What Is Therapy Worth?
Forgetting whatever the financial cost might be for a moment, let's just take a look at what Therapy is worth...
Because for most of us, the answer to that question will look completely different!
How much does Therapy cost? Or how much is Therapy worth?
Is it worth coming to Therapy? My short answer would be "yes"... haha, but I'm a Counsellor right? So I'll also offer the caveat that you really only get out of it what you put in to it. So successful outcomes in Therapy largely depend on whether you feel that you are getting what you need out of it... and therefore whether you feel you are able to put enough into it and that's a discussion to have with your Therapist!
It might be worth exploring what Counselling might look like by chatting with a Counsellor like me first. Here’s a little bit I wrote about whether Counselling will work for you.
In my opinion, if a Therapist is worth their salt, they will ask you these kinds of questions along the way. Questions like, “do you feel you’re benefiting from our sessions together” or “what elements of this have you found most helpful”. You'll notice a kind of understanding developing between you and your Therapist, sometimes spoken and overt, and sometimes more subtle and organic. A huge part of Therapy is going to be establishing what is important to you and to determine how much value you place on those important things.
Take Ebay for example, one person’s treasure… another person’s rubbish. Ebay democratises value by selling items for what people are prepared to pay for them. The principal of Therapy is somewhat similar in that you’ll know how much you want to invest in it, or at least it will become abundantly clear once you begin. That might be 2 sessions and you’ve got enough to work with. Or it might be longterm and in excess of 25 sessions because you’re really wanting to go deeper and deeper to find those illusive answers. Is your therapy about getting onto the next rung of the ladder and then you’re good to go again, or is it climbing all the way to the top because you know that’s where you get to be free and live your life on your terms?
For one person, 25+ sessions would be far too much and too big of an investment. For others 2 sessions would be far too few and not deliver the desired outcome, therefore a poor investment.
So the true value of any Therapy is simply the meaning that you choose to apply to it.
Having a goal in mind can really help you in understanding how much of an investment you’re willing to give yourself.
Sometimes the value can’t be measured in such simple terms. Often we see that the positive benefits of Counselling ripple out in our client’s lives, positively affecting others and bringing new opportunities and adventures. As human beings we love to try to quantify things, heck, that’s why we invented money in the first place, to try and place value on our time. But human beings and human lives are so much more complex than that. Hundreds or thousands of things intersect every day to create our experience of life and one extra smile, a simple act of kindness, a hug, a kiss, a thoughtful act… all because we’re in a better place, well they all go a long way to making the world a better place, the world that we just happen to live in!
Is it worth it then? I can't give you the answer. But I can ask, do you believe that it might be? And if your answer is "yes" then the next question becomes "and what could Therapy help you achieve, and what is the value of that outcome for you"...
I feel that's how we come to acknowledge the true value of Therapy above and beyond simply assessing it in terms of investments in either time or money.
With warmth,
James