Our relationship with money is often laden with emotions, stress, and unexplored territories. Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, offers a fascinating lens through which we can understand and improve our connection with money. In this blog post, we will explore three essential conc...

As a therapist and financial planner, I understand the importance of addressing financial matters with sensitivity and openness. In the tapestry of a committed relationship, financial conversations weave a delicate pattern that can either strengthen bonds or introduce strains. In this blog post,...

 Every week I talk with wives who are confused, frustrated, and scared about their marriages. Their husbands have become disengaged, angry, and resentful.  It is completely understandable to feel this mix of emotions. Navigating marriage and money is not so easy. We want it to be easy, but after...

*Trigger Warning* This blog post talks about sexual abuse and its impact on my life and those of the clients I have worked with. No identifying client information will be shared and important details about my experiences have been modified to protect my family.   It’s not easy to talk about sex...

How do you know where you stand financially? Is it through your intuition, hope, a look at your bank account, or your investment balances?  Financially healthy couples have a working knowledge of their family’s net worth.  So stop and check in for a moment.  Do you know what net worth means? I...

  As a couple, each of you likely has different comfort levels about looking at your net worth. This is an understandable starting place, but it’s not where you want to stay.  Net worth is the difference between your assets (like cash savings, the value of your home, and retirement accounts) an...

​John* and Lisa* had a huge blow-up the night before they saw me. Lisa was sick and tired of John’s criticisms about her spending and not sticking to the family budget he had set for them. They were desperate for a better way forward, as they had each watched their parents' marriages end in bitte...

 You may not want to read this — and I understand.  You may be thrilled to read this — and I understand. You may have mixed feelings about reading this — and I understand.   Reading about and working through childhood trauma is not easy, but it can be incredibly powerful and liberating in the...

Sitting in my favorite coffee shop, Brakeman’s Coffee, I overhear a lot of conversations while writing these blogs.    Recently, I heard a group of women lamenting over their husbands' comments about all the Amazon packages that arrive at their houses.    One of the women repeated her husband...

When we start our journey towards financial security, success, stability, or any other similar word, most people I meet begin by acquiring more knowledge than they currently have. They may turn to sources like books, Audible, podcasts, blogs, friends, family, universities, working in the field of...