Determining the value of hypnotherapy?

The question of how much to charge clients for a hypnotherapy session is one that comes up often.
The price of a session can vary enormously and be influenced by a number of factors such as: location, experience, specialisms, competition, reputation, length and frequency of appointments and often, the value a hypnotherapist will attribute to their own ability.

Some hypnotists will charge next to nothing for a session while others, taking some of the aforementioned reasons into consideration, may charge hundreds or even thousands at a time for their services. Some will be undercharging relative to a solid service that they are providing while in contrast many others will be over charging compared to their actual level of competency and effectiveness. It is also natural that comparisons will be made to other talk therapies and coaching practices when determining cost.

Ultimately the only things to be taken into consideration, whether comparing the fees of different hypnotherapists or those being charged by alternative therapies and approaches, is what represents true value for money to the client.

An extreme example of the price and value an individual will attach to a service if it is deemed successful is the staggering one million dollars a year that hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones reportedly pays the world famous strategic coach and therapist Anthony Robbins for monthly one to one sessions!

In terms of 'normal', every day therapy, different clients will have different perspectives as to what represents value to them too, but generally the value attached to the service a hypnotherapist or coach provides will relate directly to the effectiveness of that service in fulfilling the clients goal or objective. If the issue can be resolved in a quick and timely fashion, clients will happily attach an additional premium to the cost.

For example, a hypnotherapist may charge £60 a session but have their clients return five, six, even seven times, while down the road there is someone charging £100 an hour but resolving the same issue in one or two appointments. Is the latter a better hypnotist?

If the issue is resolved effectively and permanently in one or two sessions, then most definitely and the higher session fees are justifiable relative to the cheaper alternative. Furthermore if a hypnotherapist works on an issue with a client over a prolonged period, many other hypnotists would argue that actually it is not even proper hypnosis that they are using at all, but a combination of relaxation and a number of cognitive and psychotherapeutic approaches. It is true that issues can be multi-faceted and warrant extra work, but it is also worrying to hear of hypnotherapists going 'round the houses', seeing the same client week after week, to sort out problems that can and should be resolved in a minimal number of sessions. 

A good hypnotherapist may very well charge more for an appointment than another therapist offering an alternative discipline, but the increased session fee should be reflected in the speed and efficacy of the treatment that the hypnotist is providing.

Simply put, the rule of thumb should be that if a hypnotherapist is more expensive, he should be more effective and effectiveness as we have already established is measurable in terms of the speed they achieve results with the client and the quality and permanency of those results.

For the prospective client unsure as to what they should be paying for a session, it is very difficult to gauge what price reflects fair value for an appointment without knowing more information about the hypnotherapist and his or her approach to their work. Ultimately, competence and confidence are the qualities that make a good hypnotherapist great and as long as a fee is within a clients financial means, these two factors are just as important as the cost itself. 

If you are considering seeing a hypnotherapist, what do you need to consider? A hypnotherapist may not be charging enough because despite years of experience, they are not confident in their own ability to help clients. However it is worth noting that a less experienced therapist may be charging next to nothing because they don't feel they can justify a higher fee, or want to encourage as many clients as possible because they have only been in practice for a short time - they still may be great hypnotists if they were trained correctly. On the other more expensive end of the spectrum, those hypnotists charging more than the average may be doing so because they are very good at what they do and use hypnosis quickly and effectively, or are overstating their abilities. Many people will suggest to look for a price somewhere in between these extremes.

More important than the price is the hypnotherapist themselves. Do not be immediately dissuaded by and rule out high or low pricing, because as mentioned, there may be a good reason for this. Before deciding, do speak to a number of hypnotherapists and make sure that they tell you: 

  • Why hypnotherapy would be their best choice (this should be simple).
  • What differentiates hypnosis from other approaches (time and efficacy should be factors).
  • Why they are the person to help you.
  • How long the process should take for that particular issue.
  • Are the equipped to use hypnosis in relation to the problem you are calling about.
  • What to expect from the process.
  • If you are concerned about the price, what they charge for what they do.

A hypnotherapist's response to all of these questions should be as clear and concise as the approach they will use to alleviate your problems is quick and effective. Do not be put off by price if that particular hypnotist feels 'right' for you. But maybe put off by a hypnotherapist who tries to package the process or your problems as much more than they need to be.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Hypnotherapy Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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