Sylvester Stallone is trapped on the side of the mountain in an ice cave along with a ba-jillion dollars cash (confiscated from the evil-doers who stole it). Temperatures are dropping as night closes in and he and his buddy are going to freeze to death if they don’t stay warm.
Under these circumstances, "how much" is irrelevant.
Asking "how much?" or “how many sessions?” is simply asking the wrong question. Unless you have a crystal ball, you do not have the power to predict a client’s future. So, when a person asks you “how many sessions?” they’re asking the wrong question. Here’s why . . .
1. They’re expecting YOU to fix the problem.
If the client is expecting you to get rid of the problem, you can’t. It’s their mind. You don’t know what’s causing it to generate the problem. Your job is to find out what that is so they can change it.
The truth is – it probably took some time to create the problem. So, it may take some time to figure out how to back them out of it. They need to recognize that.
If you’re stuck in the “single session mindset” (or 2 session … or 3 session …) you’ll just put an unreasonable expectation on yourself. That’s too much pressure on you when, in fact, the difference between failure and success could be one more session.
The client is responsible for the results. You can’t make them change. All you can do is facilitate a process in the time they will allow change to happen. The truth is, a person has to be highly motivated (fearless) to experience a One Session Miracle.
I know. I was. And I did.
But most people are going to need a process.
2. Healing is a process.
We need our clients to be partners in the healing process. We can’t do it for them. And they need to be highly motivated because we can’t “make” them heal. No one can.
Healing is something that happens, automatically, given the right conditions. Your job is to help the client create the right conditions, mentally and emotionally, so that change can happen naturally.
The question isn’t how long or how much? The question is how much PAIN are they in? And how much longer can they continue in this way? How much more can they endure? How willing are they to continue carrying this problem? What’s the cost been, so far? And how motivated are they to make this change now?
See what I mean?
Bottom line- you can’t help them if they’re not ready. Usually "ready" means coming to the decision they’ve had “enough pain.” So, help them to get some clarity. How LONG has this been a problem? How MUCH of a problem it this for them?
Help them to connect with how much they have been struggling with this problem. And how ready they are to let it go because, if the client is focused on the cost, they’re focused on the wrong thing.
They’re not thinking about the benefits of change. They’re not focusing on what they will gain as a result of working with you. They’re thinking about losing something they think has more value. You need to change that.
3. We’ve all been programmed when it comes to money.
But in the movie, Cliff Hanger, Sylvester Stallone is going to freeze to death if he doesn't find a way to stay warm. So what happens? The money goes up in smoke, that’s what.
Okay, I'll admit it made me squirm. But in a life or death situation what’s more important? Your money or your life?
Most of the people you see aren't knocking on Death’s Doorstep. But, they're expecting you to treat their issue very seriously. They're expecting results. If they think your fee is “too expensive” you need to help them shift their perspective on what's most important and what it's going to take to achieve what they want.
4. What's it going to take to get a lasting result?
When you get clear about what it takes a person to heal, you’ll have the answers you need. That's when you’ll be able to address those objections as they arise. Which they will.
It’s just resistance. And resistance is always rooted in fear and ignorance. So, think about how the Mind works. Think about how healing happens. And how you can use this unique understanding that you have to help people to decide that they're worth healing.
Use this knowledge to educate people. So, they’ll realize that YOU are the answer they have been looking for.
Because you are.
Want to learn more?
You can do away with a lot of unnecessary resistance by making the client responsible for the results. Learn how to educate your clients in a way that prepares the client to be an active participant in their own healing process in the Ready for Regression Complete First Session System Course.
Comprehensive! Not a rehash ...
Comprehensive! All-encompassing potpourri of info that is field-tested and thoroughly vetted. Misinformation removal sight insight restored. Not a rehash of someone's weekend courses. Stay original. Thank you Wendie.
