Why is it not a good idea to offer a free first therapy session? 4 compelling reasons

This is a well-known marketing technique that we should avoid as psychologists. We explain why.

One of the best-known persuasion techniques in the marketing world is known as "foot in the door". is what is known as "foot in the door". The rationale behind this way of interacting with potential customers is simple: you offer them a very good deal at the beginning, one in which they clearly come out favored, in order to gain their trust and get them to invest a minimum of time and effort in trying our product and service.

Then, once this potential first barrier has been broken down, you offer the standard service, the one you really wanted to present to him from the beginning.

As a way of persuasion, this technique is useful, but there are always exceptions. Every industry is different, and there are many other variables that affect the way clients and customers perceive us. In the case of psychology, for example, there are a number of strong compelling reasons to be against free initial consultations for first-time patients..

4 reasons not to offer a free first therapy session

This is a short review of reasons why it's best to avoid offering a free first psychotherapy session. Not all of them have to do with the more advertising and persuasive side of marketing; some are related to the very nature of the service being offered.

1. It generates little commitment from patients

If we really want the first therapy to be part of the service that will help the patient, and not just an appendix of an advertising device, we must make every effort to engage the client. Unlike other types of services, in which the client may adopt a passive role, in psychotherapy, the professional remains a facilitator of change, and involvement and effort are required.and it requires involvement and effort on the part of the patients.

Thus, it is negative that the only active action carried out by the patient is to evaluate the service we are offering in a context of purchase decision. This context is based on the idea that there are conflicting interests that may or may not fit together, whereas what is desirable would be a much higher level of commitment.

2. Generates added resistance

This point is derived from the previous one, and has to do with the fact that the client is not limited to constantly assessing what is happening in the first consultation as if it were specifically a context in which to decide whether to buy or not to buy; moreover, one must also take into account what the patient thinks the therapist thinks.. And in such a situation, he or she is likely to believe that the psychologist is more concerned with selling than with actually treating him or her.

This is an added barrier that does not have to be dealt with as much if the first session is to be paid for, and possibly in many cases totally negates the advantage that would have been given by giving the free trial in the face of the initial reluctance of potential clients.

3. It gives an erroneous idea of the effectiveness of the sessions.

The first free therapy session goes against the logic that seeks to reinforce the therapeutic bond between patient and therapist. Not only does it put the focus on the fact that the patient must be constantly assessing in real time (during the session) whether to go ahead or to decide that it is not worth it, but it also promotes the idea that the session should be seen as a unit, and not as the first part of a process of change..

If we were to emphasize this second way of looking at psychologists' services, we would have a vision closer to the reality of what therapy is: a service in which the added value appears not in the sessions seen as something individual, but in the transitions that go from one to another. Moreover, the first day is usually not enough for patients to change for the better and in a sustained way; it is a preparation for what is to come.

4. The opportunity cost

As free as it is, it is clear that the first psychotherapy session always costs something. Specifically, it costs time. This is something that many professionals do not think about, assuming that no matter how much work they have they will get to everything, but in practice, this makes them lose the opportunity to both to be attracting clients who are really interested in the service, and to offer a very professional service without having toThis is something that many professionals don't think about, assuming that no matter how much work they have to do, they will get to everything.

What to do?

It is true that we do not have to totally reject the underlying idea behind the technique of attracting clients based on giving free first sessions. It is possible to spend a certain amount of extra time communicating with those who have not committed to pay, but it is advisable to do so in a context that is it is advisable to do so in a context that is defined as something different from the therapy itself..

For this reason, it is possible to offer small initial counseling sessions, or short meetings in which to expose doubts and clarify key aspects of what is being offered, although more important than the time invested in them is the fact of not "selling" this as a fundamental part of the service that is really being offered. It is a way to get around the drawbacks we have seen and to go straight to the Heart of the matter: having all the necessary information, does that person believe that he/she will benefit from starting psychological therapy with us?