Free Consultation Calls: To Offer or Not to Offer? That Is the Question.

My answer? AIN'T NO WAY.

Okay, let me explain before somebody comes for me.

One of the questions I see solo therapists wrestling with all the time is whether they should offer free 15-minute consultation calls to potential clients.

For me, the answer is simple:

No. I don't offer free consultation calls.

And honestly, I think we need to have a conversation about why therapists are expected to.

Let's flip the script for a second.

When you need to see a gynecologist, do you typically call the office and say:

"Hi! Before I schedule, can I have 15 minutes with the doctor to decide whether I feel comfortable having them examine my vagina?"

No.

When you need a urologist, do you ask for a free consultation call so you can determine whether this is the person you want examining your most private areas?

No.

When you go to your primary care provider, do you generally ask:

"Can I speak with the doctor for 15 minutes for free before I decide whether I want to become a patient?"

No.

You schedule the appointment.

You complete the intake.

You meet the provider.

You determine whether you feel comfortable with them.

And if you don't like the fit?

You find another provider.

So why have we decided that mental health providers should be expected to give away their time before someone even becomes a client?

Is the brain somehow less important than the rest of the body?

This is the part that really gets me.

We spend an enormous amount of money taking care of our physical health.

We recognize that our bodies need medical attention. We make appointments. We pay copays. We pay deductibles. We pay out of pocket. We invest in specialists.

But somehow, when it comes to the organ we use to interpret our entire experience of life, we suddenly expect a free sample.

Your brain influences your emotions.

Your emotions influence your behavior.

Your thoughts influence your relationships.

Your experiences shape the way you understand yourself and the world around you.

Trauma can affect your nervous system, relationships, sexuality, attachment, behavior, and sense of safety.

Anxiety can affect your sleep, body, relationships, work, and decision-making.

Depression can affect your motivation, relationships, appetite, sexuality, and ability to experience pleasure.

And we're still somehow asking therapists:

"Can I get 15 minutes for free to see if you're a good fit?"

Respectfully... no.

But therapy isn't the same as going to the doctor.

I know someone is going to say, "But therapy is different."

You're right.

It is.

And that's exactly why I think we should talk about what we're actually asking therapists to provide during these calls.

A true clinical consultation isn't simply:

"Hi, do you take my insurance?"

"Do you work with anxiety?"

"Do you see couples?"

"Are you accepting new clients?"

Those are administrative questions.

A clinical consultation can quickly turn into someone telling me their trauma history, relationship problems, sexual concerns, symptoms, family history, or everything they've been struggling with for the past five years.

And now I'm providing clinical labor.

I'm listening.

I'm assessing.

I'm thinking clinically.

I'm determining whether I can ethically and competently treat the presenting concern.

I'm managing risk if something concerning comes up.

I'm holding space.

That's therapy-adjacent clinical work.

And clinical work has value.

"But it only takes 15 minutes."

So does a lot of work that we still expect to be paid for.

Fifteen minutes doesn't magically become free simply because it's fifteen minutes.

There is also everything surrounding those fifteen minutes.

The therapist had to maintain a practice.

Pay rent or a mortgage.

Pay electricity.

Pay water.

Pay internet.

Pay liability insurance.

Pay licensing fees.

Pay continuing education.

Pay for software.

Pay for billing.

Pay taxes.

Pay for office supplies.

Pay for supervision or consultation.

And, you know...

eat.

Therapists are professionals, but we're also human beings living in the same economy as everyone else.

If we lived in a society where housing, food, electricity, healthcare, transportation, insurance, and literally everything else were free, I'd be happy to revisit the conversation.

But we don't.

I have bills.

You have bills.

My time has value.

Your time has value.

And that doesn't make therapy less compassionate.

"But I need to know if we're a good fit."

I completely understand this.

Therapeutic fit matters.

Actually, it matters a lot.

You should feel comfortable with your therapist.

You should feel respected.

You should feel like your therapist understands the concerns you're bringing into treatment.

You should feel like their approach makes sense to you.

And you should absolutely ask questions.

But there are ways to evaluate fit without asking someone to provide free clinical labor.

Look at their website.

Read their specialties.

Read their professional biography.

Look at their treatment approaches.

Review their policies.

Ask administrative questions.

Look at their credentials.

And, yes, Google exists.

You can research what therapists are ethically and professionally expected to do.

You can learn about licensing requirements.

You can learn about professional ethics.

You can check whether a therapist is licensed.

You can look at reviews, when available.

And you can ask questions during your first scheduled session.

"But how do I know I can trust my therapist?"

This is a legitimate concern.

There are unethical therapists.

There are therapists who shouldn't be practicing.

There are therapists who violate boundaries.

There are therapists who don't follow ethical guidelines.

There are therapists who do harm.

I'm not going to pretend otherwise.

But that doesn't mean the solution is expecting every therapist to provide free consultations.

We have licensing boards.

We have professional ethical codes.

We have laws.

We have standards of practice.

And clients have the right to ask questions, set boundaries, discontinue treatment, file complaints when appropriate, and seek another provider when the relationship isn't working.

In fact, I would argue that clients should be educated consumers of mental healthcare.

You don't blindly trust your physician.

You research.

You ask questions.

You advocate for yourself.

You get a second opinion when necessary.

You should do the same with your mental health care.

And here's another thing...

Therapists have been taught that saying "no" to free consultations somehow makes us inaccessible or uncaring.

I don't agree.

Having boundaries around my professional time does not mean I care less about my clients.

In fact, I believe healthy boundaries are part of ethical practice.

If I tell my clients that their time, energy, emotional labor, and boundaries matter, then I also have to model that my time and boundaries matter.

I cannot teach people that boundaries are important while simultaneously believing that I should have none.

That's not sustainable.

And it certainly isn't the kind of modeling I want to provide as a therapist.

So what do I offer instead?

I offer the opportunity to schedule an actual appointment.

You complete the necessary paperwork.

You come to the session.

We talk.

We assess what's bringing you into therapy.

We determine whether I am an appropriate provider for what you're looking for.

And if we're not a good fit?

That's okay.

I would rather help you identify that honestly than try to convince you to stay.

Therapy isn't supposed to be a sales pitch.

I'm not trying to sell you a subscription.

I'm not trying to convince you that you need me.

My job is to determine whether I can ethically and competently help you.

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

Sometimes it will be no.

And sometimes I'll tell you, "I don't think I'm the right therapist for you, but here are some directions you can look."

That's okay too.

So the next time you think about asking a therapist for a free consultation...

Ask yourself:

Did I ask my primary care provider for a free consultation before scheduling my appointment?

Did I ask my gynecologist?

Did I ask my dentist?

Did I ask my dermatologist?

Did I ask my physical therapist?

Probably not.

You scheduled the appointment, completed the intake, met the provider, and decided whether you wanted to continue.

Mental health professionals deserve the same consideration.

Your mental health is important.

Your therapist's time is important too.

And no, charging for our time does not mean we're greedy.

It means we're professionals.

So, free 15-minute consultation calls?

For me?

Ain't no WAY.

And I'm completely okay with that.