How Do Therapists in Private Practice Calculate Their Fees?
In this post, I’m going to talk about a topic that a lot of people are curious about, but might not have an understanding of. I believe that I have a responsibility to be transparent about fees, as I find that doing so enables people to make informed choices about who to work with if finances are a struggle.
With the increasing cost of living, investing in private therapy may not be realistic for you, but if you are in a position to do so, I hope that this post will give you some insight into what you’re investing in. And if you’re looking for a therapist and would like some tips for what to look out for, you can read my post all about it here.
Before I get into it, there are a couple of important things to be aware of: this guidance only applies to therapists in private practice, i.e. they are not connected to an organisation like the NHS, and I can only comment from my experience working in England, so it may be very different wherever you are in the world.
So without further ado, let’s dive in…
We are offering a professional service
Therapists have to do extensive training and build up hundreds of hours of experience to be able to offer a safe and professional service. Therapy isn’t “just a chat”; it’s a complex process involving supporting clients to identify and explore the patterns of thought and behaviour that are no longer serving them, as well as helping them to make positive changes that enable them to move forward in life.
We invest in ourselves by taking time to undertake opportunities for continuing professional development so that we’re up-to-date on the latest research and developments in mental health. We also have to have regular clinical supervision to ensure that we are practicing safely and ethically, and that we’re doing the best we can for our clients.
Many of us also have our own personal therapy, which helps us to process our own “stuff” in response to what comes up with our clients, as well as in our everyday lives. This ensures that we have a space to offload and explore things that might get in the way of being effective in our work.
Getting input and support from any professional means that you have the reassurance of being able to benefit from their specialist knowledge and skills. When a professional does their work day-in and day-out, they are used to the processes involved, and can provide clients with the best possible support. Working with a therapist will also enable you to get to the root of the issues you’re struggling with more efficiently, as well as giving you tools and techniques to manage them differently.
Like any business, we need to cover our costs
Some people are a bit taken aback when they see the fees for private therapy (usually between £40-£100+ per session, depending on area), and I can understand why! Working with a therapist in private practice is a significant investment, and isn’t one that everyone is in a position to make.
What’s often misunderstood is that when you pay to see a therapist, you’re not just paying for the session time.
Unlike therapists who are employed by a service like the NHS, those of us in private practice are running our own businesses and working on a self-employed basis. This means that when we’re setting our fees, we have to factor in covering for things like:
Training and CPD;
Professional registrations, including membership and regulatory bodies;
Insurance, ICO registration and DBS certificates (if applicable);
Paying taxes, NI contributions, into a pension, etc.;
Networking;
Paying other specialists to support our business, such as an accountant;
Room costs;
Clinical supervision;
Personal therapy;
Admin and marketing;
Holiday and sick pay.
In order for us to ensure we’ve covered all the costs of running our practices, as well as our own living expenses, we need to earn enough to turn a profit in order for it to be a business, and the fees we charge have to reflect this.
We need to be able to take care of ourselves
When I first launched my private practice, I was fascinated to hear about other therapists’ feelings of shame around wanting to make enough money to be able to live comfortably. There seems to be an enduring myth that therapists “shouldn’t make money / be in this for the money”, which is very weird to me! We can be compassionate, caring people and make a decent living that ensures we can take care of ourselves properly.
I am more effective as a therapist because I charge well for the service I offer. I need to see fewer clients to make a living and can afford to take regular time off, so I reduce the chances of burning myself out. Charging well also means that I can pay other professionals who are specialists in their area to do work that I simply don’t have the knowledge and experience to do properly. This means that I am able to support other small businesses whilst getting support for my own, and also frees up my energy and headspace to give my clients the best possible service.
By charging well for my services, I am able to “give back” in other ways: I can create resources that are free or available at a lower price point to make them more accessible to more people. I’m also able to volunteer my time to support other therapists in their development by facilitating a regular peer group for therapists in private practice, and by chairing the Training Standards Committee at the centre where I did my training.
Every therapist will also be accounting for their own living expenses, as well as what they want and need to earn to live well. This will be different for each individual therapist, which is why there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” fee that you can expect to pay for private therapy.
Like everyone else, we don’t want to live to work; we want to be able to have lives outside our jobs, and be able to spend time with our loved ones and have regular breaks to recharge.
I hope that this post has given you some useful insights into how and why therapists calculate their fees in the way they do. If you’re struggling and think I might be the therapist for you, feel free to contact me and we can see if we can work together. You can get in touch with me: using the form below, via email to emma@emmapooleytherapy.com, or on Facebook and Instagram @emmapooleytherapy.