Some fellow who thought he was sly but was really quite obviously a market researcher called me this morning to ask a bunch of questions.  He had absolutely no interest in neurofeedback, only my “package deals.” He said things that were sales-y and rude. Yuck. That whole encounter felt slimy and triggered a rant in my head, some of which I am sharing with you today.

I thought it was clear, but to him it was not clear that what I offer is unrelated to vacation rental deals or two-for-one grocery store items. I’m offering a service that has the potential to make huge increases in people’s quality of life. What you receive if you work with me is of value, and I feel it cheapens the experience to advertise or market his way, just to attract people swayed by what they are led to believe is a bargain.

That said, of course cost matters.  I live on a budget and am sure you do, too.  I strive to make sure that what I offer is priced fairly and that my clients receive excellent value for what they pay.  What the slimy caller made me realize is that although my rates are listed on this website, it probably is a good idea to write a blog about what it costs to work with me, and why.

Neurofeedback

I tell people that the average number of sessions for a full course of neurofeedback is 40 sessions and to plan on that. Some may finish early, and a few may take longer, but 40 always seems like a fair number to share for budgeting purposes.

A Trainers’ QEEG, also known as a brain map, is necessary to get started brain training with me. It takes between an hour and an hour-and-a-half in my office. I then spend time on my own going over the results more carefully to get a good sense of the person’s electrical patterns and to develop a training plan. The cost for this is $320.

I schedule each brain training session for an hour, and the actual time for brain training is 20-50 minutes. Some of the time is spent setting up and cleaning up. Some of the time is going over how you’re feeling and responding to training. Sometimes, when people are just getting started and have sensitive brains, we may spend less time training and take less time per session. If a session goes less than 30 minutes overall, I will pro-rate that particular appointment.  If I feel at any one time that it is important to take more than an hour for any particular session, which does sometimes happen, I ask permission for the extra time but do not ever charge more. My rate per full session is $130.

My ultimate training goal is to have people get a full course of training so that they do not need to come back for “booster” sessions or additional rounds of training. Only a few times have I had people have to come back for more training, and those cases have involved brain fog after anesthesia or experimentation with recreational drugs. A serious head injury or perhaps medications may also change things, but by and large, I train so that results stick over time.

In addition, because I am aware that neurofeedback is expensive, only rarely covered or fully covered by insurance (though health-care savings plans do generally include it in their pre-tax coverage), and yet highly beneficial, I try to make it affordable for anyone who wants it. I offer discounts for multiple family members, discounts for active military, and interest-free payment plans based on need.

Hypnosis

For hypnosis, the situation is simpler when it comes to cost. I charge $200 per session, payable 24 hours in advance.  The average number of sessions most people need is 4-10, but again, it isn’t really possible to determine how many sessions any one person will need until I know the situation and we start working together.

The Bottom Line

Of course, nothing is ever all about the money. It’s also about the value for the money. I believe that people who work with me deserve a caring, professional environment that’s non-medical-seeming and non-stress-inducing. I believe that people who want brain training deserve to be able to speak with me and not a gate-keeper, so I try to balance seeing enough people with keeping my practice small enough for that to be possible without stretching me too thin.  I believe expertise is vital—I work with electrical brainwaves through neurofeedback and the subconscious mind through hypnosis, and that’s it. The two overlap, so reading on one topic informs the other. I do not try to stretch myself too thin, a goal that resulted in the decision long ago not to offer psychotherapy. I believe wearing too many hats diminishes expertise and experience.

I guess my bottom line after speaking with Mister Marketer today is that I want to emphasize that if your one and only criteria is cost, I’m likely not the person for you. My emphasis is on keeping costs as low as I can without compromising value. If that is your goal too—to get as much as you can without taking away value—then I am likely to be the right practitioner for you.