the client transfers money to the therapist is not very significant.
According to Daniil Khlomov, the form of payment should correspond to the form of contact: “In the virtual space, non-cash forms can be used, and if we meet face to face, then it is better to use the physical form of payment, that is, banknotes.”
Is there a free consultation
“Psychotherapy is only for the rich.” To end this prejudice, it is important to know that today anyone who wants to undergo therapy can do it, regardless of their income.
“In case of constrained circumstances, you can contact the institute where psychotherapy is taught,” Anna Varga answers. “Many of them have free psychotherapy programs. At the same time, trainees observe the work of the psychotherapist (they are also subject to confidentiality rules). The client pays for the help, but not with money, but with the fact that it provides young psychologists with the opportunity to learn by watching the work of the master.
There are also state psychological centers for helping women, families, adolescents and career guidance centers where consultations are free of charge.
Do I pay for missed sessions?
I guess, yes. For most psychoanalysts and some psychotherapists, missed sessions are payable unless you give 24 or 48 hour notice that you will not be there. Such an agreement strengthens the client’s responsibility for his actions. Be sure to discuss this with your analyst, as well as any missed sessions due to vacation. Some psychoanalysts tell patients their vacation dates and ask them to navigate them.
Free means useless?
Will the therapy be effective if the client does not transfer money to the specialist? The key point here is the professionalism of the therapist, says Anna Varga. “The therapist must maintain a professional attitude without turning into a rescuer or a friend.” He must be aware of what he wants from this work for himself, what bonuses he receives and whether it is useful for the client.
“Psychotherapy paid for by the insurance company is likely to be short-term,” adds Daniil Khlomov. “But deep work requires an alliance between therapist and client, free from the interference of third parties whose interests may not coincide with those of the client. It would be good if the client pays the money himself and receives reimbursement from the social insurance system.” Those who repeatedly go to a psychotherapist in a polyclinic or participate in training psychotherapy programs, apparently, are already highly motivated to make positive changes in their lives and therefore have a chance to achieve them.