Have you found yourself trying to decide whether or not to post your private practice therapy rates online? This can be a hotly debated topic! Folks with perspectives on either side can feel very strongly about their opinion.
You get to decide if you post your rate…
The reality is, the decision of whether to post your fees online is personal to you and your practice. In this blog post, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each option along with sharing which route I’ve chosen and why.
Disclosing Costs
Before going further, it’s important to mention that we are expected to disclose our rates as SOON as is reasonable in the intake process. You definitely need to disclose your rate before booking an initial session with a new client.
Pros and Cons of Posting your Rate Online
With that being said, we are not required to post our rates online. Without giving it much thought, it might be our most natural inclination to post our rates online. But there can be advantages to not posting your rates.
Let’s name some of the pros and cons to help you decide what is best for you and your practice:
Too Much Info OR Just Enough?
When you post your rates online, potential clients know how much you charge before contacting you. That’s one less question to answer! It also creates a point of reference because many have absolutely no idea how much therapy might cost.
On the flip side, potential clients may click over to your “rates” tab first, before taking a look at the rest of your information to see if you’re a good fit to help them, and rule you out just based on your rate. By not posting your rate, you can ensure that potential clients identify your value first before asking about your rate.
Transparency
- When you post your rates online, you convey transparency and you don’t come across as having something to hide. This can be a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to building trust with a potential client.
- On the other hand, you can be fully transparent about your rate during your initial intake call with a potential client and build trust with them there.
Sharing Your Sliding Scale?
- If you offer a sliding scale or accept insurance, posting this clearly on your website can help potential clients who qualify for a lower rate or who wish to apply insurance to easily identify whether they can access your services.
- Alternatively, posting information about sliding scale and insurance may make it more likely for some potential clients to “shop your rate” and attempt to qualify for a lower rate.
My Choice to Share Therapy Rates
With all of that said, I choose to post my rates online. I have a few reasons for doing so, some are for my own health and some are for potential clients’ benefit:
- On the client’s end of things, by posting my rate online I create one less barrier to the process of finding a therapist – an already daunting and often lengthy process. The more questions I can clearly and directly answer on my website, the easier it will be for potential clients to know if I’m the right fit (or not).
- On my own selfish end of things, it has saved me a lot of time. As my marketing strategies really kicked in and I started getting multiple inquiries a day. I was getting more calls and emails from potential clients than I could keep up with. By posting my rates along with FAQ’s to my website, I significantly reduced the number of inquiries coming in.
- And honestly, by being so thorough in my marketing strategies across the board and including posting my rates online, by the time a potential client contacts me they’re usually just about ready to commit to booking an appointment with me.
Generally, I think this option likely makes sense for most therapists. If your rate is significantly higher than what most folks of similar credentials charge in your area, then it might be easier to make the argument for waiting until the initial call to disclose your rate.
It’s Up To You!
Either way, the decision is personal to you and your practice. Remember, it’s also okay to try out one option for a while and then switch to the other down the road! Feel free to experiment with it and then decide what works best for you.
After all this talk about rates, maybe you’re wondering if you should be raising yours?
If that is the case, I have a video that covers if and how you should navigate raising rates. I also can help you draft a letter to communicate those cost changes.
Or, if you are trying to decide if a sliding scale is right for your practice, I have a video that might help you make that decision.
Until next time, from one therapist to another: I wish you well!
-Marie
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay
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