Busy schedule, empty bank account? Why you need to raise your prices

You know how it goes: your calendar is completely packed, you’re rushing from one appointment to the next, but at the end of the month you check your bank account and think: hey, how is this even possible? There’s simply more of the month left than you have money for.

Recently, I heard a fellow hypnotherapist say, “Yeah, Edwin, you should use hypnosis for everything—except your marketing.” At that moment, I really thought: well, that’s not very smart. But anyway, that’s entirely up to him, of course. He’s probably doing just fine, and secretly—whether consciously or unconsciously—he’s using it anyway.

But it did bring me back to a fundamental problem that so many therapists, coaches, and service providers struggle with. You’re working incredibly hard, you’re doing a fantastic job helping people, but you’re falling short financially in every way. It’s time for a change.

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The math behind a “full” practice

Let’s start with the basics. What’s enough for you? As a self-employed person , how much revenue do you actually need to generate just to live a comfortable life?

Let’s say you’re aiming for a monthly revenue of €6,000. That’s a very realistic and healthy amount. After all, you’ll still have to pay taxes and possibly cover some expenses, and although you’re often exempt from VAT as a therapist, you’ll still be left with a net amount that allows you to live comfortably.

How are you going to bring in that €6,000?

• Option A: You charge €50 per session.

To reach that 6k, you’d have to conduct 120 sessions per month. Assuming an average program lasts 5 sessions per person, you’d have to attract and handle 24 new clients every month. Good luck with that! That’s a massive daily workload, both physically and mentally.

• Option B: You charge €100 per session.

Instead of 120, you only need to do 60 sessions. At 5 sessions per person, 12 clients are enough. That’s a whole different story.

But do you see the pitfall yet? Even with Option B, you’ll have a very busy practice. And what happens if you catch the flu tomorrow? Or break your leg for a week?

That’s right: no income.

And then you have to move all those people. But where are you going to put them? You’re already full!

I sometimes hear therapists say very proudly, “I have a three-month waiting list!” To be honest, that makes me think two things:

1. You’re incredibly good at what you do.
2. But you’re also being a little foolish.

If you have a three-month waiting list, you’re simply charging way too little.

Why don’t you raise that price? “Yeah, but Edwin, then people will walk away!” Great! Let them walk away. Then you’ll have more free time, less stress, and at the end of the day, exactly the same (or even more) income.

After all, it’s all about that €6,000 in revenue. Whether you bring that in with 24 rushing customers or with a few well-paying programs, the choice seems pretty obvious to me.

Avoid charging by the hour: Sell the results

People find raising prices incredibly nerve-wracking. But that’s because they’re doing the math wrong. They’re calculating in hours.

I always tell our therapists: stop selling hours—sell the results[1]!

You’re delivering a massive transformation. Ask the client honestly: “What are you willing to pay to be FREE of this FOREVER?”

I’ve asked that question hundreds of times to people who’ve been struggling with severe anxiety disorders for 20 or 30 years. Do you know what they say?

"Anything, Edwin. You can have my house. I just want to be rid of it!"

Of course, I don’t need their house. But when I then ask what they’re actually willing to pay, they’ll readily say, “€10,000. I’ll transfer that to you today if you help me get rid of this fear.”

When some people find relief from their symptoms after just two or three sessions, they start doing the math: “Wait a minute, €10,000 for two hours of work? That’s €5,000 an hour! That’s ridiculous!”

No, that’s not €5,000 per hour. What you’re paying for is the 20 years of training, experience, and knowledge I’ve built up to help you overcome, in just two hours, something you’ve been struggling with for decades. You’re paying for the value of the result, not for the time that the clock ticks away.

Who is your target audience? A world of difference

To help you understand how value works, I’ll give you two real-world examples.

Example 1: Burnout

Imagine this: two women receive exactly the same diagnosis: severe burnout.

• Woman A is an administrative assistant and earns €3,000 a month. Can she pay you €10,000 to get back on track? No, of course not. For her, €150 per session is already a hefty investment.
• Woman B holds a senior management position at Rabobank and earns €30,000 per month. What does Rabobank do? It sends her to a luxury clinic in Switzerland for three weeks. Cost? 4 ton (€400,000).

Why would a bank like that charge four hundred thousand without batting an eye? Because if that manager is out of work for two years, it costs the bank millions in salary and replacement costs. A quick, effective solution is a bargain for them.

Same problem (burnout), but a completely different value proposition and budget for the target audience.

Example 2: The professional soccer player

Another example: athletes. Suppose you help a soccer player from Willem II who earns a few hundred thousand euros a year. Thanks to your sessions, his performance pressure disappears, he plays like a dream, and he secures a dream transfer to Ajax for 5 million euros.

Suppose you agreed in advance: “I’ll help you, but I want 1% of your next transfer.”

• Transfer to Ajax? Boom, €50,000 for you.
• Will he keep shining, and will they sell him later for 20 million to a Premier League club? Boom—€200,000 in your bank account.

Is that soccer player angry? Not at all! He’s raking in millions, playing for the best clubs in the world, and building his dream life—thanks in part to you. These aren’t fairy tales; this is how the market works when you learn to think in terms of results and value.

The lower limit and working with packages

Okay, you don’t have to start treating professional soccer players right away. But do set a clear minimum rate.

For hypnotherapists, I consider a rate of €150 to €200 per session to be the absolute minimum. Why? Because you can often get someone back on track within just three sessions. The client will have spent about €500 to €600 and can get back to their life.

If such a client goes to a traditional practice or psychologist, they’ll end up having 12 to 20 sessions. Ultimately, they’ll spend much more money and time, and it’s still unclear whether it actually helped. Research even shows that the greatest change in these types of interventions often occurs in the earlier sessions, and the more sessions there are, the less effective the later sessions tend to be[2].

Work with all-inclusive packages

An even smarter approach is to work with packages. Offer a program: “Anxiety-Free in 3 Steps” for €2,000.

• Can you help someone in just two sessions? That’s great.
• Does it take a little longer sometimes? That’s fine too—it’s just part of the job.

If you attract just three clients each month who purchase a package worth €2,000, you’ll have reached your goal of €6,000 in revenue. Three clients! Just imagine how much peace of mind and breathing room that would give you—both in your head and in your schedule.

Oxygen Masks and the Psychology of Price

Now I can hear you thinking: “Yes, but Edwin, it’s not just about money, is it? Money isn’t important at all, is it?”

That’s right! Money is definitely not the most important thing in life. Joy, fulfillment, and the transformation you see in people—that’s what we do it for. When I speak with a client I helped ten years ago and they say, “Edwin, I still feel fantastic!” That’s why I do it. If I were in it purely for the quick money, I’d be in a different industry.

But that doesn’t mean you should work yourself to the bone.

Think of the well-known airport metaphor: if the cabin pressure drops and the oxygen masks come down, who do you put that mask on first?

Take care of yourself first, then your child or the person next to you. What do most therapists do? They try like crazy to save everyone around them, forget about themselves, burn out, and then end up unable to help anyone at all.

Take good care of yourself first. Only when you’re financially stable and at peace can you be the very best version of yourself for your clients.

The Psychology Behind Your Rates

Finally, don’t forget that price has a huge impact on your client’s psychology:

• Are you charging €50? Then you’ll attract customers who want the best deal for the lowest price. What’s more, people with a serious problem—and a serious budget—won’t take you seriously. Personally, I would never go to a therapist who charges €50. My immediate thought is: that can’t be very good.
• Are you charging €150–€200? Then things get interesting, and you’ll come across as a true professional.
• Do you charge €300+ per session or offer valuable package deals? Then you exude absolute authority. People immediately think: this guy really knows what he’s talking about[3].

Over the past few years, all your training and experience have made you increasingly valuable. Think of it like a top athlete: Frenkie de Jong was a talented player at 18, but at 28—after ten years of hard training—he’s a world-class player. His value grows along with his experience. Why should it be any different for you?

Stop undervaluing yourself. Determine what your skills are worth, dare to charge for the results you deliver, and build a practice that not only helps others but also allows you to make a fantastic living!

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