I'm sorry your T didn't mention the possibility of a fee increase from the start. Mine gave me a printed sheet with his holiday dates, cancellation policy and info about fee increases, which just says they go up once a year after the summer holiday. I'm not sure if my fee is going to go up. I'm actually a bit worried about it, but have decided to wait until he mentions it rather than bringing it up.

I totally get why you feel like maybe your T only brought it up because you came with the check. It makes sense that you're thinking: if only I hadn't done that, he would never have mentioned it. But it sounds like he was looking for an 'in' and that just happened to be his reason for bringing it up. I think he would probably have brought it up anyway.

That said, it strikes me that he's being kind of vague. So he raises the issue, but says you don't have to start paying more? I can imagine you might feel guilt-tripped. Are you supposed to offer more money?

However, I don't think he's trying to push you out. Sorry, but that's all you. He said he wanted to discuss a fee increase and you don't have to pay more. How exactly does that constitute trying to push you out? Is that an actual fact, or simply a feeling you're having?

I think he's handling this badly. He should have a clear policy that applies to everyone. Maybe that the fee goes up by x% unless you earn under a certain amount. It bothers me that he's talking about things like office costs. Obviously he has these, but the discussion should simply be about what your therapy hour costs and not all the other stuff he 'has' to pay for.