I am pretty ambivalent about Steve Hassan. He has the same certifications that the majority of his peers in counselling in the US would hold and if that sort of thing floats your boat then fine. I've never read his books so can't comment on them other than the breakdowns I have seen of the BITE model make sense to me.
I am not sure that his experience as an ex-moonie and subsequent training give him any more credibility or ability than someone with some kind of psychology doctorate to produce content with high academic value, however many people have found his books useful and informative. Could they have got that content elsewhere for less money, or even free? Sure but plenty of people pay over the odds for goods and services every day of the week just because they get something else that provokes a more emotional response from the transaction.
I think his higher charges come from the fact he has built the perception that he is a leading expert on cults. In a world of counsellors his USP is this perceived expertise with cults and cult behaviour. He is leveraging that to make money. I read it more as hubris and ego than a cynical "let's fleece the morons" attitude but fundamentally it comes down to the point that if you don't like his charges then don't pay them.
I'd love to meet the guy, chat to him and find out more about how he approaches his work. I just wouldn't pay $400p/h to do so.