It is no secret that therapy is expensive...let's admit that. We have all seen the "therapy is expensive but ______ is free" memes flying around the internet. There could be arguments made both for and against it if you are someone from a psychology background.But from a client's POV, expensive therapy ultimately only means in accessibility to healthcare.
Not everyone who needs a therapeutic intervention is a working adult; kids, teenagers, college students etc do not exactly have the disposable income to afford expensive therapy. Even if there are working adults who are in desperate need of help they too can't afford therapy. For that reasons many therapists tend to keep their first or few sessions free, since the relationship in psychotherapy begins the minute the client walks in to the door of your office, this can go both ways. The best case scenario, the person seeking therapy would be able to make an informed decision on which therapist to invest in for their mental health. In countries like India it also helps in dispelling the myths around therapy.
However, it can also backfire by clients not being serious about therapy since there's no financial commitment which also works as an external motivator to put in their best to heal. Clients may also engage in "therapy shopping", trying out different therapists to feel heard. Therapists may also not put in their best towards the treatment and use the first session as a hook, since many clients tend to get attached since they share some really emotional, deep parts in the first session. This transference, although needed, may not go well when money comes into the picture later on bringing on an idealisation and devaluation cycle (the therapist is equated with a "good" thing when he reacts as the BPD intends them to and equates them with "bad" when they don't or do anything which their dysfunctional caretaker did).
So, it's really crucial to educate people on why therapy is priced the way it is and what value it being paid brings to the treatment.
So, how to make therapy affordable?There are a few things that we can infact do that could help in this case,
- • Keeping slots available at low price or pro-bono for clients who needs them and establish a procedure to identify if the person fits the criteria for them
- • Redirect the clients to NGOs, group therapy or other professionals in the community who fit their budget range
- • Acknowledging students and having programs that could give them pro-bono or discounted rates with therapists.
- • Acknowledging those from lower income or economically backward backgrounds and providing them with the financial aid needed.
