Introduction: The Role of Healers, Sangomas, Shamans and Alternative Therapists
Healers, sangomas, and alternative therapists play a crucial role in providing holistic health and wellness services. They offer invaluable support, guidance, and healing that address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals. Despite their importance, there is a persistent notion that these services should be offered for free, a belief that undermines the value of their work and the need for fair compensation.
The Expectation for Free Services: Why Does This Mentality Exist?
Many people believe that if healers are genuine, they should offer their services for free. This expectation often stems from a misunderstanding of the nature of healing work, the costs involved, and the economic realities faced by these professionals. The rising cost of living affects everyone, including healers. According to recent statistics, the cost of housing, food, transportation, and healthcare has significantly increased over the past decade. This 'freebee' mentality suggests that healers are somehow different from other professionals who charge for their services.
The Reality of Providing Healing Services: Costs and Commitments
Healing services require significant investments in time, energy, and resources like buying and alchemizing or bringing quality medicine and raw materials, and things that add to the space like firewood, heaters, burning plants like impepho, sage, palo santo wood from the Amazon, or incense; also they create or rent a safe space to hold sessions.
Whether they prefer to be called a healers because they have spiritual gifts that they developed over time, or if they were trained through teachers of the lineage as initiates as a sangoma or shaman to assist people or even properly accredited coaches and therapists - does it matter the name? They undergo extensive training, acquire specialized knowledge, which takes years to acquire from years of practice through experience and some add certificates and degrees to their toolbox around it sometimes.
The Importance of Energy Exchange in Healing Practices
In many healing traditions, the concept of energy exchange is fundamental.
This principle recognizes that the services provided by healers are not just transactions but exchanges of energy that need to be balanced. When clients pay for services, they are honoring the healer's time, effort, and expertise, creating a reciprocal relationship that benefits both parties.
After all, do you work for free?
So why expect it of another human being?
If you already knew how to help yourself effectively, you wouldn't seek their services.
It's important to respect their expertise and time. It's okay if a particular healing modality doesn't resonate with you, but please refrain from disparaging it simply because it doesn't personally connect with you or hasn't provided healing in your experience. Thankfully, there are diverse modalities, therapies, and sessions available, catering to a wide range of people from different cultures, countries, and spiritual practices.
Many healing facilitators often invest in tools and materials necessary for their practice. Additionally, they face the same living expenses as anyone else, including rent, food, transportation, and healthcare.
Respecting and Valuing the Work of those who Assist Healing
Respecting healers means acknowledging the value of their work and the dedication it requires. Offering healing services for free not only devalues the profession but also places undue financial strain on healers, making it difficult for them to continue their work sustainably. Just as we pay for medical, legal, or educational services, we should also compensate healers fairly.
Alternative therapies and healing practitioners often use the fees they charge to further their own studies and deepen their skills. Just as we pay for specialised professional services like legal advice or personal training, we understand that healers, including practitioners like sangomas, shamans, coaches, psychologists, and therapists, specialize in addressing emotional, mental, or spiritual challenges and disorders. Much like lawyers who invest years in studying and staying current with the law, or personal trainers who specialises in keeping up their physical fitness and health and latest training methods so you do not to get hurt, so too do healing practitioners dedicate significant time and effort to their education, training, and ongoing professional development. Expecting their services to be free overlooks the depth of their expertise and the value they provide in supporting others' well-being.
The argument that healers should work for free overlooks the practical realities of life. As I expressed to someone recently, expecting free services is a form of exploitation and devalues the hard work and commitment of healing practitioners.
Every service involves an energy exchange, and without payment, healing practitioners cannot sustain themselves nor their practice. I have found that those who receive services for free often fail to value or respect the time, skills, and effort involved and have often come with attitudes of entitlement.
It's become more noticeable to healing practitioners of how some perceive the expense of these sessions as a barrier, yet find room in their budget for weekends away with family, travel, shopping sprees, fancy dining, cosmetic procedures/ aesthetic treatments or won't blink to buy new electronics, of which none of these actually contribute to personal growth, facing fears and traumas, releasing deep emotional pain, coming to life decisions or simply healing.
The value of therapeutic healing often becomes clear with time, as those who benefit from its profound effects realize its worth extends beyond monetary measure.
Debunking the Myth: Why Paying for Healing Services is Essential
Haggling over fees is another issue that many healers face. While it’s common for people to seek the best deal, attempting to bargain with healers undermines their professionalism and the value of their services. Just like therapists, coaches, and other service providers, healers charge what they feel is necessary to cover their costs and sustain themselves - especially thinking ahead for more quiet periods.
I think it's important to note that many service industries aren't fully booked all year round, especially a one-man company. It's important to recognize that healers may not have a steady flow of clients every day. There can be weeks with no clients and other weeks or months that are busier. This variability in income is factored into their pricing.
Most of all they shouldn’t have to justify their fees simply because someone cannot afford them. Or because someone is on the fence about the value.
If their services are too expensive, it’s appropriate to seek out a less costly option, but it's unrealistic to expect the same level of service and expertise.
This is similar to comparing the artwork of Michelangelo’s "Mona Lisa" to a university art student and a child’s drawing of the same—different levels of skill and experience come at different prices which should be respected.
The Problem with Haggling: Respecting Professional Fees
Haggling over fees is another issue that many healers face. While it’s common for people to seek the best deal, attempting to bargain with healers undermines their professionalism and the value of their services. Just like therapists, coaches, and other service providers, healers charge what they feel is necessary to cover their costs and to sustain themselves.
It's important to recognize that like many industries income fluctuates and healing practitioners may not have a steady flow of clients. There can be weeks with no clients and other weeks or months that are much busier. This variability in income is factored into their pricing.
They really shouldn’t have to justify their fees simply because someone cannot afford them. Nor should they be bullied by emotional manipulation around "if you were really a healer you'd do it for free". Healing practitioners are not a market place. Just like psychologists enjoy dedicating their lives to helping others, they also charge for their services.
If someone's services are too expensive, it’s appropriate to seek out a less costly option, but it's unrealistic to expect the same level of service and expertise. This is similar to comparing the artwork of Michelangelo’s "Mona Lisa" to a child’s drawing of the same—different levels of skill and experience come at different prices.
Conclusion:
Honoring Healers Through Fair Compensation
In conclusion, the expectation for free healing services is not only unrealistic but also disrespectful to the professionals who dedicate their lives to helping others. By understanding the costs involved, rising costs of living, professional training and economic reality of a world that exchanges money for time and the importance of energy exchange, we can better appreciate the value of healers, sangomas, and alternative therapists.
Like any other professional, healers need a income to support themselves and their families. Without fair compensation, the sustainability of their practice is compromised.
Paying for healing services is a way of honoring the practitioners' work, ensuring they can continue to offer their invaluable support and guidance. By addressing these points we can help shift the perspective on the value and necessity of paying for healing services.
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