How much would you pay (or me charge) for this?

[cheaperthanchips]

I'm offering a reduced rate for a service I offer. My clients are professionals who are usually well paid. However, I want to offer a very reduced rate for a limited number as part of 'paying back' (for clients who may be temporarily short of funds.)

If the usual rate was £95, what do you think of the reduced rate:

£10
£15
£20

They'd need 4 bookings as it's a course.
I don't want to do it free as they need to have some skin in the game, even as a nominal fee.

I'd say that you risk taking someone on who can afford the "very reduced" rates but not the standard £90 rates.

OP, some things about this confuse me.

Why are you offering 1.5 hour sessions, when the usual is 'the 50 minute hour'?

Why are you offering reduced fees on short-term therapy only (4 sessions)?

Why are you asking random people on the internet what you should do? Was this not mentioned in your training, or in advice from your professional body? Could you not ask other therapists what they do?

This ^
I would be wondering why you are charging my demograph an extra premium.

There is surely a shortage of people doing what you do - ones who are actually qualified and experienced. So why would you very publicly do reduced prices for certain people? Genuine question.

Are you trying to look generous or maybe virtuous?
Your misuse of the word "voluntary" suggests you are spinning an advertising promotion as kindness.

I may have missed something, but what is the evidence base for four sessions of CBT? Would you be better off offering a reduced 'package' cost, I.e. for the recommended 12 sessions for panic disorder, or 16-20 sessions for depression etc. That way people are demonstrating commitment to the full treatment, rather than the commitment being linked to the fee. Or are you offering CBT based interventions?
There's a couple of very helpful Facebook groups for CBT therapists working in private practice where fees etc are often discussed.

I would be wondering why you are charging my demograph an extra premium.

So by the same token, are you also wondering why poor people get branded food for free at a food bank but you have to pay premium because you’re wealthier??

Many businesses have special prices for those who have a reduced income. Surely that’s a similar idea to what the OP is proposing?

@AreYouShittingMe its a good question re the number of sessions.

whats your time worth? Anyone can work for free. My partner works in a health related profession and has been asked for a lower rate. Customers can buy a course which offers a lower rate but sometimes I look at the car and see a new plate Audi/BMW/mercedes (always one of those) and think if you can afford the payback/depreciation you can afford the treatment

If the fee was reduced to £10 from £95 I'd say it was either never worth £95 in the first place or I'd be getting substandard service for £10.

Reductions like this would just devalue your service and credibility to me.

What are your actual qualifications? Classroom based learning or an online course?

Of course it matters. Do you have to pay for materials? Or is it literally just your time?

If you're doing someone a favour, or returning one, I'd suggest they just paid for materials and you gave your time for free - if you're sure you want to do this.

Having read more I see you do not put your charges on your advertising, so I would not be contacting you without a personal recommendation from someone I trust.
Who has time or money for that runaround? Oh yes, people who like doing deals and can spin you a tale to get a better deal.
That is not me, so I would always be one of those subsidising them.

Very good points made by AreYouShittingMe.

What does it cost you to do the job per session?

You need to work out the number of sessions you can run per year. Times by 0.8 (0.7 if you want to be cautious as most businesses won’t be fully booked).

Take your annual fixed costs (x1.2 to account for inflation) and divide by the predicted number of sessions as calculated above.

Add room hire cost and travel expenses per session.

That’s the baseline figure it’s costing you to run a single session. If you charge that number you aren’t earning but it’s not costing you to work. If you charge below that number it’s costing you to work. Or you could add whatever you would like to ‘earn’ for these discounted sessions to that costs figure.

where do those numbers land you?

I would say 50% reduction and rather than state price give a statement that says you take on a limited number of clients who are experiencing financial difficulty at 50% cost, and say to contact me for details and a confidential discussion?

I think this is a good idea. I’m a therapist too and in my experience if you offer sessions at too low a price then they’re not valued and clients don’t put in the investment needed to make the most of them.

I wouldn’t publicise a reduced rate. I think it will open you up to cheeky offers / lower perception of value. State on your website that there is a discretionary hardship fund to subsidise rates in certain circumstances and to contact you to discuss options. You can then ask what they’re able to afford and progress (or not) on that basis.

I state that I only do this occasionally for 1 or 2 clients. I decide who to offer it to based on what they tell me. There is an element of trust of course but it would become very evident during the process if they were lying

Though in a different field I tried this myself, and quickly found that any suggestion of lower rates immediately attracted some very ingenious stories from folk who could quite obviously afford more

Realising this "during the process" is all very well, but if you then terminate it you risk being slammed by the same folk and your reputation damaged, which comes back to the point that a service is either worth it or it isn't

I respect your wish to "give back" but wonder if there aren't other ways of doing this - perhaps via a charity where it would appear to be "their" time you were giving rather than your own?

I was convinced you were a music tutor so I've got nothing. CBT? As in the therapy. Don't know a single person its helped. If you have to reduce your prices so much then I would think you are not in huge demand.

Personally, I would look for other ways to "give back". I am also self-employed and charge for sessions/small classes. I'm not a counsellor or therapist. I can easily fill all the slots I have available at full price.

So instead of tying myself into knots like you are doing over reduced or free, or how much to reduce by, I share my skills in other ways. Free classes for kids after school, or at the local care home or similar. Much cleaner and keeps the two things separate.

Well, first of all it would depend on what your overheads are - do you work from home or do you rent a room somewhere for example. I’d work out the costs per hour and then I’d add an hour (or 50 minutes, however long your session is) equivalent to minimum wage, as a general rule.

Also I think a lot of posters replying on here are spectacularly missing the point.

This

I have seen a few people use a statement like this for similar services. I do wonder if you are working with people who need your services if they will also not have the confidence to ask for it?
I do agree that if you have to pay something towards a service you will be more invested in making the most of it.
Would it be easier to offer this if you did it along with a group of other practitioners in your local area, possibly then you would be able to get referrals and not have to decide for yourself who to offer a minimal cost to.
Going back to your original question I would think a price for four sessions would make more sense, even if paid in a few instalments, £100 possibly?

Massage lady I go to runs a low cost clinic and a £65 massage is about £30 I think for the low cost one.

I will try to be constructive-
There is a balance between giving a good discount for your service but ensuring you don't undervalue your work. If I were asked to pay very reduced rates, to be honest I would wonder how valuable the counselling was. I suppose a sort of "You get what you pay for" mindset.
I understand you are trying to be altruistic but you do have a duty to yourself and other CBT counsellors who may not be able to give such large discounts.
In charging very low prices you are surely not able to cover overheads such as electricity, heating & rent of rooms. If it were me I would rather get a 50% discount if booking a course of 4-6 sessions as lets face it one standalone session of CBT is basically useless.
Hope you find this useful.
Good luck

Could you offer all private clients a reduced rate and then try and get into offering normal price CBT to private companies/NHS who might want this service for their employees?