I have been asked many times about discount vouchers for hypnotherapy sessions. One point of view is that if you are just starting up as a practitioner you need to find clients, but my view is that you do not see psychotherapists, counsellors or any other therapies for mental health offering discounts, so why should hypnotherapy be included?
My own take on it, and it may appear controversial, is that it cheapens the profession.
Hypnosis has had to fight long and hard for the right to be taken seriously, mainly because of silly stage shows that can frighten some people and for them to take it far less seriously.
Clients come for hypnotherapy because it deals with neuroses, and should not be offered as a one off session. Some of the discount voucher companies now say that three or four sessions are required to make significant changes, so therefore, buying a discount voucher will only give you a cheap first session, and then you have to pay full price. I know someone who got a lot of clients from the vouchers, but then not one booked another appointment. This gives hypnotherapy a bad name when most of us are doing our best to give it the reputation it deserves.
The therapist buying into vouchers also has to give the company up to 50% of what they earn, so it is not good for them either.
I am most disappointed that these companies take on hypnotherapy, and hope it ends soon before too much damage is done. I am not saying that you get a bad deal if you take up a voucher offer, but think carefully before you look for cheap therapy as it could be that it is false economy eventually.
Most good therapists build up their client practice the hard way, talking to as many people as possible, giving talks, joining breakfast clubs etc etc, and more naturally, with referrals from satisfied clients and GPs.
Yes it can be difficult starting out or even finding clients in a recession. I even put my prices up during the recession, as I like to think I am worth it, and it has made no difference to clients who know I may be the best person to help them with all the experience I have.
If you are looking for a therapist, think carefully before you decide who may be best for you. Ask questions about the therapist. Vouchers are mostly used for hotels and restaurants that are not busy, and you take that into account. Jamie Oliver is booked up most of the time so he does not have to have deals such as vouchers from companies as his food speaks for itself. Keep this in mind when contemplating therapy or if you are about to start a practice. Well known therapists do not, or should not, resort to these kind of promotions, or if they do, maybe they need to re-train or think about other ways of attracting clients.
If you agree or disagree, let me know. I welcome being challenged on my own assumptions. Who knows, I may be wrong!
1 comment:
Groupon and Living Social vouchers are great for hotels, restaurants and even beauty vouchers or products but when you are working with yourself to make yourself better or more motivated or slimmer etc then you really do owe it to yourself to get the best therapy you can afford. It will save you in the long run, in both time, money and if you get a good therapist, will ensure that the time spent will enrich your life.
Any therapist that is busy, and this normally means 'good', will be too busy to offer these types of promotional vouchers - given that so much of the money goes to organiser and so little to the companies that use them to promote their business.
Great therapists work hard at making sure they have the very best training, pay for professional membership ensuring the client gets the very best therapy and protection against quality and standard of work, and we have to be professional covered for insurance etc.
We all deserve the best and therapy is the very best way we can all stay focussed, resourceful and objective in living our lives.
All therapists should avoid using Groupon and Living Social to protect the reputation of what it is that we all stand for and that 'should be' ... being the very best for our clients to ensure we are congruent in what hypnotherapists should be trying to universally achieve. Every person is unique and therapy should be treated as such.
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