PP: Do you run a cash-only practice?

CH: I don't take any insurance. My patients may or may not be covered, but that's between them and their carriers. They pay me directly.

PP: Do you have a sliding scale?

CH: I do. If I see a teacher who is divorced and raising three children and making what teachers make, which is a sin in this country, she'll pay me the same that she pays what it takes to get her nails done. So my scale slides enormously.

I also barter and trade. Somebody made the front door to my house out of stained glass — he happened to be a stained glass artist. There are people who send me cedar and sage; there are potters who have made pottery. ... I had a patient who once painted the walls of my house in exchange for their psychotherapy.

I speak, and my fees are high. So I can do it, but you have to find a way to balance your own life. It's critically important to find some balance. To achieve it, you have to pay attention to what you're feeling inside. This is what I talk about. If you're not feeling good, it will destroy you. The entire medical establishment gives scientific credence to what I'm telling you anecdotally. If you don't feel good, stress hormones will break down your immune system and ultimately make you sick. It's too big a price.

Barbara Gabriel, MA, is the managing editor of Physicians Practice. She can be reached at bgabriel@physicianspractice.com. To learn more about Carl Hammerschlag, visit his Web site at www.healingdoc.com.