What Does ‘pay-what-you-want’ Mean?

The Birthing From Love  Live Workshop is run on a pay-what-you-want basis.

Why?

Before my second son was born, my family went through a bit of a tough time financially. My husband’s business closed down, and being self-employed, I didn’t have any maternity leave benefits. It felt icky to say the least.

I want to reach as many women as I can with this information. I know that, like me, not everyone has health benefits (though all or a portion of this workshop can be covered by benefits). I also know that welcoming a new little one into the world can make finances tight (or even tighter).

I don’t want anyone to miss out on this opportunity for financial reasons.

This is why I now offer my workshop on a ‘pay-what-you-want’ basis. It just makes sense to me.

The association that sets my fees tells me to charge $480 per person (plus supplies and lunch). So this workshop would normally be about $555. I used to charge $500 for it. This might seem like a lot for a workshop. Let me be clear; I am not asking you to pay the full amount. I’m not even suggesting you pay that much. If the whole ‘pay-what-you-want thing feels uncomfortable to you, you’re welcome to pay upfront the $500 that I previously charged. But, you’re absolutely encouraged to come and ‘pay-what-you-want.’

I would share all of the nice things that people have said about the ‘pay-what-you-want’ style and all of the wonderful feedback I’ve gotten about the workshop, but I can’t.

One of the nicest things about the workshop is: everything is completely confidential.

Trust me when I say that women leave the workshop feeling more positive and confident about birth and they love that they are able to pay based on what the can afford and how valuable the workshop was.

This thrills me and inspires me to try and reach as many women as I can. Which is why the format works so well.

Pay what you want at the end of the day. Really. You can pay what you want.

Here’s what it means ::

1. You get access to a workshop that you’d otherwise pay $555 for and you get to decide what to pay. After the workshop ends you decide how valuable the workshop was to you and how much you can afford.
2. Whatever you pay is okay! I want it to feel good for you. And so it’s really important that you only pay the amount that feels good to you. I don’t want you to over pay, because you’ll feel stressed. And, I don’t want you to under pay because you may feel guilty. Just pay the right amount for you, based on what feels good to you.
3. Securing your spot: All I ask is that you provide payment information to secure your spot. If you show up, you are not charged and you get to pay what you want at the end of the workshop. If you don’t show up your credit card is charged $75.00 (I pre-order lunch and supplies and this helps me cover the cost in case there’s a no-show). If you can’t make it for some reason, just give me 48 hours notice and your credit card will not be charged.
4. You can spread it out over time. Let’s face it, when welcoming a baby into the world there are a few extra expenses. If it’s easier for you to break your payment up, I’m happy with that. You can make one payment right away and three payments throughout the year. If it’s more comfortable for you to pay for the whole thing upfront, that’s cool too.
5. Your receipt is mailed to you. When your payment is processed I will mail you an official receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
6. All, or a portion, of what you decide to pay may be covered by your extended health care benefits under “psychological services” or “counseling”

Payment can be made via cash, cheque, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discovery, or email money transfer. That’s right. I take pretty much every form of payment (except debit. Not debit. But I take everything else.).

Because I’m a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists the fees for this workshop may be completely, or partially, covered by Blue Cross, extended health care insurance plans, private health spending accounts, or employee assistance plans (EAP).

Each plan is different, so I recommend that you check with you individual plan to learn more about whether you have coverage, and how much coverage you have.

I will provide you with a receipt for “Psychological Services” that you can submit to your insurer to receive reimbursement. Some extended health care plans require my registration number. If you are making an inquiry to your insurance company, you may need to know that a member, in good standing, with the following associations,

• College of Alberta Psychologists #3639
• Canadian Psychological Association member #26448

Also, fees for psychological services are tax deductible as a health expense….which may save you a few dollars come tax time.

I hope this explanation helps you feel great about the ‘pay-what-you-want’ format. I want you to feel welcome to attend, and I don’t want my workshop to feel out of reach for any woman.

Here’s my invitation to you: come to the Birthing From Love Live workshop. Pay whatever you want to pay me.

Love,