The issue of money is always emotional, especially for healers, and it was for me too, till I went out and started paying rent and being a full-time Reiki Practitioner and Hypnotherapist. Then I had to be more mindful that if I didn’t charge appropriately, I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills and keep my office, and eventually wouldn’t be able to share my Reiki and help the thousands I’ve helped to heal.
Many of us give up other payed employment so we can do this work that we love and heal others, and we can’t afford to do that if we don’t charge appropriately.
I’ve been doing Reiki since 1998, and in that time Reiki has gone from people thinking of Reiki Practitioners as witches or hippies, to seeing us as Professional Healers, and we have finally reached a level of acceptance and credibility in our communities and the world, working in our homes, businesses, and even in Hospitals alongside other Professional Health Workers, and we are making a difference! The work we do is helping our clients to heal, reducing or eliminating pain, infection, inflammation, cancers, arthritis, diabetes, stress, depression, anxiety, and so much more, generally speeding up the healing process on every level! Where Reiki was once thought of as hocus pocus, it is now becoming main stream and everyone has heard of Reiki.
Unless you charge a reasonable amount for your services, you will not be able to afford to have the luxury of staying in business and doing this amazing work. Charge what you’re worth. When you value the work you do and value your time and energy, others will too.
We’ve all heard the saying “you get what you pay for” and clients think this way too. It’s not about the money, it’s about an energy exchange, however they are not paying for the energy. The energy is free from the Universe. They are paying for your TIME and expertise at being a conduit and facilitating the healing process.
Before you want to argue or hesitate, ask yourself “what does my hairdresser charge?” This will help you keep it in perspective. Most people wouldn’t hesitate to pay hundreds of dollars for a cut and a colour that will last a few weeks, yet we are afraid of asking for a reasonable fee for a service that could take away someone’s pain, anxiety or depression or even heal a life-threatening disease.
If you set a reasonable fee, you can always drop it or swap it, if you feel the client can’t afford to pay. You can’t go up as easily if you start too low. If you do treatments for free, there will be an energy imbalance and the client may then feel as though they “owe” you, so they may not get the healing they deserve. You may also end up being taken for granted, and feeling resentful, and that’s not a good vibration for anyone.
I’ve had some of my students start out by doing free sessions on friends but then when they were ready to start a business out of it, all their friends were just expecting them to do free sessions on them without even offering to pay or do something in return. In this way they ended up being booked out with free sessions and didn’t have space for they paying customers and eventually had to give up their Reiki Practice!
By all means, do a couple of freebees to get your confidence, but tell them the FIRST session is free, or 50% off, or $?, etc so they don’t expect that you’ll just keep doing it for free. Remember Mrs Takata’s story about the neighbours bringing their children back for her to heal them, even though she’d attuned
the parents- they didn’t value what they had been given. If necessary you can do special offers, trade Reiki for babysitting, a casserole, ironing, a massage, a meal, or a bunch of flowers or whatever feels right, so it’s about charging what you consider is an appropriate fee. There must be an energy exchange, one that honours both, and one that will reflect your level of professionalism.
I have always said to clients “don’t let money stop you from getting the healing you need”. And I’ve done hundreds of Reiki Treatments without money exchanging hands. I always find a way for the person to be able to give back, so there is no energy deficit. So I’ll often say “pay it forward! Do something for someone else to help them.” Or I’ll tell them to buy some flowers for their wife, or a meal for their family, or something for themselves that they wouldn’t normally spend the money on. If they insist that they pay and I know they can’t afford it, I’ll also offer them an option to pay it off. This way they go home happier and share kindness with their family, or get in the habit of giving back to others. Setting a higher fee allows you to then be able to do this for those that are truly in need, and what goes around, always comes around!
Generally, when starting out, I suggest you ring around and see what others in your area are charging for Reiki or moon Massage. You may find that initial you only have a few treatments each week, till you build up your clientele, so remember this when setting your fee. If you only charge $35, you’ll need a lot more clients then if you charge $150, and you won’t survive long enough to get to the point it’s a full time business. Higher fees mean you don’t need as many clients to pay the rent!
• From those I’ve spoken with, most Level 1 practitioners charge between $60 and $100 per hour or per session.
• Most Level 2 practitioners charge between $80 and $150 per hour or per session.
• Many Reiki Masters charge between $100 and $200 per hour or per session, depending on their level of experience and expertise. When you believe in yourself and know the true value of what you are giving others, clients will never balk at it because it can change their life forever and they always feel so good afterwards.
• Remember that you can always discount your fee for students, pensioners and people who are really sick and may need ongoing care, but it’s harder to put the price up for someone who is wealthy and is happy to pay whatever the fee because they see it’s value.
These are just general suggestions, but remember, you need to stay somewhere around the average so people will see all practitioners on the same level of professionalism, as I’ve heard of some practitioners charging less than everyone else, and then the client asks “what’s wrong with her Reiki? Isn’t it as good as the other practitioner?”
Charging the market average also avoids ‘competition’ between practitioners, but remember, we are all in this together, and the Universe will send you the clients that you are meant to have, and the ones that you are in vibrational resonance with.
There are lots of ways we can add value as well. We can give them a discount certificate for a friend or family member, or do extra time as a bonus.
It’s not about the money, it’s about the self-worth and this is what ultimately will set your fee. You need to remember to give to yourself first, so you can continue to give to others. Fill up your own cup!
Start with doing self-treatments and Reiki Precepts every day. Keep working on building your own self-esteem and confidence and love and approve of yourself. This way you lead by example and inspire others to grow and heal.
When you love what you do, believe in yourself, have faith in your work and stand by it, the Universe will bring you more clients that can easily afford your services. You’ll get to do what you love, while helping others, changing the world one person at a time, and making it a better place for all.
Reiki is Love!
Enjoy
Carol xo
