This question is often in the back of people’s minds. Sometimes it gets asked in the form of, Can I use my insurance?
Naturally it feels important to know something about the cost of undertaking an important new endeavor.
In fact, many people find it easier to think about the cost than to think about the benefits. This is especially true for people who are more strongly motivated by the negative than the positive. If cost carries more influence in your mind than benefit does, then minimizing cost will have more power in your mind than a wish to increase understanding, satisfaction, freedom, or any number of other important benefits. This can be a serious problem—although it can be addressed.
A pressing question about money can also have two other meanings. One is, I can’t see how psychotherapy would be an investment. It seems like something I need to do. I might as well have all the bad news up front, including the cost.
Another meaning of the question is, I have a lot of trouble taking a long-term perspective. I need to do something right now, and I need to know what it costs, right now.
Having trouble thinking about personal investments as investments, and having trouble maintaining a long-term perspective, are sometimes quite serious problems. Because money raises all sorts of personal issues, I always try to talk about money in person.