Setting Fees in your Private Practice
by Kellen Von Houser, M.A.The ability to successfully arrange fees is a basic component in the therapeutic process. The inability to manage fee arrangements can cause a serious breach in the therapeutic relationship. Discussions about the importance of being able to successfully arrange fees are common in the therapeutic field and there is a general consensus that it is an essential skill required of any successful therapist.
Unfortunately, fee avoidance is one of the most common mistakes made by therapists. Therapists often undercharge for services or avoid dealing with fee collection all together, assigning the task to an office manager or receptionist. Therapists also experience a lot of conflict around the issue of missed or cancelled sessions and whether to charge for them. This can be true whether the client is financially struggling or if the client is more financially successful than the therapist.
This article will explain the importance of successfully setting and collecting appropriate fees. It will also examine the psychology behind setting, collecting, and paying fees from both the therapist’s and client’s perspectives. The criteria for setting appropriate fees and some major issues in successful fee arrangement will also be examined.
- Setting Fees in your Private Practice
- Why Setting Appropriate Fees is Important
- The Psychology of Money
- Managing Fee Arrangements
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