Pro-bono or pro-deo forms of payment might sound familiar. Pro-bono publico refers to work done voluntarily and for free for ‘the public interest’ in service of society. Pro-deo is a comparable term, yet refers to service provided as a means to follow ‘his’ example. These are in use by other professions.

Both do not apply to the work that I offer for a reduced rate. I’m not doing it for society, nor for a higher power. Pro-alio is my own attempt at a Latin translation of the words ‘for someone else‘, or ‘for another human being’. This connects the discount to those who have received it earlier and who have made a donation so someone unknown to them could benefit from sessions as well. Kind of like ‘pay-it-forward’. Thank you to all who have shown such gratitude.

Not for free, but some freedom is granted.

If you are offered a session or a trajectory with a pro-alio discount it is not for free. After a pro-alio session you will still receive an invoice, but this will show a discount and the request to consider in due time a payment ‘for someone else’, in line with your level of satisfaction and your financial possibilities. This would enable a next unknown individual to benefit from help when needed. A pro-alio return payment can be the same as the provided discount, but may also be lower or higher.

In my experience, this is a beautiful way to temporarily adjust the tariffs which I simply have to ask in order to be able to run a sustainable practice in the service of others. In times of need financial worries usually do not contribute to swift recovery. By lowering the threshold, space is created to accept help and regain balance. Once recovery sets in and strength and perspective return there might be a moment to look back and evaluate the impact of our time together. And that is always a good moment to consider to make a payment for another human being in need of help.

If you would be interested in receiving a pro-alio offer, let me know. Together we will assess what would be possible and how to find a fitting solution in order for you to start your therapy without concerns about your ability to (keep) pay(ing) the bills.

Making a donation to a Public Benefit Organization

An alternative to a pro-alio payment to me, and a great way to ‘pay it forward’ is the following: making a donation to another cause.

The following foundations receive regular financial support and warm encouragement from me for their efforts: Yemen Family Support Foundation and Boat Refugee Foundation. I can highly recommend a donation to these causes. Please consider them if you are looking for a way to thank me by paying forward the good intention to help others. If you do make such a charitable donation, I would appreciate it if you would refer to me on the payment subject line as ‘pro-alio via Praktijk voor goede gesprekken, rogerholmes.nl’.

These foundations have a Dutch ANBI status (Public Benefit Organization). This means, that donation can deducted from income taxes payable in The Netherlands. For more information about the tax regulations about gifts, please check what applies to your situation. For The Netherlands, visit de belastingdienst.