Financial Therapy Center

Is there any interest in something about Financial Therapy with Couples? We've been thinking about getting one finished up if there's a lot of interest.

We've updated our manuals.

Smith, T. E., Shelton, V. M., & Richards, K. V. (2014). More than numbers: Everyday financial therapy. Facilitator Guide. Seattle, WA: Southeastern Professional Books

Smith, T. E., Shelton, V. M., & Richards, K. V. (2014). More than numbers: Everyday financial therapy. Participant Workbook. Seattle, WA: Southeastern Professional Books

Get them on Amazon!

The Hidden Reasons People Spend Too Much

The Hidden Reasons People Spend Too Much You can get all the basics of spending right and yet still break your budget. Researchers are beginning to discover why.

Assistant Director, Kristin Richards, presented the 5-Step Financial Therapy model at the Alabama-Mississippi Social Work Education Conference--hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi.

Would you like Kristin to present at your conference or event? Please contact us! [email protected]

The Financial Therapy Center presented a Hot Topic presentation, "Financial Therapy: An Integrative Model for Change," at the Council on Social Work Education 2015 Annual Program Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

Kristin V. Richards, Mississippi Valley State University
Thomas E. Smith, Florida State University
Victoria M. Shelton, Florida State University

Yet another publication
Richards, K.., Williams, J., Smith, T. E. & Thyer, B. A. (2015). Financial video games: A financial literacy tool for social workers. International Journal of Social Work, 2(1), 22-35.

Addressing the financial concerns of individuals and families has long been part of social work practice. However, video games designed for educational purposes (i.e. digital game-based learning) provide a new interactive teaching method which emphasizes experiential learning. Some technological advantages to using video games for educational purposes are: interactivity, accessibility, individualization, low cost per user, the ease of updating the content, and the attractiveness of the graphics. Educational video games support and strengthen: school achievement, cognitive abilities, motivation towards learning, attention and concentration. Overall, the literature indicates that digital game-based learning is a viable and promising method for social workers to provide financial educational services to their clients.

See another publication
Smith, T. E., Richards, K. V., & Shelton, V. M. (2015). Mindfulness in financial literacy. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. DOI: 10.1080/10911359.2015.1083503

Financial education is becoming imperative in a society that has pitfalls for unwary consumers. To ensure effectiveness, educational strategies must take into consideration the readiness of consumers to learn the curriculum. Behavioral economics highlights the obstacles that educators face in promoting
financial efficacy. Such obstacles include envy, fear, greed, and other all too familiar human failings. One innovative model, mindfulness, provides insight into the human dynamics of personal financial behaviors. This article ties together financial education, mindfulness techniques, and transtheoretical
stages of readiness. The impact of gradually introduced educational tasks is presented with an eye toward clients’ stages of readiness, and mindfulness addresses the emotional burdens of altering a financially profligate lifestyle.

See another publication
Smith, T. E., Richards, K. V., & Shelton, V. M. (2015). The language of money. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. DOI: 10.1080/10911359.2015.1083503

This paper examines the relationship of personal finance in the use of applied narratives to couples. It builds on behavioral economics as the undergirding of narratives about financial literacy. It describes the stages of readiness for change to couples with conflicts around the management of personal finance. The authors argue that the couples’ conflicts about personal financial behaviors are a proxy of underlying problematic narratives in their intimacy. The use of a narrative-based theory base addresses the how personal finances are used to control relationships.

See the latest publication
Smith, T. E., Richards, K. V., & Shelton, V. M. (2015). Solution-focused financial therapy with couples. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.

Conflicts over finances are a key reason why marital relationships dissolve. Financial literacy interventions provide a strategy to ameliorate this conflict. Because financial literacy interventions have a mixed history of success, a new model of financial counseling is presented. The model described in this paper has three components: Transtheoretical Stages of Readiness for Change, solution-focused therapeutic techniques in negotiating the stages of change, and a five step model of financial therapy. Implications for refining the practice model are given.

"Three Interventions for Financial Therapy" by Rebekah J. Nelson, Thomas E. Smith et al.

See one of our latest articles below published in the Journal of Financial Therapy:

"Three Interventions for Financial Therapy" by Rebekah J. Nelson, Thomas E. Smith et al. Three interventions that address the emotional components of handling finances are proposed. Drawn from a stepwise model of financial therapy, the three interventions introduced here have the specific aim of incorporating the emotional attributes of traditional financial behaviors and beliefs. First…

6 Top Motivations That Drive The Best Entrepreneurs

We understand that what we're doing at the Financial Therapy Center is unique. While other financial planners are focused on the bottom line, we're focused on relationships: your relationship with money, your relationship with your spouse/partner, your relationship with your children/grandchildren, and your social network. Personal growth is just as important as growing your money.

We are driven by Making a Difference and by Helping YOU to Achieve your goals. http://financialtherapycenter.com

6 Top Motivations That Drive The Best Entrepreneurs In my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. Everyone seems to espouse extrinsic motivations, such as getting rich, having power, and fulfilling parent dreams, when in fact a focus on satisfying interna…

Meet the Director of the Financial Therapy Center, Dr. Thomas Smith, pictured with his talented wife, Dr. Pamela Valentine. Dr. Smith offers a wealth of experience in marriage and family therapy and has been published widely in social work, psychology, and family therapy journals. He formerly served as a Director of a Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education Institute in Milwaukee, WI. He's currently a Professor in the College of Social Work at Florida State University.

Read more here: http://financialtherapycenter.com/

Finance and Freud

Did you happen catch CNBC's "On the Money" on Friday?
Financial Therapy was FEATURED!
The American Psychological Association suggests that money is a #1 source of stress in our lives! How can we help you or someone you love? Email us at [email protected] OR visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

Finance and Freud For some, money woes could point to other underlying problems. That¿s where financial therapists come in. Personal Finance Correspondent Sharon Epperson reports on how taking a deeper look into your financial well-being could boost your wealth and health.

We've reached 200+ Likes, and it's great to have your support!
Watch our website develop at http://financialtherapycenter.com/
Be sure to click our Services tab to see how we can help YOU!
What's Your Money Story?

Help us get to 200 "likes" this week.
Invite your friends to like Financial Therapy Center.
And be sure to visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

Don't let another year go by without taking charge of your financial future. No matter what your age, we're here to help!
What's Your Money Story?
Visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

Did you know?!?! Financial Therapy Center uses web-based technology to meet with our clients face-to-face. So whether you're located in Tallahassee, Seattle, Des Moines, or Philadelphia--we've got you covered.

Let us help you ensure a happy ending to Your Money Story today!
Visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

We can help you Make a Big Splash!
What's Your Money Story?
Visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

I want to go to college someday.
Will there be enough savings in my college fund?
What's Your Money Story?
Visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

A money argument on Valentine's Day 2008 threatened to break us up. Instead, we decided to break up with debt.
What's Your Money Story?
Visit us at http://financialtherapycenter.com/

Timeline photos

We've been working hard at the Financial Therapy Center to ensure success for our clients, in-house therapists, and consulting therapists. We're eager to roll out a comprehensive package of products and services to better enhance your overall experience! We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
Feel free to contact us a [email protected]

Financial Video Games: A Financial Literacy Tool for Social Workers | Richards | International...

Our latest article on video games as a financial literacy tool.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijsw.v2i1.7130
enjoy

Financial Video Games: A Financial Literacy Tool for Social Workers | Richards | International... Financial Video Games: A Financial Literacy Tool for Social Workers

Sirens’ Call: Understanding Poor Financial Decision Making and Credit Card Misuse

Our most recent article - Sirens’ Call: Understanding Poor Financial Decision Making and Credit Card Misuse http://t.co/E99KQ0QTvz

Sirens’ Call: Understanding Poor Financial Decision Making and Credit Card Misuse Sirens’ Call: Understanding Poor Financial Decision Making and Credit Card Misuse. . ???aop.label???. doi: 10.1080/10911359.2015.1039156

Time and Money

Newest Blog Post
http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/time-and-money/

Time and Money These past several months have been pretty hectic for me. Two part-time jobs, a part-time internship, two classes, research projects... And a husband and dog at home :) That is what my January-Apri...

Can money create security?

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/can-money-create-security/

Can money create security? There's a theory called attachment theory. It has its beginnings about 59 years ago or so. But that's not important. What is important is whether money can create security in a couple's relation...

Men's Praise

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/mens-praise/

Men's Praise My wife heard a sermon the other day; wish that I had been there. It had a lot of good stuff but one thing stood out. "Money is the root of all evil" actually it's the "Love of money is the root...

Getting rid of stuff
May 24, 2013
I was sorting stuff for a yard sale (i.e., bad day: no one came!) and thought about it’s time to get rid of stuff. I realized that my carefully acquired pile of stuff was just a pile of stuff. So. . .I went through and started to get rid of all sorts of stuff. It was a freeing feeling to empty closets but also to think about the stuff that I was giving away. It was poignant and I had some good memories of the stuff. I took pictures of the pile of stuff and decided that it much easier to store pictures of stuff versus the stuff itself. My goal is to create a “thinking room” that is empty enough not to be distracted by stuff. I can keep the pictures there. Wish me luck. TS

It's lonely out here in the financial wasteland. Let me know of how you "evil" you are, or what doesn't work or all that "deathly debt" My guess is that everyone has a good story. . .or a good confession. TS

Evil, evil

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/evil-evil/

Evil, evil Are you a saint? Me, closer to being a financial sinner. Well, if truth be know, I'm probably a sinner in other ways as well. What's a financial sinner? Well, let's go back to the last thing th...

It's Doesn't Always Work

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/its-doesnt-always-work/

It's Doesn't Always Work Life throws us strange curves. But sometimes not so crazy. What worked in the past just isn't so great now. "A penny saved is a penny earned." But there are a couple ways of looking at that sta...

Timeline photos

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/deathly-debt/

Deathly Debt

http://financialtherapycenter.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/deathly-debt/

Deathly Debt A client came in the other day with lots of debt. She was a chipper elderly person and was positive about life. We talked about her debt which was in tens of thousands of dollars. She already ha...