HOW I THINK ABOUT PRICING
Applies to my trainings, learning cohorts, and continuing education. Client-facing work and clinical supervision rates live on their own pages.
TL;DR
PRICING IN MENTAL HEALTH MAKES NO SENSE, SO I'LL JUST BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU. IN AN EFFORT TO ALIGN WITH MY VALUES OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE AND SUPPORTING FELLOW CLINICIANS, MANY TRAININGS WILL HAVE A FEW PRICE OPTIONS. PICK THE ONE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. NO PROOF OR EXPLANATION IS NEEDED. IT'LL BE THE SAME TRAINING AND THE SAME ME, WHICHEVER PRICE POINT YOU LAND ON.
The longer version
There aren't many hard and fast rules about pricing our work, and there are a lot of opinions. Be accessible. Charge what you're worth (what does that even mean). Don't gatekeep. People won't pay if it's too low. People won't pay if it's too high. Opinion on top of opinion, and most of them contradict the one before it. A lot of it ties back to different values and deeply held beliefs, upbringing and life experiences, and money mindset.
Every time I'm launching a new service or discussing pricing with someone, I cringe a little inside, because I'm still working through it as well.
Sustainable practice is something I care about, for my clients, for the people I work alongside, and for myself. Money is part of sustainability, and it's important to me to tackle all aspects of sustainability. We operate inside a system that's genuinely screwed up about money, and we keep operating in it because we seldom have another choice. So this is me being transparent about one small piece of it.
What actually goes into the price
A training or group is more than the time we spend together. There's prep time, which for me runs long because I care about digging into the material and I go on the occasional side quest (hello, ADHD brain). For trainings there's the CE application and approval fees. There's the admin behind it, like issuing certificates, answering emails, and the general work of getting it out to you all. There's the platforms and tech I pay for to run and host groups and trainings. And there's the time away from clients to create and deliver the thing.
I also work to price competitively, not so low it isn't sustainable and not so high it's out of reach. That's also part of balancing this all.
There are a lot of models out there we can use, each with its pros and cons, and often with people using ethical codes to support both sides. Pro bono, sliding scale, and discounts are a few examples.
If I'm not charging one price point for everyone, like I typically do in longer running groups or learning cohorts, then I will usually follow one of two methods.
The first method is lower rates for those who aren't independently licensed or for those purchasing a bundle of services. Hopefully this lets the people who need the greatest support, or who want to really dive in, feel encouraged to do so with some price reduction.
The second method is the green bottle method. When you see the tiers, they usually look like this:
A higher option, if you're able. It helps keep these accessible for clinicians in a tighter spot.
A middle option that covers the training and my time.
A lower option, for when money's tight.
You can pick the one that makes sense for where you are. No proof or explanation will be needed.
Part of why I price the paid work the way I do is so I can offer other things at a lower cost or for free, like the one-hour info sessions. The income from paid trainings is what pays for the free ones. Not every offering will be set up with price options. Some won't allow for it, depending on the format, the cost, or the approval requirements. But when it can be done, it will be.
These options are what feel most right to me, in this phase of my practice. It isn't perfect. Nothing is. But as with all things in my practice, I'm intentional, and I always strive to take a balanced and pragmatic approach when complexity abounds.