How can psychotherapists justify charging $120.00 per hour, cash out of pocket for a fifty minute session?

Question

I often hear mental health professionals whining about how little they make. How can this be the case? If they only meet with four (4) clients per day for four (4) days a week, that's $1,920.00 a week gross for working part time. Plus, many therapists earn extra income by testifying as expert witnesses in court trials.

Even if you take 1/2 of that to be overhead, that still comes out to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 45K per year, and because a lot of them receive cash from clients, much of that often goes unreported.

How can they charge in excess of $100.00 per hour with no guarantees whatsoever? A client can meet with a therapist for several months and see no improvement at all, yet the therapist can simply throw the failure into the client's lap for failure to better their lives with the counseling given.

I took several psych. classes in college and didn't find them to be all that challenging either, a lot of memory retention and theory, that's all.

If anyone can tell me why a therapist is able to charge such an exhorbitant amount to sit, listen objectively, and then give advice with no promises to the client, I would love to hear the reasoning.

I have no personal reason to be bitter, so please do not throw that accusation into the mix. I just can't see how people who charge so much can really be in it to help others.

Answer 1

I have no idea where you live but the therapist in my town don't charge that much. If you see a therapist for 4 weeks and don't think there has been any improvement then you need to find someone else. You should be able to see some results in your second visit.  

Answer 2

..especially the ones who don't even take insurance. Those are the LOLers.

Psychiatrists are even funnier. They can give you different medications in different categories - roughly: SSRIs for depression; benzodiazepines for anxiety; antipsychotics for schizophrenia, and a combination of any of those for the conditions they don't have a clue as to the cause.

Then, if the med combination doesn't work, they can try a new combo.

And if the patient complains, they can blame it on the original condition NOT the meds.

To their credit however, it must be draining to talk with patients all day, but $100-$150 a pop is rarely worth it unless they are gifted. And few of them are.

Answer 3

they set their own rates...it dosent have to be "justifiable"....its just has to be "marketable"...that market dictates the price, not the inherant value of any thing. How can designer labels justify charging $800 for shoes? they cant, theyre shoes. But the market says that the image is worth buying into, so they sell for that price. Its just how much ppl are willing to pay, and how much money is floating around in society. Not a lot at the moment with the recession looming in the UK at the moment! But yeah. there are plenty of cheaper therapists, believe me. And they are not guarunteed to work, there are LOTS of different types of therapy....and different levels of qualification too...some ppl respond better to some types of therapy than others...there is psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive-behavioural, and loads of others....

there is no moral code dictating that "therapy is good for you, so people must pay exorbitant amounts of money"....the therapists set their own rates, and they want to make a comfy living, so they will decide to charge as much as they can, while still being able to get customers...

Answer 4

First, in response to one of the answers, it is unreasonable to expect results by the second session of therapy.  However, one should never stick with a therapist if you feel they don't "get" you or you don't agree with their style.

I live in NY and the majority of therapy here is done by social workers, of which I am one.  We are lucky to get $30 from insurance and usually only get a small co-pay from the client.  Sure, there are therapist, both social workers and psychologist, that charge over a $100/hour, but if you don't agree with that fee, then you'll find someone else.  I know many therapist who must work another job, usually at a non-profit agency, plus teach college all because seeing their clients does not put enough money in the bank.

A good therapist actively listens to their client, reflects back what that client seems to be saying, then lets the client figure out the best way to go.  Therapist are not your "friend" or "mother" and do not give out advice.  Therapist, both social workers and psychologist, have to go through many years of school, masters level+ and pass licensing tests to practice.  

Also, please do not confuse psychiatrist, who are medical doctors, with psychologists, who for the most part, did not go to medical school and can not prescribe medication.  

Answer 5

well doctors do the same