Charging Premium Prices for Success in your Massage Biz
Have you ever walked away from a client session feeling completely drained, like your soul just handed out a discount it didn’t agree to? Or maybe you smiled through a session, then got hit with a $2 tip and immediately felt that gut punch of resentment?
Here’s the thing they don’t teach you in business school (or even in most coaching programs):
Your nervous system is constantly giving you real-time feedback about your business. And most Therapists are ignoring it. You're likely undercharging, overgiving, and unconsciously sabotaging your success. I talked about this previously.
Let’s dive into how your body...yep, your beautiful, intuitive body is your most loyal, accurate, and protective mentor.
The $2 Tip That Tells you Everything
That moment you check your tip and see $2 for an hour of your energy, expertise, and emotional labour? You might brush it off with, "Well, at least they tipped," or "Maybe they’re struggling financially." But if you feel tight in your chest, heavy in your gut, or like something's just off, that’s not just emotion. That’s your nervous system trying to help you.
It's saying: "Hey, this doesn’t feel right."
And when you ignore that? You start stacking those moments. You suppress the signs. You tell yourself to be grateful. You people-please. You numb. You push. You survive.
But you’re not doing ok in your business. And your body knows it.
People-Pleasing Isn’t Pricing Strategy
I am going to just call this out: Keeping your prices low because you're scared to lose clients is a nervous system response.
It’s your fight/flight/freeze trying to protect you from rejection, abandonment, or shame. But here’s the kicker...when your nervous system is in survival mode, it will do everything it can to keep you safe, not successful.
And that means pricing decisions become emotional, not strategic.
You end up:
Charging the same rate for 5 years straight
Avoiding conversations about price increases
Feeling resentful toward the very clients you're supposed to love working with
Taking it personally when someone doesn’t rebook
Sound familiar? Yep thought so.. I used to feel it too...
Your Body Stores More Than You Think
When you repeatedly override your internal "No," your body starts storing those unspoken boundaries, resentments, and unmet needs.
This often shows up as:
Chronic exhaustion
Tension in your jaw, shoulders, or gut
Trouble sleeping before client days
Feeling like your business owns you
But the real kicker? You start doubting your intuition. Because if you’ve spent years overriding it to be polite, helpful, or accommodating so why would it trust you now?
That’s where your somatic awareness comes in.
Imagine if you ran your business from your body first, brain second.
You check in with your gut before setting prices or posting on socials.
You tune into your breath before agreeing to an exception.
You honour your capacity before adding one more client to your calendar.
You’d stop chasing alignment and start embodying it.
This isn’t just woo-woo self-care fluff. This is nervous system intelligence.
And let me tell you... it works.
Try This: A Somatic Pricing Reset
Here’s a simple yet powerful exercise to check in:
Close your eyes.
Think about your current pricing.
Notice where resentment, tightness, or discomfort shows up.
Ask yourself: "What price would feel safe? What price would feel good?”
Sit with that. Not the number you think is "fair." The number your body softens around. Keep going up and up until it feels good.
This is the number your nervous system can receive without panicking. This is your starting point.
Now, you may need to work on nervous system regulation practices to expand your capacity to hold that price, especially if it feels "too much" or "too scary."
But here's the truth:
When you price from safety, everything changes.
You stop chasing clients who drain you. You start attracting people who respect you. You show up more grounded, more confident, and more YOU.
Business Isn’t Just Strategy
So many healers, and service providers think they have a strategy problem.
But it’s not your marketing. It’s not your niche. It’s not your services.
It’s the unprocessed emotions sitting in your nervous system, quietly running the show.
Every time you override your body’s feedback, you’re telling it: “Your needs don’t matter.”
And your body, loyal as it is, starts to believe it.
But when you start listening... like really listening... it will guide you better than any algorithm or youtube video.
Because your body has been there for every client session. Every late night. Every undercharged service. Every moment you smiled through discomfort.
And it’s not trying to sabotage you. It’s trying to protect you.
Until you’re ready to receive more.
And guess what?
You’re ready.
Final Thoughts: Your Business Evolves at the Speed of Your Nervous System
You don’t need to be fearless. You don’t need another certification. You don’t need to hustle harder.
You need to feel safe in your success.
Start with one decision.
Choose one boundary. Pick one aligned price. Release one survival pattern.
And watch what happens.
Because your nervous system? It’s not holding you back. It’s just waiting for you to come home.
Want support resetting your business from the inside out?
