Do Energy Healers Need Both Professional and General Liability Insurance?

Have you been wondering if carrying two types of insurance is truly necessary for your energy healing practice?

Or are you trying to make a smart, budget-conscious choice and questioning whether one policy is enough?

We understand — insurance can be confusing. And when you're trying to grow your practice, every dollar counts. 

But what many energy healers don’t realize is that professional and general liability cover two different types of risk, and leaving one out could expose you — and your business — to serious financial consequences.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• The difference between professional and general liability insurance
• Why choosing only one could leave gaps in your protection
• How to decide what coverage is right for your practice

Professional Liability: Protection for the Healing You Do

Professional liability insurance is all about your work as a practitioner. It protects you for your professional actions. Say, if someone claims they were emotionally harmed by your services (even if you did nothing wrong; a claim is still a claim).

Maybe a client says a session left them feeling worse, or they feel their expectations were misguided. These situations are rare, but they’re not impossible — and even if the claim doesn’t hold up, the legal fees alone can be draining.

This coverage may step in to help with:

• Legal defense costs
• Settlements or judgments
• Claims of negligence, or stepping outside your scope

You may not think of your work as high-risk. But if someone feels they’ve been harmed or misled, they can still make a claim. And when that happens, this is the coverage that you will want to have in place.

General Liability: Protection for the Space Around Your Work

Now, general liability on the other hand generally covers physical risks that might happen around your healing work, like:

• A client trips on a rug in your office and gets injured
• Your diffuser leaks and damages the flooring in a rented studio
• Someone spills water during a group workshop and another participant slips

These are things most practitioners never imagine will happen — until they do. And without general liability coverage, the financial fallout is yours to handle.

Even if you practice remotely, general liability can still be relevant — especially if you:

• Use someone else’s space
• Host events, classes, or workshops
• Participate in expos or retreats (which often require it)
• Publish advertising or marketing content that could unintentionally infringe on a competitor’s copyright or harm someone’s reputation

General liability is about protecting the environment and people around you.

What Happens If You Only Choose One Type of Insurance Policy?

We’ve heard the logic: “I’ll just pick the one that feels more relevant and save a little money.”

It’s a reasonable thought — but it misses how separate these coverages really are.

Let’s say you only have professional liability. You feel confident your services are safe, and you’re working mostly online. Then one day, you teach a workshop at a winter wellness center. A participant slips on ice the way out. You later find out that you’re listed in the injury claim (even as a guest!). That’s general liability territory — and without it, you’re on your own for the costs.

Or flip it: you skip professional liability because you work from home and think general liability is enough. But then a client claims that something you said during a session triggered a negative emotional spiral. That’s not covered by general liability.

The average cost of a settlement can range from $30,000 to $50,000. Without the right coverage, that financial burden falls entirely on you — no matter how small your business is.

💡Check out Liability Insurance for Energy Healers: Cost, Coverage, and the Real Price of Going Without to break down what you’ll pay, what you’ll get, and what it could cost you if you go without protection.

What’s the Best Liability Insurance Option for Energy Healers?

Your work deserves more than the bare minimum.

When comparing professional and general liability, we believe the safest approach is a bundled policy that includes both types of coverage. That way, you’re not left guessing whether you’re protected — because you know you are.

Some insurance companies, or professional associations like EMPA, will bundle professional and general liability insurance into one streamlined policy made specifically for energy healers and holistic practitioners.

It’s important to justify your expenses; however, professional and general liability should not be thought of as an add-on to your business, but rather as a foundational, core necessity right from the moment you start practicing.

The good news is that it is a small investment; the average cost of bundles liability protection ranges between $275-$385 a year. In hindsight, this is a very reasonable expense in exchange for peace of mind.

We are proud to say that EMPA was the first, and only, professional association entirely tailored to energy-based modalities.

And because we’re not just an insurer — your membership includes support beyond coverage. You get resources on risk management, ethics, client communication, and more. We help you stay safe, grow your confidence, and build a long-lasting practice.

💡Read The ROI of Liability Insurance for Energy Healers to explore how the right coverage can protect your income, reputation, and peace of mind.

What’s Next: Holistic Coverage for a Holistic Practice

Now that you understand what each type of insurance covers, the choice becomes clearer: professional and general liability aren’t redundant — they’re complementary. Together, they protect a greater scope of your work as a healer.

We know talking about insurance isn’t always fun. It can feel confusing, frustrating, and time consuming. But by asking questions and weighing your options, you’re doing something essential — you’re learning how to protect yourself and your practice in a sustainable, professional way.

If you're ready to explore coverage that reflects the way you actually work — without overspending or overcomplicating — EMPA is here to help. Our bundled liability policy is affordable, supportive, and takes less than 10 minutes to fill out an application!

As a professional association built for healers like you, EMPA combines comprehensive coverage with education so you can focus on your work, knowing you're covered where it counts.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not provide legal, financial, or medical advice. The examples are general, and coverage may vary by policy. Always refer to your insurance provider or policy language for specific details, as the policy terms take precedence. For legal concerns related to your practice, consult an attorney.