How Much Are Belarusians Willing to Pay for Psychological Counseling? Survey Results

Anastasia Urlik, a practicing psychologist and pedagogue, conducted a survey among her Instagram followers to gauge the demand and pricing for psychological services. We asked Anastasia to share the results of her study and provide her insights on the findings.

About the Author

Anastasia Urlik, a practicing psychologist and pedagogue, has recently been discussing with her colleagues the topic of service pricing and increasing revenue. Some psychologists are hesitant to raise their prices due to the belief that people cannot afford to pay more than $50 for a psychological consultation, given the current economic situation.

The Context

However, the media has been actively highlighting the growing demand for psychological services over the past few years, considering the global context. Additionally, psychology courses are among the top searches, alongside IT courses. Anastasia was curious to explore several questions:

How much is the average resident of Belarus willing to pay for a single psychological consultation?
Does the amount people are willing to pay depend on their monthly income?
What issues are people more likely to consult a psychologist for, and which ones are they likely to handle on their own?

Methodology

Anastasia conducted a small survey among her Instagram followers. The survey received responses from 24 individuals, of whom 87.5% were women and 12.5% were men, aged between 20 and 50 years. The survey was conducted anonymously using a Google Form. Respondents were asked to answer seven questions, choosing only one option for each:

Gender
Age
Monthly income
How much are you willing to pay for a single consultation?
What issue would you consult a psychologist for?
What issue would you not consult a psychologist for, believing you can handle it on your own?
How much should a highly qualified psychologist charge for a consultation?

Survey Results

Most In-Demand Issues

The most in-demand issues were “Emotional Well-being” and “Relationships.” The least in-demand were career and professional self-determination questions. Respondents indicated that they would seek professional help for issues related to a child’s psychological development, as they would not be able to resolve these problems on their own.

Willingness to Pay for Psychological Counseling

Anastasia then examined how much respondents were willing to pay for a single psychological consultation based on their income. Her hypothesis was that the higher the income, the more likely the person would choose a highly paid specialist.

62.5% of respondents were willing to pay between $10 and $30 for a 50-minute session with a psychologist. Within this group, nine respondents had an income of over $300, five had an income between $200 and $300, and one person had an income between $50 and $100.

12.5% of respondents were willing to pay between $30 and $40, with incomes ranging from $200 to over $300.

8.3% of respondents were willing to pay between $50 and $100. One of these respondents had an income between $100 and $200, and the other had an income of over $300.

4.2% of respondents were willing to pay between $40 and $50 for a consultation, with an income of over $300.

12.5% of respondents were willing to pay no more than $10. This group had an income of over $300. No respondents were willing to pay more than $100 for a consultation.

Anastasia’s hypothesis was not confirmed. Income level is not a determining factor in a person’s willingness to pay a certain amount for psychological services.

Perceived Value of a Highly Qualified Psychologist

Next, Anastasia looked at how much respondents believed a highly qualified psychologist should charge for a consultation and compared these amounts with what respondents were initially willing to pay.

25% of respondents believed that a good psychologist should charge up to $30 for a consultation, which is the same amount they were initially willing to pay.

20.8% of respondents valued a highly qualified psychologist at between $30 and $50. This group was also not willing to pay significantly more for a highly qualified specialist, with their willingness to pay ranging from $10 to $40.

29.2% of respondents believed that a good psychologist should charge between $50 and $100 for a single consultation. In this group, people were initially willing to pay between $10 and $100.

12.5% of respondents valued a highly qualified psychologist at between $100 and $200. Initially, they were willing to pay between $10 and $30.

12.5% of respondents valued a highly qualified psychologist at over $200. Initially, this group was willing to pay up to $20 for a consultation.

It appears that most respondents highly value the work of a good psychologist.

Conclusions

Willingness to pay a certain amount for psychological services is not strongly dependent on a person’s income level. Other factors may influence this, such as the importance and urgency of the client’s problem, their attitude towards psychologists, and the presence of more pressing needs.

Many respondents believe that a consultation with a highly qualified specialist can exceed $50. This suggests that people understand that a psychological consultation is not just a “heart-to-heart talk,” but a systematic process that can improve their lives.

Despite the high perceived value of a psychological consultation, many respondents are still not willing to pay a high amount. It can be assumed that people prioritize fulfilling their basic needs and will consult a psychologist whose services do not exceed $30.

The most important issues for respondents were emotional well-being and relationships. This is likely related to the global trend of mindfulness and caring for one’s psychological state. People are increasingly thinking about their feelings, how they manage their emotional state, and how it affects their lives. The issue of relationships is also important, as the ability to build dialogue affects both personal and professional life.

Career and professional self-determination issues were less in demand. It can be assumed that respondents have already determined their professional activities, so the topic is not as important to them. Alternatively, they may have put career and professional issues on hold due to the unstable external situation, adhering to the view of maintaining stability in an unstable world.