Having a High Therapy Fee Means You’re a Capitalist

I’m a self-pay therapist who charges $300/80 min. My fee is considered high where I live — it is above the average rate for therapists in Tucson, AZ. My fee equates to $200/50 min and the average here is roughly $100–125/50 min.

I’ve heard individuals assert that high fee therapists are just capitalists.

While I could break down what “capitalist” means, I’d rather focus on what people mean when they use it as a negative descriptor of others.

“All About the Money” Mixed Media Collage by Jackie Schuld

They mean:

• That person is all about the money
• That person doesn’t care about people
• That person just wants to make money above all else
• That person lacks compassion
• That person is selfish
• That person isn’t inclusive
• That person doesn’t care about our community, environment, or social justice
• That person is what’s wrong with the world

It’s difficult to know that some people look at my fees and automatically jump to those assumptions and assertions.

They don’t know me well enough to know:

• I’m rejecting grind culture. I’m rejecting wearing myself out by working too many hours, especially when…