Counselling and Therapy: Vocation or Profession?


During a recent conversation with a colleague, I was talking about the 2013 IACP survey of members which said that the average billable hour is charged at €44, and that one in three charges €30 or less per hour. A more recent Uncommon Practitioners survey suggested an average of €60 an hour for Irish respondents. In both cases, the number of hours being worked was resulting in a gross income (before expenses) of approx €1,400 per month, not enough to run a home.

My colleague asked if perhaps therapists were less interested in earning a living than other business babyowners because therapy is a vocation rather than a profession. I know that I use the term profession about the practice of therapy, but also that others see it very much as a vocation. I wondered, what is the difference?

The Oxford English dictionary wasn’t much help, as the definition of vocation (from the latin vocare meaning to call, is defined as a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation…especially regarded as worthy and requiring dedication, but also includes a trade or profession. A profession on the other hand is defined as a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.

It’s puzzling isn’t it? Can a profession be regarded as worthy and requiring dedication, and can one be paid for a vocation?

I’m reminded of the debate that arose some years ago about the levels of pay for nurses and teachers.

The main arguments on each side (as to whether teachers and nurses deserved more money,) seemed helping handto revolve around the relationship between the value of the work being done and the service being provided as against the level of pay that was being offered. One argument that was put forward was that as nursing and teaching are vocations, the level of pay could not be expected to be equivalent to other professions. Some went so far as to say that it was wrong for those involved in helping or serving others to focus on issues of pay; that you could not both do “worthy” work and at the same time have that worth acknowledged in the form of adequate remuneration.

Sound familiar?

I wonder if the issue is that we have been taught that helping is only “good” if it is given for free. I know this was certainly what I was taught, that there are givers and there are receivers, and that you can’t be both. It’s a really loaded topic isn’t it? Do we deny our clients the gift of giving something to us?

But I am reminded too that in the case of nurses and teachers, the view that prevailed was that they should indeed be paid for their work, that they were entitled to a fair day’s wage. The quid pro quo, of course, was that they had certain expectations placed on them about the level of service they provided, and were accountable if they fell short.

Perhaps, as a group, we have a problem with that. Unsure about our worthiness and deserving, doubtful that we really are good enough, are we hesitant to ask for a fair days wage in exchange for what we offer, because at heart we’re afraid that we will be found wanting?

I have no issue with anyone giving their services for free or for a nominal fee, if that’s what they want to do, but I also don’t accept that earning a fair fee for our days work is incompatible with helping people who need us. What do you think? I’d love to hear your views on this subject, so if you have a point of view email me here.

If you’d like to find out how you can earn more in your practice, contact me here for a free 20 minute consultation where we could discuss how I can help you with this.