Why Most Energy Practitioners Undercharge (And What to Do About It)

If you've ever given someone your rate and immediately felt the urge to apologize for it, you're not alone.

Undercharging is one of the most common patterns I see in energy, sound and wellness practitioners. And it's not because they don't value their work. It's usually the opposite: they value it so much that charging what it's worth feels almost too vulnerable. Like putting a price tag on something sacred.

But here's what I've watched happen, again and again: when practitioners undercharge, they don't just make less money. They burn out faster, take on too many clients to compensate, and begin to resent the work they once loved.

Sustainable doesn't just mean profitable. It means you can keep doing this for years.

The Story Behind the Price

I think of someone like Maya (not her real name), a talented Biofield Tuning practitioner who had been seeing clients for two years when we started working together. She was good at what she did. Her clients adored her. And she was charging $65 a session.

When I asked her why, she said what most practitioners say: "I don't want to price people out. I want this to be accessible."

That's a beautiful impulse. And it was costing her everything.

She was seeing 18 clients a week just to cover her basics. She had no time to market, no energy to grow, and she was starting to dread Monday mornings. The very thing she'd built to help people was slowly hollowing her out.

Why This Happens (It's Not What You Think)

Most practitioners assume undercharging is a pricing problem. It's actually a belief problem.

Somewhere along the way, many healers absorbed the idea that charging well for intuitive, energetic, or holistic work is somehow at odds with being of service. That "real" healers don't focus on money. That accessibility means keeping rates low indefinitely.

None of that is true, but beliefs don't care about logic. They care about repetition and emotion, which is exactly why they're so hard to shift on your own.

Here's what I know to be true after years of coaching practitioners: the price you charge is a direct reflection of how safe you feel being seen as someone worth paying.

That's it. Not your skill level. Not the market. Not your city. Your internal permission level.

And the good news is, that's something you can actually work on.

What Undercharging Really Costs You

Let's make this concrete.

If you charge $65 a session and want to earn $4,000 a month, you need 62 sessions. That's roughly 15 sessions a week, every week, with no room for cancellations, slow months, or rest.

Raise your rate to $125 and you need 32 sessions. At $175, you need 23.

Same income. Completely different life.

And here's the part that often surprises people: higher rates frequently attract more committed clients. Clients who show up, do the work, and refer others. Clients who respect your time because the investment signals that yours is worth respecting.

Undercharging doesn't just hurt you. It often creates a dynamic that doesn't serve your clients either.

So What Do You Do?

First: give yourself permission to raise your rates without having to justify it to anyone.

You don't need a new certification. You don't need ten more years of experience. You don't need to wait until you feel ready, because that feeling rarely comes on its own.

Second: raise your rates in a way that feels grounded, not panicked. A $20 to $40 increase for new clients is a reasonable starting point for most practitioners. Existing clients can be grandfathered in or transitioned gradually.

Third: expect discomfort. The first time you say your new rate out loud, your nervous system may protest. That's normal. It doesn't mean you've done something wrong. It means you're growing.

And fourth, do this inside a community if you can. Pricing shifts are rarely just logistical. They're emotional, sometimes deeply so. Having people around you who understand both the business side and the energetic side of this work makes an enormous difference.

A Different Way to Think About Accessibility

Here's a reframe that has helped many of my clients: a practice that charges sustainable rates stays open. One that undercharges, burns out, and closes helps no one.

Accessibility isn't just about price. It's about showing up fully, having the bandwidth to give your best, and being in business long enough to reach the people who need you most.

You can offer sliding scale spots, donation-based community sessions, or group offerings at lower price points. But your standard rate needs to support you fully and without apology.

Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Building?

If you recognized yourself anywhere in this post, I want you to know: this is exactly the kind of work we do inside Grow a Thriving Practice, my group coaching membership for sound, energy, and wellness practitioners.

We talk about pricing, yes. But more than that, we work on the beliefs underneath the pricing. The visibility fears. The "who am I to charge that" thoughts that keep brilliant practitioners playing small.

GATP includes weekly group coaching calls, monthly Biofield Tuning sessions, and a community of practitioners who genuinely get it.

If you're ready to build a practice that sustains you and the people you serve, I'd love to have you inside.

Jillian Faldmo is a Certified Business & Life Coach, Advanced Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner & Instructor, and former BSN. She helps sound, energy, and wellness practitioners build aligned, sustainable businesses through coaching and community.