Is It Ethical to Charge for Spiritual Services? A Deeper Look Beyond 'Value Exchange

Dear friends,

Do you ever wonder whether it is ethical to sell spiritual services? This is the $1m question. I get asked a variation of this by my community and clients all the time.

We have gifts and we want to help others but we need to support ourselves financially too. So we end up in this conundrum. A feeling of conflict, which affects how we show up about what we have to offer.

This isn’t going to be another person spouting about “value exchange” and gaslighting you about how you are feeling.

Let’s explore WHY we feel this way first.

There are at least 5 main reasons:

1. Many people have been taken advantage of by “spiritual leaders” especially financially

   
   

2. It’s often people with lower incomes who seek out spiritual support in higher numbers creating an inherent power dynamic

   
   

3. There is a narrative that those who truly help, do it out of the goodness of their hearts and not for money

   
   

4. It’s difficult to tangibly quantify the “result” and value of our work - it can be subjective and subject to interpretation. This makes it hard to price (and also priceless at the same time)

   
   

5. We are used to religion largely being “free” or by donation only. No one charges you to enter a church for example.
   

These are just a few reasons and they swirl around our subconscious as evidence of why we shouldn’t charge for our services.

This is where it’s easy for me to say that all services require an exchange. We aren’t charging money for nothing, our clients receive something of value. No one asks why a new TV or laptop isn’t free or even why therapy isn’t free. I believe firmly that anyone who demands the free labour of someone else, is no better than a slave master. I stand ten toes down on this.

But let’s go a bit deeper…

How can we structure our services and refine our message in a way that acknowledges this narrative within the collective consciousness. How can we ensure we are on the right side ethically?

Firstly, we need to be absolutely excellent at what we do. This means being as skilled as we are gifted. This means studying and perfecting our craft. We will not always be able to control the result of the process, but we can control one of the inputs, i.e. us.

Secondly, we have a duty of care, especially if you are a healer. It’s no different to being a doctor or a nurse. Even when you aren’t on call, you still are. Ever been on a plane when they call for a doctor on board? Being a healer is a heavy calling and we need to be prepared to intervene in emergencies (to the extent that it’s within our capacity to do so).

Thirdly, it’s perfectly ethical to charge a high price in three primary scenarios: a) you are providing a luxury experience b) you produce a result that creates a return on investment c) you aren’t actively or passively targeting those who are financially vulnerable.

In summary, I’m suggesting an ethical framework for HOW to charge for spiritual services. It’s not as simple as screaming “value exchange” at the top of your lungs when you don’t even understand the components of value and value perception.

Thoughts on this? I’d love to hear them. Feel free to hit reply and talk to me.

With love,

Lola