The Truth About “Charge Your Worth” in Life Coaching
The phrase “charge your worth” has become a mantra in the life coaching industry. It encourages coaches to set high fees based on their self-perceived value rather than the actual service they provide. While this mindset might seem empowering at first, it raises serious ethical concerns. In reality, charging your worth is a misleading and classist pricing model that prioritizes profit over accessibility. Here’s why this approach is problematic and what ethical pricing should look like instead.
The Problem with “Charge Your Worth”
At its core, “charge your worth” is a marketing strategy designed to justify high-ticket pricing, often without regard to:
- The actual value delivered to clients.
- The client’s financial situation.
- Industry standards for similar services.
Unlike therapists and counselors who set prices based on training, market rates, and accessibility, many life coaches inflate their fees by claiming that clients need to make a “commitment” to personal growth by paying exorbitant prices. For a deeper understanding of the potential pitfalls in life coaching, read this article.
Why This Mindset is Wrong
- It’s Based on Subjective Self-Worth, Not Market Value
Life coaches are taught to believe that their prices should reflect their self-esteem rather than what their services are actually worth in the marketplace. This is misleading because:
- Self-worth is not a pricing metric.
- Clients, not coaches, determine the value of a service.
- Setting a price based on personal perception rather than demand leads to overpricing.
- It Exploits Vulnerable Clients
Many life coaches target people in crisis—those struggling with relationships, careers, or mental health challenges. By telling potential clients that they must “invest in themselves” at high prices, coaches create a false sense of urgency and financial pressure. To explore the ethical concerns surrounding life coaching practices, click here.
- Clients are led to believe that the higher the cost, the more valuable the service.
- Some individuals take on debt to afford coaching programs, believing they will receive life-changing results.
- The financial burden can add stress rather than provide relief.
- It Ignores Economic Realities
This pricing model assumes that everyone can afford high-ticket coaching if they “believe in themselves” enough. In reality:
- Many people genuinely cannot afford $5,000+ coaching packages.
- Economic inequality makes it harder for marginalized groups to access these services.
- Coaches who refuse to offer sliding-scale pricing exclude lower-income clients who may need support the most.
How “Charge Your Worth” Harms the Coaching Industry
- It Creates a Culture of Exclusivity
Rather than focusing on delivering accessible, valuable services, many life coaches use pricing as a status symbol. This makes coaching an elite service for the wealthy rather than a tool for widespread personal growth. - It Encourages Coaches to Prioritize Sales Over Service
High-ticket coaching pushes life coaches to act more like salespeople than practitioners. (Learn more about the psychological tactics used in the coaching industry by reading this article). Many spend more time selling their services than actually helping clients.
- Free webinars and “discovery calls” are often just sales pitches.
- Coaches pressure clients to make financial commitments immediately.
- The coaching relationship becomes transactional rather than transformative.
The Ethical Alternative: Value-Based Pricing
Instead of basing prices on personal perception, ethical coaches and therapists use value-based pricing, which considers:
- The market rate for similar services.
- The financial accessibility of their target clients.
- The real outcomes and benefits of their services.
Sliding Scale Pricing is a widely used ethical model in therapy that allows clients to pay what they can afford within a structured range. If you’re seeking ethical coaching practices or have questions, feel free to contact me. This ensures that services remain accessible without devaluing the practitioner’s time.
Final Thoughts: Ethical Pricing Over Empty Mantras
Life coaching can be a valuable service, but the “charge your worth” mindset is fundamentally flawed. It prioritizes personal wealth over accessibility, exploits clients, and contributes to the growing distrust in the coaching industry. Ethical practitioners should focus on delivering real value rather than justifying excessive pricing with empty self-worth slogans.
Before investing in coaching, clients should ask:
- Does the coach have legitimate expertise in their field?
- Do they offer flexible pricing options?
- Are they more focused on selling or actually helping?
Coaching should be about empowering others, not just making a profit. The best practitioners ensure that their pricing reflects their service’s impact, not their self-worth.