How much $ do you ask as a discount with a therapist?
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I think you need to be honest. This therapist is working to make a living as well. So "cheating" him is really not fair.
He is being kind by offering to reduce his fee. You and your wife need to figure out what it is that you can afford, while still being fair to him.
Maybe you have to stop going out to eat or reduce your activities for awhile, but be fair.
I would suggest 30% as well.
If you can't afford him, you need to find another service provider that can.
Remember that these people have to make money as well. They have families and lives and probably ALOT of debt because they went to school so long. Be honest and don't cheap them or "lie" about your income.
Be fair.
Depends on where you live. Also depends on what you are comfortable with shelling out. a good price to ask for might be around $45
Ask them if they do sliding scale...it ought to be based on your income. I pay my therapist $20/hr and that's after insurance and I feel that's way too much. When they ask for your gross income, lie. In my opinion, it shouldn't break the bank in order to afford good mental/marital health care. It's ridiculous to think that only the weathy can afford something that, at times, is so neccessary.
I think that you should just be honest and tell them what you can afford. I don't know what your financial situation is, so I can't answer that for you.
It depends on therapist. Some of them cut price to half. But I believe %30 is an appropriate amount for discount.
I don't know if this specific doctor will utilize a sliding scale fee; but you might want to look into other providers who do utilize a scale. I worked for a non-profit agency who provided counseling to couples, and we offered our services as a sliding fee scale. All of our providers were licensed Marriage and Family Therapists...you can get a listing of providers in your area by looking up your local chapter of MFT's. Good Luck!
OK, I'm in the UK and it's all rather different (few people have insurance that covers therapy; some therapy is available on the NHS, although very limited). But as a psychotherapist, I'd just like to say that if the therapist is suggesting you give him some idea of what you can afford, that is what he is asking. I am rather horrified by riotgrrljanessa's comments, suggesting you lie, and implying that therapists are over-charging. We don't get money from anywhere else, and have to cover rent, professional fees, insurance, professional development courses, holidays, sickness, gaps between one client ending and another starting, supervision, time to prepare for and reflect on sessions etc etc. Most of us very much want to help the people who come to us and will try hard to accommodate those on low incomes, but we can surely expect to have a half-way decent income for the enormous emotional responsbility of such work.
So be real - what do you feel willing and able to pay for someone who is wanting to help you? Do you value their work enough to pay properly for it? If you enter into it by lying and cheating and devaluing it, you cannot expect the therapy to work well. I'm sure that wasn't what you were intending to do, but I did feel a need to counteract the suggestion that you (or anyone else reading this) should behave in an underhand way.
A 50% discount probably is pushing it. My hunch would be that 30% would be reasonable. But do question yourself - if you regularly spend $125 or greater amounts on clothes, trips, etc, what does it say if you aren't willing to spend it on rescuing your marriage?
There are community and religious agencies in most communities that offer low cost therapy based on income. I suggest you try an information and referral service in your area to see if something may be available. Also ask friends or family if they have anyone that they might refer you to see. If there is not, about $80 to $100 is a reasonable rate to ask for this type of counseling.
Did'nt know you could negotiate a rate with a therapist. Shows how much I know. But I believe you can decide how often you want your sessions. That's a way of controllling how much you want to spend on a therapist.
But, if I were you, I'd ask for 50% off. The therapist knows that's too much for his time and what he has to say. What a rip-off profession. You can get advice free!
But, if I were you, I'd keep my money in the bank. Do you really, really need a therapist? Be your own councel. Just do the right thing.
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