Why I let people choose what to pay

People ask whether the donation model works, and what they usually mean is whether anyone pays. The answer is yes, and rather more than you would guess.

But that is not really why I do it. I do it because a fixed price makes a decision for someone before they have met me. It quietly sorts people into those who can and those who cannot, and the sorting happens on my website rather than in the room.

What it does not mean

It does not mean the session is worth less. It does not mean a smaller donation buys a shorter or less careful hour. I do not know what anyone has given until well after the session, and by then it has stopped being relevant.

It also does not mean free is the expectation. Some people give nothing for a year and then a lot at once. Some give five dollars every time. Both of those are fine and neither needs explaining.

The practical side

Workshops, artwork and books have set prices, and those are what keep the practice running. That is deliberate: it means therapy does not have to carry the whole thing on its own.

Choose an amount that feels manageable and fair for you. There is no second part to that sentence.