If you want to change your financial behavior and can’t, it’s time to get help. To find a money therapist, contact the Financial Therapy Association. Members are either planners, therapists or coaches who believe in taking a multifaceted approach to addressing money issues. The group currently has about 300 members. You can search for members by state or by name, but you might get more results by contacting the association directly.
Planners who marry the analytical with the emotional will often call it life planning or coaching, or talk about their “holistic approach” or “360-degree view” of your finances. Therapists you work with should be skilled in behavior modification. Look for training in such disciplines as cognitive-behavior therapy, solution-focused therapy or brief therapy, or look for specialists in marriage and family therapy.
Psychologists or therapists should be licensed or otherwise regulated. “Anyone with licensed or clinical in their title is a good bet,” says Sonya Britt, an assistant professor of personal financial planning with an emphasis in financial therapy at Kansas State University. Coaches should be credentialed by the International Coach Federation.
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