I want to be honest with you about something before you go any further.

This curriculum is powerful. I built it with care, and I’ve seen the work within it create real change in people’s lives. But it isn’t a replacement for therapy — and for some people, in some seasons of life, therapy is exactly what’s needed. Knowing the difference isn’t a weakness. It’s one of the most centering, self-aware choices you can make. And honestly? It’s the kind of choice this curriculum is designed to help you get better at.

So before you begin, I want you to take a moment and check in with yourself.

This curriculum is probably a good fit right now if:

• You may feel overwhelmed by money but can still function in your day-to-day life
• You recognize emotional patterns around finances that you’d like to understand and change
• You’re ready to do some honest, reflective work at your own pace
• You have some kind of support in your life — a friend, a therapist, a community, someone you can call

You might need more support alongside this — or instead of it — if:

• You’re in an active financial crisis right now: housing instability, or food insecurity
• Money triggers panic attacks, severe anxiety, or dissociation for you
• You’re in a relationship where money is being used to control or harm you (financial abuse)
• Financial stress is entangled with addiction, disordered eating, or self-harm
• You’re having thoughts of hurting yourself related to financial stress

If any of those last points resonate, please reach out to a professional before or alongside this curriculum. That’s not me turning you away — it’s me wanting you to have the right level of support for what you’re carrying. This curriculum will still be here when you’re ready.

What is financial therapy?

Financial therapy is something I’ve dedicated my career to, so let me explain what it actually is — because it’s not what most people picture.

A Certified Financial Therapist (CFT™) is trained to work at the intersection of financial planning and mental health. It’s not a financial advisor who asks how you’re feeling, and it’s not a therapist who happens to talk about money. It’s a specific, clinical approach to the emotional, behavioral, and relational dimensions of your financial life — the same dimensions this curriculum explores, but with professional guidance, clinical training, and a therapeutic relationship behind it.

Types of professional support to consider

Certified Financial Therapist (CFT™) — A professional trained in both financial planning and mental health. This is the integration that makes financial therapy distinct from either discipline alone.

Licensed Mental Health Therapist — A psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist, or licensed counselor. If financial trauma is part of your picture, look specifically for someone trained in trauma-informed care, EMDR, somatic experiencing, or Internal Family Systems (IFS).

Financial Planner — Some Certified Financial Planners are trained to recognize the emotional dimensions of money. Not the same as a financial therapist, but a meaningful resource for clients whose needs are more practical than clinical.

Lower-cost and free options

• Many employers offer EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) with free short-term counseling — worth checking if you’re not sure
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — consumerfinance.gov for debt and financial rights resources

If you’re in crisis now

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — free, 24/7 (call or text 988)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233 (financial abuse is included)
• Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741

How to talk to a therapist about financial wounds

Many therapists aren’t specifically trained in money-related issues — and if you bring it up without context, you might get a referral to a financial advisor instead of the support you actually need. Here’s language you can use:

“I’m working through some long-standing patterns around money — including [avoidance / impulse spending / panic / shame]. I’d like to address the emotional and nervous system roots of these patterns. Are you comfortable working with money-related issues?”

A trauma-informed therapist will recognize this as legitimate clinical territory. If they dismiss it or tell you to just make a budget, they’re not the right fit. Keep looking.

I know it can feel like asking for help is somehow at odds with doing this work yourself. I’d push back on that. In over two decades of this work, I have never once seen someone heal in isolation. The people who move the furthest are always the ones who let themselves be supported — by a program, by a therapist, by a community, by the people who love them.

You reaching out, in whatever form that takes, is not a detour from your financial healing. It’s part of it.