1. What is financial therapy?

Financial therapy is therapy for your relationship with money. It combines therapeutic concepts with an understanding of financial concepts to help clients improve their emotional, mental, behavioral, relational and financial wellness. 

2. How is financial therapy different from financial planning or coaching?

The financial therapy services provided by Her Financial Therapy focuses on the emotional, behavioral, and psychological aspects of money with some integration of practical aspects of money management when indicated. Financial planning focuses more on cash-flow management (budgeting), savings, and investment strategies. Financial coaching can integrate some money mindset work, but is typically primarily focused on building foundational skills and practices around income, budgeting, debt management, and saving.

3. Who can benefit from financial therapy?

Individuals who continue to find themselves stuck in a cycle of debt, couples with financial conflicts, people experiencing financial anxiety, or those wanting to address the impact of financial trauma on their relationship with money. 

4. What should I expect during a financial therapy session?

During our first session, we will discuss your current relationship with money, your goals for financial therapy and begin exploring the history of your relationship with money including factors and experiences that have contributed to your current distress around money. 

In subsequent sessions we will continue to explore sources of financial shame, financial anxiety and any trauma responses you have to money. We will spend some time connecting with where you experience money distress in your body and begin to shift your relationship with money on a physical, mental, and emotional level. 

In Couples Financial Therapy we will do all of the above for both partners and address where you are getting stuck in your financial relationship as a couple. We will work toward you understanding your own and your partner’s relationship with money, practice having effective financial conversations in session and work together to create a plan for how you want to manage your finances going forward in a way that works for both of you.

5. Is financial therapy only for people in financial crisis?

Financial Therapy is for anyone looking to improve their financial health, address money-related stress and anxiety, or create a healthier relationship with money.

6. How long does financial therapy take?

The therapeutic process in financial therapy can vary depending on the client.I typically see my Individual Financial Therapy client for 4 to 6 monthsHer Financial Therapy provides short-term couples financial therapy which is typically about 6 to 8 weekly sessions or a couples financial therapy intensive.

7. Do you work with individuals or couples?

We provide individual, couples, and group financial therapy. 

Individual Financial Therapy is beneficial for going deeper into your relationship with money and how it connects to other areas of your life. Some topics typically addressed include Financial Anxiety, Money Shame, Financial Trauma and behaviors such as impulse spending, financial avoidance, money hoarding, overworking and underearning. 

Couples Financial Therapy is especially beneficial for improving their ability to talk about money in a productive and calm way, decreasing financial conflict and setting shared financial goals that meet both partner’s needs. This creates more financial intimacy in the relationship.

Her Financial Therapy offers time-limited Financial Therapy groups focused on specific topics. More information can be found on our Financial Therapy Groups page.

8. Will you help me with my finances or budgeting?

I can integrate some basic education and resources around budgeting, spending, saving, and debt payoff, but I do not provide financial advice or engage in discussions related to taxes or investing. I can work together with your financial planner or advisor to provide holistic support. I can also refer you to a financial planner I know and trust if needed.

9. How do I know if I need financial therapy?

Some signs you would benefit from financial therapy include feeling overwhelmed by money, avoiding financial discussions, frequent arguments with a partner about money, or experiencing significant stress or guilt around finances. If you have a sense that your money issues are deeper than just needing more financial education and it is impacting your sleep, relationships, ability to engage at work, takes up a lot of your mental space and energy, you might need financial therapy.

10. How can I get started with financial therapy?

Complete this Contact Form and I will reach out to you within 24 hours to schedule a free 20-minute video consultation via Zoom. We will discuss your reasons for seeking financial therapy, I will answer your questions, and we will decide together if we are a good fit to work together. If we are, we will schedule our first session and you will receive a link to complete initial intake paperwork and assessments. If we are not a good fit, I will do my best to provide you with a referral for another professional who would be a better fit.