Financial Therapy
“Money relies more on psychology than finance.”
— Morgan Housel
Financial therapy can help you improve how you think about, feel, and behave with money. Financial therapy is not just about helping people budget and save money. It also involves addressing underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to your financial stress, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. You worked hard to get to this place in your career. You deserve to experience financial security. The goal of financial therapy is to help individuals and couples develop healthier and more positive attitudes and behaviors towards money, which can lead you to greater financial stability and happiness.
Most therapists aren’t trained in financial management and most financial planners aren’t trained in navigating human emotions, histories, and relationships. As a Certified Financial Therapist-I™, I am trained in foundational money management, as well as understanding your relationship with money. I work within professional standards of privacy and confidentiality, as well as the fiduciary standard, solely serving your best interests. In my work, I use a variety of techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and financial coaching, to help you understand your relationship with money and make positive changes.
We can work together to address concerns related to:
Couples’ and families’ differing money attitudes
Couples’ financial intimacy
Debt and credit recovery
Early retirement/financial independence (FIRE)
Estate planning
Financial abuse and traumatic events
Financial anxiety and stress
Financial aspects of entertainment, media, & sports careers
Financial avoidance
Financial decision-making
Financial guilt
Financial impact of addictions
Financial impact of depression
First-generation wealth
Gambling addiction
Hiding/lying about money
Inheritances/newly acquired wealth
Living paycheck-to-paycheck
Minority financial issues
Navigating financial crisis
Over or underspending
Post-divorce recovery
Pre/Postnuptial agreements
Raising fiscally responsible children
Relationship transitions
Women’s financial empowerment
FAQs
What is financial therapy like?
We will start off by getting acquainted. It is important for me to learn more about your background and paint the picture of your relationship with money. Through conversation, we will explore the concerns bringing you into therapy. I use calculators and visual diagrams to help outline our work as needed. We will talk about the way you think about and feel with money. I will provide education and help you learn skills to better manage the way you approach your money.
What type of therapy do you do?
I consider my approach eclectic, meaning I draw from multiple evidence-based approaches. Primarily, I use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (M.I.), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and family systems approaches.
Will you tell me what to invest in? Will we create a financial plan?
I can help you better understand your personal finance options, however, I do not provide financial planning services. I am happy to support you as you work with a financial provider.
Where can I learn more about financial therapy?
Feel free to browse the Financial Therapy Association’s website, or my media appearances on financial health.