Inflation, Corporate Greed, and My Private Practice

"Scary Times" Sketch by Jackie Schuld

The news can feel very scary these days.

I just read an article about Disney raising fees for its various services in the park. The result? A massive jump in profit for the company.

Stories like this make me nervous for the direction our country is heading.

Why do such company’s need such massive profits? Those profits typically only benefit a small number of people. I seldom hear of companies re-investing their profit to improve the salaries and benefits of its employees. Better sick day compensation. Better insurance coverage. More time off. I think of Amazon, who does not pay its warehouse workers a living wage. Whose poor warehouse conditions result in high rates of turnover.

I seldom hear of large businesses evaluating how they can improve the quality experience of the customer. It seems the money just disappears into the pockets of the few.

As our country heads into a scary period of inflation, more and more companies are increasing prices. And yet… the profits of major corporations are huge. The salaries of its executives are astronomical. When inflation comes knocking, it is the customers that must take the hit, instead of a reduced amount of profit or a CEO not receiving a bonus or raise.

I also have to personally sit with these feelings, knowing I charge a rate for therapy that is high (I charge $300/80 min session). When I raised my therapy fees, I was likened to these companies by an individual upset with my new fees (you can read about that in my essay Having a High Therapy Fee Means You’re a Capitalist).

Sometimes I do feel bad. My private practice is not an amusement park that can be accessed by all. Am I the greedy corporations in smaller form?

In reality, I know I am not. I know I have set my fee at a rate to take care of me. To honor my energy limitations, my autistic capacity, and have my essential needs like health care, paid sick days, and retirement covered. I also have to factor in expenses, such as paying back student loans.

If our government covered more of our essential needs as humans - such as health care, higher education, retirement, and more, I wouldn’t have to charge such high fees. If I felt like there was a system that could catch me and provide for me, I wouldn’t have to save for it myself. This is the reality.

When I was younger, I could close my eyes and hope it would work out. As I’ve gotten older and seen the reality of life - parents dying, personal health crises, personal emergencies, and more - I know I need to plan for the unknown. It is the uncomfortable reality of adulthood.

I am not scraping in money to live in excess and have more and more. I’m collecting what I need to live as a thriving human - something I want for all.

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