The Value of Therapy: 3 Reasons Therapy Is Not Free
Today, it is easy to find discounts and deals for various services on popular sites dedicated to this very purpose. People are more willing than ever to spend their time and energy searching for these bargains than pay full price for a service. Many are also putting therapy into this category and searching for a quality therapist with the lowest price. Or, still some view therapy as a luxury – something you do if you have the extra money to spend. Yet therapy, in all reality, is an investment in your relationship. I would assume that most people don’t break their leg only to decide to search for a better price or wait until they have the extra money to spend before going to see a professional. If that were the case, the body’s natural process of healing could be compromised because treatment was neglected. So why should we treat our relationships and therapy any differently? In order for healing to happen, it is most often necessary to see a professional to assist in removing any blocks that may be hindering the process of relationship healing.
With this being said, I really began to contemplate the definition of the word “value.” For me, therapy has been very valuable within my own life and relationship; therefore I personally believe it to be immensely important. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines value in two ways. One way is that value is based on its usefulness or importance, but it is also defined as the monetary worth of something. That’s when I realized the following 3 things:
1. The price of therapy sends a message not only to ourselves, but to our society at large. Paying a set fee unapologetically is an unspoken testimony to the value of therapy. We are saying, yes, therapy is an important piece of overall healthy relationships, therefore should be invested in.
2. The more we invest into something, the more dedicated we will be to it. Paying for a service tends to make us more accountable and motivated. Without the monetary investment it is easier to disregard the importance of it. If you want to know what someone values in their life, their bank account is a good place to look for that answer. The reality is we are going to invest in what is important to us, so why should we think our relationships are not worth it?
3. To me, therapy has really become invaluable. There is not enough money in the world to pay a comparable amount for emotional healing, mental peace, psychological insight, personal growth, inner strength, improved relationships, spiritual wholeness, reconciliation of the past, mindful living in the present, and a hope-filled attitude towards the future – which are all possible therapeutic outcomes. This means I am willing to pay the price (literally) for therapy because I owe all of these things to myself and to my partner. Why wouldn’t I want to step into a life of abundance and choose to invest as much as I can into being a healthy person in all aspects?
Of course there are many who really do value therapy but simply do not have the financial means to invest in it once it hits the triple digits. That is completely understandable and I am so thankful for low-cost agencies providing therapeutic services to those who might not be able to afford it in other places. This just means they invest what is realistically possible for them so that the value is still strengthened through financial means. This could look like $5 per session for some, and $300 per session for others. What matters is that we are sending a strong message, not only to ourselves but to the world, that therapy is not free because it is valuable, it is useful, it is important, and most of all because we, and our relationships, are worth it.