People have been debating about this topic for years – whether or not to charge for services such as reiki, healing touch therapy, psychic readings, etc. Forget debate, some people downright argue about it – passionately and loudly.
A Sense of Balance
Those who feel you should not charge usually say, “I would never charge someone for a sacred gift that was given to me. It is my duty to give it away!” This may be true for some people and I often wonder if they have some cosmic debt to repay. Other times, those who do not charge EVENTUALLY charge once they build up enough confidence in their services. In the beginning, some practitioners feel unworthy of receiving a fee.
I am of the other variety – the group that does charge for sessions. And I will tell you why I find it to be necessary.
Energetically, there is something going on with a take-only relationship. The receiver is beholden to the giver, cosmically speaking. While we don’t only do things with an expectation of something in return, neither should we expect to constantly give all of the time or receive all of the time without ever returning the favor. There must be some sort of energetic balance. In the long run, A healing session has more power behind it when the person receiving it doesn’t feel like they had been done a “favor”, something they must one day repay. Payment, whether it be in the form of currency or agreed upon bartering means that no favor ever has to be returned. Everyone is even.
Value and Intention
Everything in life has some sort of value attached to it and, many times, a level of sacrifice. Especially in America, people tend to feel a service has more value when it actually costs them something. But it goes beyond that. The power of intention is beneath the surface. When a client receives a service for free, they usually do not place as much value on it. Since they weren’t required to give up anything to receive it (sacrifice of currency) the worth is perceived to be low, which lowers the client’s belief in the process. That belief, that intention for healing to begin to take place can play just as important of a role as the energy work that is being performed by the practitioner.
Time Management
Here, let’s talk about the reality of the situation for a moment. If I did not charge for sessions and readings, I wouldn’t have the time to book and perform them — I’d be trapped in some 9 to 5 job somewhere and when you call for an appointment I would have to say, “sorry, I’m at work all week. I don’t have time to see you.”
What You Wish for Your Practitioner
Because whether you are a psychic reader, a reiki healer, a construction worker or a school teacher – we all have the same things we have to buy: food, clothing, electricity, insurance, shampoo. And sometimes the little things that keep us sane like: seeds for plants, a new pillow for the couch or even the lastest novel by your favorite author. Do the people that come to see me wish me to live in poverty? I don’t think that is the case. I also don’t believe my clients want me to eat one meal a day (or less) because it made me feel “noble” to perform free sessions. I don’t wish that on any of my friends or clients – I sure hope they don’t envision such a life for me.
In other words, I don’t believe any of my clients desire me to be hungry or in debt. I am most definitely sure clients would not appreciate a lack of heat or air in the studio because we couldn’t afford to pay the electric bill.
We pay the flowers in water, they give back beauty and fragrance. Give and take.
Everything has SOME sort of give and take arrangement. This keeps the energy evenly balanced. Neither party is beholden to the other at the end of a session or reading. The client received a relaxing session and I was able to not only help someone but was able to later go and buy vegetables, toothpaste, and gasoline that week. It is really that simple.
Gregory