Should you charge your friends for ‘spiritual services?’
“Dear Diana,
“Should I charge my friends for spiritual services? I feel guilty and weird. I don’t know what to do. What would you suggest?”
This HOT Topic was emailed to me by a woman who is in the healing/intuitive arts. For privacy sake, let’s call her Nancy.
It brings up Money stuff in general. Money and Friendships. Money and Spirituality. And the big one, Worthiness, all rolled into one juicy question.
I hear things like this from clients like Nancy, friends, strangers, associates and family alike:
Have you heard any of these too?
1. “I feel guilty charging for my spiritual services.”
2. “I could NEVER charge a friend!”
3. “I don’t want my friend to hate me, so I just barter with them (even though I don’t want the other service).”
4. “I know I could charge more (usually they’ve known this for a LONG time) but I haven’t even paid for a Reiki healing session or my own service for myself. How can I expect others to pay me?”
5. “I do it because I LOVE it. It’s not about the money.”
O.M.G
The above statements make me C-R-A-Z-Y and writhed in SCARCITY mentality!!!!!!
When I hear them, my instinct is to just want to give the person a hug and then offer up a graceful but direct suggestion:
IT IS PERFECTLY OKAY TO CHARGE ANYONE YOU CAN GENUINELY HELP FOR A SERVICE, SPIRITUAL OR OTHERWISE.
It’s strange, but from what I’ve experienced with my own friends and clients, you almost always seem to get a LOT more value out of a product or service when you exchange money for it. It helps the other person show up as their BEST self and you receive the support you need. It’s a lovely dance that is based on ABUNDANCE!
STOP UNDERVALUING YOURSELF AND YOUR UNIQUE OFFERINGS TO THE WORLD!!!!
This is just my personal opinion to the question above, but the straight-shooting answer I have for Nancy, who bravely emailed this to me is:
A: The fact that you’re even asking the question tells me you have some serious limiting beliefs around being well compensated for your spiritual services. It also feels like you could be struggling from a bit of people-pleasing and not feeling confident in your services and communicating their value to friends (and perhaps anyone). Without knowing what your particular offerings are, I would recommend you ask yourself the following questions to dig deeper…
- What are the results or benefits your friends have experienced from your services? Have you asked for testimonials?I am guessing you are fantastic at what you do
- Why do you feel you haven’t paid for a service similar to the one you are offering? Is it because it’s “too expensive” or because you don’t see the value or need or something deeper? If you can’t see the value in what you’re offering, then you’re right. You shouldn’t even be offering it and you can’t expect others, especially clients (friends or otherwise) to convince you of it. You have to convince yourself or change your offering! Then, charging and communicating the value is just a formality because you are genuinely SO excited and enthusiastic to share what it is that you offer that can truly help them!
- Are you happy in friendships where you have to accept less than you deserve and say YES to things that serve other people’s benefit but never your own? Consider that your true friends are more than happy to pay you for a valuable service and that “trading” or “bartering” when you really don’t want their service creates a very low energetic vibration for your friendship. How would you feel as the friend if the situation was reversed?
Whew.
I know that that was a lot. And I have LOTS more to say on the subject, so if you’re reading this and thinking, I need help with overcoming this, here are
3 Ways to GET MORE!
1. Join me TONIGHT at 5pm PST for a FREE Tele-Call called:
“Busting Through The FIVE Limiting Beliefs Around Charging For Your Spiritual Services!”
IN CLOSING:
What advice would YOU give Nancy to the question above?
Post a comment and share with friends!
I’d love to hear from you and I know our community would love to hear your suggestions too!
Love,
Diana
Hi There,
I just read your blog too, and wanted to share my experience as a reader. I have been giving Tarot/Astrological/Intuituve readings for @ 25 years now, and have been in that situation many times with friends and loved ones. As a younger, more inexperienced person, I gave many “Free” readings to friends. I would then find out that they would later go down the street, and pay someone else for a reading. Currently, I do not charge a few close friends, and family as I just give it to them as a gift. I always feel that I am rewarded for that later on as I have been enjoying much abundance and happiness in my life. I feel happy to help my true loved ones. However, there is no shortage of “Friends” who will come up to me anywhere and every where and ask me to read them cold on the spot…usually they try to corner me and ask me what am I “Feeling”, or “Picking” up on them. I used to read them on the spot- for FREE! I finally got really tired and annoyed at people doing that, so I stopped allowing it! Now, I just tell them to call me for an appointment, and I give them the prices, etc…Needless to say, none of them has ever booked a reading for money! However, they no longer try to pick my brain for free either, because they know that I will no longer tolerate that.
I feel better about charging for my services because my time is valuable to me! I hope this information helps you and others in some way.
Love,
Jennifer