The Pillaging of Helping Professionals
If the helping professions die, I hope the tombstone is a motivational self care-poster that includes everything except finances. Our tombstone should say “Be well”, “your greatest weakness will be your greatest strength”, “this way lies love”, “heart-love is the greatest love in hearts and breathing and stuff”. We need some vague meaningless trope to show future humans what killed us. Perhaps the families we leave behind will rest easy knowing we were fearless/delusional warriors improving humanity. Or, more likely, they will wonder why we invested so much time, money, and energy into a field that is being pillaged by corporate interests while we blindly pursue change in every direction other than our own pocketbooks.
Behind the façade of motivational quotes, self-care mantras, and essential oil diffusers there are deeper issues in helping professions that often go unaddressed. In this post, I want to address a few financial challenges helping professionals face. If you are a helping professional perhaps you relate; if you are not, this may give you some insight into what happens after you leave a helping professionals’ office.
Undiscussed Finances and My Whining Window
I am writing this post in May, three months after business taxes were due and one month before I need to renew several professional licenses. This is a time I deem my Whining Window where watch the rising tally of business expenses such as business taxes, practice management software, taxes financial management software, malpractice insurance, taxes, fax (yes, we are required to have a fax service in 2023), and the laundry list of other services; and also taxes. I understand that these are normal parts of business however, the Whining Window is my time to question what I am paying for. Licensing boards are an easy target as each state has licensing boards with varied and confusing licensure policies.
I have dealt with several state licensing boards and have found some to be quite helpful and others to be dreadful (looking at you NC). These licensing boards were initially developed to protect the public which I fully support. Over time, they have become another burdensome bureaucracy for helping professionals to navigate as they change criteria, protocols, terminology, and the endless amounts of state codes that no one can keep up with.
For a fee, licensing boards verify we completed the academic education we've already paid for and issue us a license. Subsequently, the licensing boards tell us how much more education we need and where we are allowed to buy it based on the education vendors they have decided to approve.
Licenses are required for employment and without a license we are not eligible to work with our true overlords; insurance companies.
Neglecting Financial Education
In the past five years, I taught a course called Mind Body Well Being and Self-care to counseling students. We delved into various topics and had fun along the way. Without fail, this course taught me that counseling students have amazing levels of empathy, and low levels of financial knowledge. Many graduates burn out due to being overworked and underpaid for their expertise. They often enter the field without fully understanding the return on investment and the business side of their practice. Many new helpers avoid discussions about numbers, negotiation, and running a business; yet cling to delusional image of therapists meditating with clients in a comfy offices or engaging in deep spiritual conversations.
The Myth of "Helping for Free"
There's a prevalent misconception that helping professionals should offer their services for free or on a sliding scale based on clients’ income. Although I am a huge advocate of affordable services, sliding scales and free work are a result of ineffective privatized health care policies in the US. They are similar to tip culture, with helping professionals being caught in the middle of an awful showdown between consumers and insurance companies.
During my time in the helping professions and higher education, I have received numerous requests for free presentations, supervision, articles, or trainings. However, my training and experiences came at a cost. I encourage helping professionals to avoid working for free unless they are promoting their business. While appreciation and applause are nice, they won't pay the bills or support our families.
The Dichotomy of Helping
Helping people within the therapeutic hour is rewarding. During those minutes, we feel competent and effective. However, the reality outside that limited time frame can be cumbersome. The administrative tasks, financial management, and bureaucratic hurdles that dominate our profession can drain our energy and resources. It's crucial for aspiring helping professionals to recognize that the industry demands an understanding of economics and finance, alongside the outdated approaches they are taught.
Conclusion
Helping professionals face significant challenges beyond the realm of dumb ass motivational posters and self-care mantras. Financial burdens, lack of financial education, and the pressure to provide services for free/discount are just a few of the realities we encounter. Although the work can be rewarding, the helping profession is not an existential calling that must be followed at all cost. Its another job, so make sure you are getting paid for the work you do.
May heart love find the love of hearts as you breathe into your care self of all selfs and care for something something something meaningless nonsense that sounds wise.
