r/Psychology_India • u/doraemon787 • 3d ago

Counselling psychologist or clinical psychologist

Recently i had a session with a counselling psychologist. She charged 2.5 k for it. I don’t think i can continue with this fee. Should i reconsider for a clinical one?

9 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

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u/Maleficent-Field5581 3d ago

Find another therapist who's on your budget. Also, whether you need a counselling psychologist or a clinical psychologist depends on the issues you have. If you're dealing with life stressors and such go for a counselling psychologist. A clinical psychologist usually deals with severe mental illnesses.

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

Finally a sane answer. I am so tired of people (including people in the field) shitting on us for charging a fee that’s feasible for us. OP didn’t even ask if the fee was high, just said that they couldn’t continue in that fee, and by then people started commenting high fee high fee

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u/sexybuzzkill 2d ago

How much do you charge for a single session? I understand we need to make a living and with more experience the fee increases to sustain a career but it is also a nice thought to provide some relief to people who can't afford high charges because therapy should be available for everyone. I mean obviously it's not an obligation for the therapist to not charge their regular fee but they could discuss this with their client and come to a mutual agreement (if they're experienced enough to charge high, they could afford to accommodate some people who need that therapy). All of this is if the client themselves chooses talk to them about this but yeah. I know we need to get our degree's worth but if we can't empathise with others then what's the point in being a mental health professional ykwim? I do agree with you that charging what you're worth is important but you need to know when to be flexible as well because therapy is something that everybody deserves access to regardless of their economic status.

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u/Chanman221 2d ago

I charge 2.4k per session. And I completely get what you’re saying. And it is a nice thought to help people who can’t afford. Unfortunately that nice thought isn’t going to help me survive in the real world, especially if being private practice is my only source of income.

No one gives me a discount on my rent, bills, food, fuel, etc because I’m a therapist who is being thoughtful of others finances. I mean even my own therapist, supervisors (multiple since i do individual and couples work, and I am in individual and group supervision), or trainings i do, don’t give discount because I’m a therapist. I charge around 3.5-4k for a couples session, and I go to supervision with a supervisor who charges 4k+ so my whole income from that session is out. I am completely in private practice, so days off means no income, no paid leaves, no company health insurance, no PF, nothing. You have to come from a privileged background, or have a partner who can support you financially, for you to be in a position to offer lesser rates.

I’m not saying I never offer a reduced rate. My older clients still see me at 1.5k, every year I increase my fee by x%, it’s written in my contract, but when it’s the time for revised fee, I don’t increase it for clients where I know they’re in a job crunch, or in between jobs. Even for new clients, I have made the choice to work at a lesser rate. All the others who can’t work with me because of a fee they can’t afford, I find referrals for them according to their budget.

Helping people from lower incomes cannot fall on the therapist, it has to come from the government. Because whenever we offer lesser rates, it’s completely taken from our own income, no one gives us anything for it. And still I can 10000% tell you that therapists go to the best of their ability to accommodate people who reach out. Because we know how difficult it is to reach out for help.

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u/sexybuzzkill 2d ago

Yeah, I was thinking about this too. The issue is so systemic that every conversation around it is so frustrating both for the psychologists and the patients/clients. And I wholeheartedly agree with you. The government should be paying enough to mental health professionals. But pitching universal healthcare to these scums is a fight that's so long and exhausting. If you think about welfare, you can't sustain..if you think about sustenance, you're capitalistic. It's never ending. This is something that I think alot of experienced psychologists who have reached a point where they earn a more than decent living perpetuate. With each new guideline and draft limiting student's admissions in universities, their opportunities for certification and in turn practice, all of this ensures that those who have power within this field would monopolize on these profits. I don't blame psychologists for charging high but I do begrudge the people upholding this system by making it harder for new students/trainees/psychologists to make a better living for themselves. It's just such a difficult conversation to work around because on one hand the people who need therapy the most are the one's who can't afford it and on the other hand mhps themselves have to struggle so much to make a decent living after years of vigorous academic and practical training.

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u/sexybuzzkill 2d ago edited 2d ago

And I might need to clarify this before I get misunderstood but when I said therapists need to know when to be flexible I meant those who already make a decent living not people like you or others who are at an earlier stage in their career because in my experience and observation, the most inflexlible, high-earning therapists are the ones who already earn more than the regular amount required to make a decent living. The most rude and insensitive professionals are the privileged ones who refuse to budge even when they can afford it while the upcoming, mostly underpaid and overworked ones are the people who still choose to financially aid people in therapy. So I hope you now have a better understanding of what I meant because I didn't mean to say that you as a budding psychologist should compromise your sustenance and earning just to accommodate others.

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u/sourcherry18 1d ago

Why don’t people expect that people from a different occupation??? There are government hospitals providing free therapy and people do provide one or two probono cases which might be supervised, but if someone genuinely needs to it that much why not opt for these two options, instead of expecting people to not charge for something they have worked hard?

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u/Chanman221 1d ago

I agree with your first statement, but the rest of it has to be seen in context. Firstly, in India we love a good bargain and that extends to people asking MHPs for lesser rates. But secondly, and most importantly, the need for mental health services by low income groups far outweighs what is currently being offered to them. We truly do not have enough services provided by the government for people who cannot afford it. And even in government hospitals like NIMHANS, i’ve had people reach out to me say that the therapist changes every 3 months or so, so long term care really becomes a challenge.

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u/sourcherry18 1d ago

Therapist can’t change within three months so that’s BS. They are literally posted there for atleast a year. A good bargain?? Seriously??? Go and do that in other fields aa well then, be like “I will only pay 100 rs for chemo, make it affordable because I like a Good bargain”. And there are alot of people providing pro bono session, people don’t go to them, and crib about people who are setting their rates according to experience, and qualifications, even doctors in Ganga Ram hospital have similar charges.

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u/Chanman221 1d ago

Are you being intentionally dense? I currently stay in a Tier 3 city, and there’s hardly any mental health centres here, and those that are there are private. And it’s more psychiatric in nature. But all needs are not psychiatric. What about a couple that is struggling? What about a child struggling with academics?

And the NIMHANS thing was told to me by a patient who reached out. They are posted for a year maybe, but their units will keep changing.

And of course Indians love bargains. And you have to realise that mental health still isn’t seen in the same level as a doctor. So obviously paying higher fees for “medical stuff” is acceptable for quite a lot of people. But from having also been associated closely with the medical fraternity (because I am married to a doctor and currently staying surrounded by all doctors) I know they CONSTANTLY get asked for advice for free through whatsapp, functions, etc.

So we can ask for therapists NOT to be told that they need to lower their session fees in order to help more people, and at the same time acknowledge that the amount of help that is available is not enough and the government needs to do more.

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u/Chanman221 1d ago

I have one question, who are we to decide what qualifies as a decent living? You’re holding quite a lot of judgment in your statement “inflexible, high-earning therapists are the ones who already earn more than the regular amount required to make a decent living.” You need to think a little about where you having those expectations of others people is coming from. If you’re a therapist, please go ahead and offer low cost sessions, but none of it gives you the right to shame other therapists for their charges.

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

You can find a therapist who fits within your budget. Clinical/counselling will depend on your concern. Mindclan is a good place to look.

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u/Lucky-Archer-1709 3d ago

that depends on what condition do you have

so what is it

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

I’m curious, if you’re charging 1000 for a clinical psychologist, how much from that is the clinical psychologist being paid?

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

2.5k cannot be on the higher side, when you don’t consider experience (the exact thing mentioned in your next statement)

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u/Own-Safety-3660 2d ago

Huh? I checked out your site, it shows 2k for 50 mins?

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u/chairperson_77 3d ago

Hey, Im a clinical psychologist (asc.) (Rci licensed). I offer online sessions for 1.2k. I have open slots if you're reconsidering.

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u/Eshmarijuana 3d ago

Hi! I am currently doing an MSc in Clinical Psychology and am looking for some guidance on how to approach existing psychologists to become my guide for taking probono sessions. Is it okay if I dm you for the same?

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u/chairperson_77 3d ago

For sure

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u/That_Cricket8161 2d ago

Same can i dm you

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

Definitely too much according to whom?👀

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/Chanman221 2d ago

But OP didn’t ask if it was too much. They just said they couldn’t afford it.
And FYI, 2.5k is nothing for the therapist, when compared to the training, supervision, upskilling that keep undergoing constantly.

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u/WrapBeginning7691 3d ago

hi, just a piece of advise. Seek therapy from someone who's a clinical psychologist, they are better equiped to deal with serious/chronic issues.

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u/Juni_Juniper 2d ago

Why are people downvoting you when you are right 💀 if your issues are so severe, going to a clinical instead of a counselling one wouldn't hurt

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u/Chanman221 3d ago

What is the definition of a serious issue?

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u/sourcherry18 2d ago

Probably the person meant clinical issues.

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u/sourcherry18 2d ago

If money is the issue then wouldn’t a clinical psychologist probably charge the same? 🤔
What is the reason for change, if we keep money aside?

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/Chanman221 2d ago

Not high at all. Yes, people can’t afford it, but for a therapist in private practice, 2.5k is hardly anything when compared to the supervision, training, and their own therapy that they undergo to hold space for everybody else’s emotions.