Can You Trust a Spiritual Healer Who Charges Money?
Why Do Spiritual People Charge for Their Services?
Every so often, someone asks me:
“If you're truly spiritual, why are you charging money for what you do?”
It’s a question many of us in the spiritual and healing arts have heard. . . more than once. And while I understand where the question comes from, especially in a world full of scams and misinformation, it’s time we take a deeper, more compassionate look at what’s really being asked.
A Life of Preparation
Spiritual work doesn’t just happen overnight.
I’ve spent years learning, training, practicing, and refining my skills across many disciplines — from tarot and energy healing to EFT tapping and restorative yoga. I’ve taken certified courses, studied under respected mentors, and invested not just money but hundreds of hours into becoming competent and safe enough to guide others through their healing.
For example, when I became trained in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), I didn’t just watch a few YouTube videos. Sure, that’s how it started when I used a free tapping video to help manage my kids’ and husband’s anxiety. But eventually, I realized I needed to go deeper. I paid for professional instruction, studied the history, science, and structure behind EFT, and became a qualified practitioner. The same went for yoga. I studied anatomy, fascia, spirituality, and the historical roots of the practice before offering it as part of my work.
So when someone suggests that these services should be free, I have to ask: would you expect a therapist, engineer, or lawyer to provide their services for nothing simply because they “like helping people”?
Probably not.
And yet, that’s often the expectation for those of us doing spiritual work.
Compensation Is Not Unspiritual
There’s a myth that being “spiritual” means you should rise above the need for money. As if accepting payment makes your intentions less pure.
But money is just energy. It’s one form of exchange among many (along with barter, mutual aid, or trade) that keeps life in balance. Giving endlessly without receiving doesn’t make someone more spiritual; it makes them exhausted and unsustainable.
“Spiritual professionals do real, emotionally intensive work… Recognizing this as valid labor — worthy of fair compensation — is part of valuing spiritual well-being as a whole.”
— Mainely Mystics
Many of us have bartered our services, offered sliding scales, or helped those truly in need. But healthy energy exchange isn’t just kind — it’s necessary. If you give and give and never receive, eventually you run out of energy to give at all.
“If I am not in a position to help myself, then I certainly won’t be in a position to help anyone else.”
— Susan Mitchell, Takata Reiki Master
(Reiki in Medicine)
On mindset and disciple valuation, Kathleen LeBlanc, host of a Reiki business podcast, reflects:
“I struggled… to accept money when I was doing Reiki sessions… When I realized that I was enabling their poverty mentality by giving them a lower price … I don’t want to help people stay in a poverty mentality anymore.”
Rejecting the Martyr Myth
There’s an old, damaging idea that spiritual people should martyr themselves. To sacrifice income, boundaries, and well-being in service of others.
But why?
Religious leaders like rabbis, imams, and priests are compensated for their service. In many parishes, up to 70% of the budget goes toward salaries and benefits not as a luxury, but because spiritual labor is real labor.
Anglican priests in the Church of England receive a stipend and housing, totaling around $63,000 USD.
U.S. Catholic priests typically earn $40,000–$50,000, plus housing, healthcare, and food.
Rabbis often earn $90,000–$150,000+ with full benefits.
These are vocational callings and yet they are supported.
“You do not have to martyr yourself in order to help others.”
— Lisa Clark, Medium
So why is it controversial when a tarot reader charges $30? Or a Reiki practitioner sets an hourly rate?
Legal Risk Is Still Real
Some people don’t realize that in many parts of the U.S., spiritual practitioners still face legal challenges. Outdated laws against “fortune telling” are still on the books and in some places, they’re actively enforced.
In Pennsylvania, “pretending to tell fortunes” for profit is still a misdemeanor.
New York State bans paid psychic work unless clearly marked as entertainment.
In Virginia, local licenses (up to $1,000/year) are required, and unlicensed fortune-telling can be criminalized.
Cities like Norfolk, VA only repealed bans on psychic work as recently as June 2024.
Several other states, including Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, maintain similar restrictions.
And yet we keep showing up because this is our calling.
Sustainability Is Spiritual
Let’s be clear: this is not about greed. It’s about sustainability.
We are not saints on mountaintops, meditating all day. We’re people. We have families to feed, rent to pay, and lives to live. The image that best sums it up?
A meme I once saw:
“Why I charge for my services.”
Behind it? A picture of an empty refrigerator.
“I am an extremely talented reader & I ask for fair payment… People who don’t pay for readings don’t really value the guidance… Even lawyers say—don’t give free advice.”
— Professional tarot reader, Reddit
“When the money pressure set in, I had to stop. I felt I was giving Reiki for the wrong reasons… sometimes I do not break even.”
— Anonymous Reiki practitioner, Reiki Rays
A Balanced Energy Exchange
Every modality I offer be it EFT, tarot, yoga, energy work, etc. has required time, discipline, and financial investment. When someone pays me, they’re not just paying for the session. They’re supporting the years of work that made that session possible.
“With [energy] and healing… some people don’t want to pay. So it’s a reclaiming of your own value… You have to charge what you’re worth to keep your doors open.”
— Elle Marston, Teen Vogue
“Money is a form of energy… An exchange of energy is important. Sometimes it is money.”
— Reiki practitioner, Reddit
Final Thoughts: Ask a Better Question
So the next time someone asks why a spiritual person charges for their services, I encourage you to ask a better question:
“What would it look like to truly support the people who help us heal?”
Spiritual work is valid work.
It deserves to be supported, honored, and respected — just like any other profession rooted in service.
Luna Ravenwing LLC