I recently heard a heartbreaking story about how in orphanages children must bring a couple of pebbles to a psychologist for therapy as payment. If you don't bring it, the session is postponed. Three transfers and the work ends. It would seem - why? What is the therapeutic meaning of payment? EQUILIBILITY There is a healthy exchange and an unhealthy exchange. An unethical and unhealthy situation occurs when a psychologist serves his rescuer syndrome by providing free help, and the client uses the psychologist to “relieve himself” without giving anything in return. This model only strengthens the existing pathologies of relationships and personality as a whole, retraumatizing him. RESPONSIBILITY By paying for therapy, the client takes responsibility for his life and his own development. But this is an indicator of mental health. BOUNDARIES The distance between the client and the psychologist is very important. This is how the client feels safe, knowing that he will not cross paths with the psychologist anywhere else (in this regard, online consultations even outperform in-person consultations). Boundaries are also important for a psychologist precisely in order to maintain a neutral attitude towards the client’s life, without slipping into rescue behavior. In addition, payment before the session allows you to be sure of the client’s intention to come to the session and not avoid avoidance (at least it increases the likelihood), and allows the psychologist to plan his schedule and workload. SAFETY The safest relationship for a client is when a psychologist loves his work and receives decent pay for it. Therefore, any paid psychotherapy is safer than free psychotherapy. Because in a free one, you don’t know what the psychologist works for, what problems he “acts out” or solves by working with you? PS, of course, psychologists also have social projects and consultations - but this should be a mini-percentage of the entire practice, and the rest of the time he will carry out his commercial projects in full force. MOTIVATION Everything is simple here - people always perceive those better and more willingly knowledge for which he had to pay. I would like to say that the amount should, correctly, be different for different clients and depend on their social status and well-being. The person must be terribly reluctant to give away the money! It is important! If it’s inexpensive for him, then believe me, the likelihood of changes and results is reduced significantly! Something like that. Write comments - do you agree or not? Sincerely, your psychologist Verbiy Natalya Vladimirovna. Sign up for a consultation via messengers +79044041839