- Russ Family Chiropractic
Healers need to make a living, too
We all got into the healing arts because we want to help other humans feel their best. Relief from pain, improved mood, better digestion, maybe fertility and sexual health is what inspires you. Whatever your entry point, whatever system you choose to interact through, you're there because you really do care. We share an understanding that healing the world starts with healing individual humans, families, communities, then cities and states and nations.
We arrive at work with the intention to be of service. To hold space, provide guidance and care, and accompany others on their path to better health, adaptability, integration, and expression of their true selves.
AND We need to make a living. We live in a society at a time when we are all expected to literally make our own living. Certainly there are people for whom the imperative to earn money is less, or even zero. But for most of us in this profession, the money we earn for our time, energy, and expertise is the money we use to buy groceries, pay for housing, transportation, our own health care, entertainment. It's how we are able to survive in the world. And you can't thrive until survival is not your main goal.
I am starting this blog because I know too many--WAY too many--skilled and dedicated healers who struggle to meet their basic needs financially. Folks who truly care, who are truly committed to the service of others, but who worry month by month about making rent, or are one big car repair or vet bill from serious financial trouble.
Some healers struggle financially because they find it daunting to promote themselves and their business. Lacking awareness of the real value of your service is a very common theme. "How can I charge for this? I hardly know what I'm doing?". "Other people are way better at this than I am". "I don't think people can afford or want to pay for this".
Others struggle because they were simply never taught how to keep track of money or how and why to plan.
Many, many healers are deeply intuitive and present-moment focused, which is a wonderful quality, but precludes planning, and prevents them from structuring their lives today in the service of tomorrow.
Others struggle because they are anti-capitalist (which I consider an admirable point of view) and simply HATE charging money.
I want to open a discussion about The Human Side of our practice and The Business Side of our practice.
The Human Side is why we're doing it. We love and revere the human potential for healing, We want to see it in action and we want to support and foster it. We want our fellow humans to be as healthy and happy and flexible as they can be, and we're ready and willing to spend our precious time helping and guiding them in that direction.
The Business Side is what supports The Human Side. Without The Business Side, we can't do The Human Side. If we don't actively engage with The Business Side, it sort of happens on its own and it never, ever takes care of itself. If The Business Side falters, we struggle financially, our stress level increases, and guess what? Our ability to be present and effective for our clients decreases.
So I invite you to hallow and revere The Human Side, and the part of you which is inspired to engage with The Human Side. Set the warm, beautiful, inspiring Human Side safely aside, and engage with the objects and processes which the Business Side contains. Set your intention to always have The Business Side act in support of The Human Side, and your conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas will loosen significantly if not disappear.