[stopdog]

http://www.unk.com/blog/how-much-do-...g%2Bnewsletter

[atisketatasket]

Why were half the surveyees hypnotherapists? Are hypnotherapists that common? Even if you lump together social workers, counsellors, psychologists, and therapists, they're outnumbered.

[stopdog]

I have no idea. I just thought is was an interesting compilation of info. I enjoyed the comments as well. God those guys love themselves.

Agree, there must have been something odd in this survey with such an dominance of hypnotherapists. Perhaps they had a special interest in hypnotherapy for some other study and used a biased sample that is not explained here.

This comment was especially cool regarding the humility department of the profession...
"I charge £80 per hour and for breakthrough work I charge £240 for a predetermined outcome regardless of hours. Fortunately for the client I usually help them sufficiently in one session for them not to need to attend again."

I would certainly be helped by this approach never to attend another session with him.

My T charges £40 ($49) per hour. He has 35 years experience, is a renowned specialist in a certain field and is very well respected. It sometimes surprises me when I read the amount charged in the US and I attribute the difference to the fact a lot of Americans have insurance whereas next to nobody over here does. So nobody would be able to afford therapy at American prices. It's still an astonishing difference though.

Maybe the person who initiated the study was s hypnotherapist?

I like the idea of outcome pricing. Not sure how that can work all the time.

Where I live, and in some but not all other places Ive lived in the US, many therapist dont take insurance.

Where i live now, there are only a handful who accept it. And with what they charge, only the wealthy have access to services. People with mental illnesses go without treatment unless they are hospitilized.

I think they charge more in the US because of lobbying and politics. Thats how many resources get allocated here. It's odd that this is referred to as the "free market".
That also explains, in part, why health outcomes in the US are the worst of any developed nation.

I do think insurance usage initially led to higher fees, as therapist industry put themselves on par with medical doctors. But that has changed.

Despite more and more not taking insurance, they still keep their fees just as high even though it put therapy out of reach for many here in the US as there are plenty of upper middle class to fill the chairs. If you charge $200 an hour, you dont need to work as many hours or take lower income clients, further pusing access out of reach.

Also, in the 1980s, govt. funded mental health services were chopped away with the notion that conmunity organizations would fill the gap. But what happened is another story as now private practitioners are the backbone of mental health care in this country.

read the amount charged in the US and I attribute the difference to the fact a lot of Americans have insurance whereas next to nobody over here does

[BrazenApogee]

I liked the comment from the T who asks the clients what they can afford and goes by that. My T did that. My insurance worked out fine, but I think he would have taken whatever I was able to pay. Even if it was less than his usual.

[nottrustin]

For me this chart creates many questions.

I wonder if part of the reason for the high charges have to do with the low reimbursement rate by insurance companies. My insurance company pays 1/2 what is billed. My T charges low normal for our area. I assume the can right off the difference between what is booked and what is actually paid. Also how many many of threw practitioners pay high malpractice insurance. The chart lists education but it seems to be continuing education. What do they feed for their schooling. Supposedly college in the US is higher than everybody else. Do they need to Jane a masters degree.

[Merecat]

I don't think college in the US is higher than everywhere else going by how difficult US students find transferring to the UK academic system. I've got experience of both and see students from both and a US batchelors degree was closer to A level/second year of university. I think it starts to even out at Masters/PhD level.

One of the issues though are the high education costs in the States and the way therapy originated. In the U.K. It was a grass roots level development where organisations would offer bereavement counselling or couples counselling and counsellors were expected to volunteer their time. So, education looked different (no one is going to pay for a PhD to do a volunteer job) and fees were kept low.

In the US therapy has always been more aligned with the medical profession so educates and charges fees at that level.

I have no idea what my T agency charges. They deal with my insurance directly and I always meet my deductible anyway. There is no copay.