Financial Therapy Is on the Rise—Can It Really Help You Heal Your Money Habits?

Money isn’t just math—it’s emotional. Behind every budget, savings goal, or impulse buy is a lifetime of habits, beliefs, and maybe even baggage. So it’s no surprise that a growing number of people are turning to financial therapy to help them improve their relationship with money—not just their numbers. But what is financial therapy exactly, and can it really help you shift your money mindset? Let’s take a closer look at this rising trend and how it could help you unpack what’s really going on behind your financial decisions.

What Is Financial Therapy?

Financial therapy is a blend of traditional financial planning and mental health counseling. It helps people understand the emotional and psychological side of money—how we think about it, stress about it, avoid it, or obsess over it.

Where a financial advisor focuses on things like investments and retirement planning, and a therapist focuses on emotions and behaviors, a financial therapist brings those worlds together. They help you explore why you spend, save, or stress the way you do—and how to change it.

Common issues people bring to financial therapy include:

• Chronic overspending or “retail therapy”
• Anxiety or shame around money
• Conflict with partners or family over finances
• Guilt around financial privilege or success
• Fear of budgeting or checking your bank balance
• Money trauma from growing up in poverty or financial instability

Why Financial Therapy Is Gaining Popularity

In 2025, money stress is at an all-time high. Between student loans, inflation, housing costs, and economic uncertainty, it’s no wonder that people are feeling overwhelmed—and not just about dollars and cents.

Financial therapy is becoming more mainstream because:

• People are more open to talking about mental health
• Gen Z and millennials are rejecting financial shame culture
• There’s growing awareness that financial decisions are emotional
• Money problems often show up in therapy sessions anyway
• Coaches and advisors are realizing numbers aren’t enough

More financial pros are getting certified in behavioral finance or financial therapy to better serve clients who need more than a spreadsheet.

What Happens in a Financial Therapy Session?

Every therapist has their own approach, but sessions often involve:

• Talking about your money history—how your parents handled money, what you learned or feared
• Identifying money scripts (the beliefs you’ve internalized, like “I’ll never have enough” or “Money is bad”)
• Setting goals based on your values, not just external expectations
• Exploring emotional reactions to spending, saving, debt, or income
• Creating financial routines that support both mental health and financial stability

You might also work through financial trauma—like growing up in financial chaos, going through a bankruptcy or divorce, or recovering from economic abuse.

Do You Need to Be “Bad With Money” to Benefit?

Not at all. In fact, many people seek financial therapy not because they’re failing financially—but because they feel stuck, anxious, or out of alignment with their goals. You might benefit from financial therapy if:

• You make good money but constantly feel broke
• You argue about money in your relationship
• You sabotage your progress every time you get ahead
• You avoid checking your accounts even when things are fine
• You feel guilty spending money—even on things you need
• You’re earning more than ever but still feel insecure

It’s not about “fixing” your finances. It’s about healing your relationship with money so you can make decisions from a calm, grounded place.

What Are Money Scripts—and Why Do They Matter?

Money scripts are unconscious beliefs we form about money, usually in childhood. They shape how we think, feel, and act with money—often without realizing it.

Common money scripts include:

• Money avoidance: Belief that money is bad or corrupt
• Money worship: Belief that more money will solve all problems
• Money status: Linking self-worth to net worth
• Money vigilance: Always saving, rarely spending—even to your own detriment

These beliefs drive behavior, and financial therapy helps bring them to light so you can question them and rewrite the script.

How Financial Therapy Differs From Financial Coaching

There’s a lot of overlap between financial therapy and financial coaching, but there are key differences:

Financial Coach	Financial Therapist
Focuses on financial goals	Focuses on emotions and beliefs
Works on budgeting, saving	Explores money trauma and history
Not usually licensed in mental health	Often licensed therapists with financial training
May refer out for deeper psychological issues	Equipped to handle emotional distress

You might work with both—a coach to build your budget and a therapist to understand why you can’t stick to it.

How to Find a Financial Therapist

Financial therapy is still a niche field, but it’s growing fast. Start your search here:

• Financial Therapy Association (financialtherapyassociation.org): Offers a directory of certified financial therapists
• Therapy platforms: Sites like Psychology Today allow you to filter for therapists who specialize in financial issues
• Your current therapist: Some traditional therapists offer money-focused sessions or can refer you
• Financial planners: Some advisors are now trained in financial therapy principles

Make sure the person you work with is qualified in the area you need—whether it’s mental health, financial planning, or both.

Can You DIY Financial Therapy?

While working with a professional is best for deep emotional work, you can start exploring your money mindset on your own.

Try these self-reflection prompts:

• What’s my earliest memory of money?
• What did my family teach me—directly or indirectly—about money?
• What emotions do I feel when I spend, save, or talk about money?
• When have I felt shame or pride around money?
• What beliefs about money are helping—or hurting—me today?

Journaling, reading books on financial psychology, or using budgeting tools that include emotional check-ins (like You Need a Budget or Qube) can also support your journey.

Final Thoughts

Financial therapy isn’t just about getting better with money—it’s about getting better with yourself. It helps you understand the “why” behind your financial choices and build habits that align with your values, not just your bank balance. Whether you’ve always struggled with money or just want to understand it on a deeper level, financial therapy offers a powerful path to healing, clarity, and control.

Money is emotional—but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It just means you’re human. And it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.