Financial Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice

Money-related stress dates as far back as concepts of money itself. Formerly it may have waxed and waned in tune with the economy, but today more individuals are experiencing financial mental anguish and self-destructive behavior regardless of bull or bear markets, recessions or boom periods. From a fringe area of psychology, financial therapy has emerged to meet increasingly salient concerns.

Financial Therapy is the first full-length guide to the field, bridging theory, practical methods, and a growing cross-disciplinary evidence base to create a framework for improving this crucial aspect of clients’ lives. Its contributors identify money-based disorders such as compulsive buying, financial hoarding, and workaholism, and analyze typical early experiences and the resulting mental constructs ("money scripts") that drive toxic relationships with money. Clearly relating financial stability to larger therapeutic goals, therapists from varied perspectives offer practical tools for assessment and intervention, advise on cultural and ethical considerations, and provide instructive case studies. A diverse palette of research-based and practice-based models meets monetary mental health issues with well-known treatment approaches, among them:

• Cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused therapies.
• Collaborative relationship models.
• Experiential approaches.
• Psychodynamic financial therapy.
• Feminist and humanistic approaches.

Stages of change and motivational interviewing in financial therapy.

A text that serves to introduce and define the field as well as plan for its future, Financial Therapy is an important investment for professionals in psychotherapy and counseling, family therapy, financial planning, and social policy.

Brad T. Klontz, Psy.D., CFP® is an Associate Professor at Kansas State University and a Managing Partner at Occidental Asset Management (OCCAM), LLC. He is a financial psychologist, keynote speaker, researcher, and author. Dr. Klontz is a former President of the Hawaii Psychological Association, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), and was awarded an Innovative Practice Presidential Citation from APA for his application of psychological interventions to help people with money and wealth issues and his innovative practice in financial psychology for practitioners across the country. Dr. Klontz is a frequent contributor to professional journals and magazines and is on the editorial review boards of Psychological Services and the Journal of Financial Therapy. With his father, Ted Klontz, Ph.D., Dr. Klontz has co-authored four other books on financial psychology: Mind Over Money: Overcoming the Money Disorders that Threaten Our Financial Health (Crown Business, 2009), Wired for Wealth: Change the Money Mindsets That Keep You Trapped and Unleash Your Wealth Potential (Health Communications, 2008), The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge: 5 Principles to Transform Your Relationship with Money (Health Communications, 2006), and Facilitating Financial Health: Tools for Financial Planners, Coaches, and Therapists (National Underwriters Company, 2008). Dr. Klontz’s work has been featured on ABC News’ 20/20, Good

Morning America, CBS News, and NPR, and is frequently featured in print media including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Kiplinger’s, Money Magazine, and others.

Sonya L. Britt, Ph.D., CFP® is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University. As founding president of the Financial Therapy Association, Dr. Britt enjoys the opportunity to combine her skills in marriage and family therapy (M.S.) with her talents in financial planning (Ph.D.). Dr. Britt is known for her groundbreaking research in physiological assessment of stress in the financial planning and counseling setting. Dr. Britt’s other research interests include money issues within marriage, predictors of money arguments and their influence on relationship satisfaction and divorce, effectiveness of financial literacy efforts, and assessment of money beliefs and behaviors in the financial planning and counseling setting. Dr. Britt’s research has been featured in Kiplinger’s, InvestmentNews, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and many other outlets. Dr. Britt attended the Child and Youth Finance International Financial Literacy Summit held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in April 2012 where she shared her experiences and research in financial literacy of young people. Dr. Britt co- edited a book with Dr. Dottie Durband, Student Financial Li

teracy: Campus-Based Program Development (published by Springer), which leads readers through the process of developing or enhancing financial literacy programs for college students. Dr. Britt serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Family and Economic Issues and the Journal of Financial Therapy in addition to serving as a regular journal reviewer for other academic journals.

Kristy L. Archuleta, Ph.D., LMFT is an Associate Professor in Personal Financial Planning and the Director of the Institute of Personal Financial Planning Clinic at Kansas State University. Dr. Archuleta is a nationally and internationally recognized researcher and financial therapist with backgrounds in both personal finance and marriage and family therapy. She aims to bridge the gaps between interpersonal and intrapersonal factors and personal finance in research and practice. Dr. Archuleta co-founded the Financial Therapy Association, Journal of Financial Therapy, Institute of Personal Financial Planning Clinic, and Women Managing the Farm. She currently serves as the President-Elect and Treasurer of the Financial Therapy Association and is the editor of the FTA’s scholarly journal, Journal of Financial Therapy. Dr. Archuleta, co-edited the Financial Planning and Scales, the first and only book of its kind geared for the academic community. Dr. Archuleta and her team of students were awarded “Outstanding Paper” at the Financial Therapy Assoc

iation conference, recognizing their seminal work of developing a conceptual framework of financial therapy. Dr. Archuleta is a recipient of the Myers-Alford Outstanding Teaching Award in the College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Archuleta’s work has been featured in Glamour, Parade, Korean Journal of Financial Planning, NPR Marketplace, Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, CBS Money Watch, Kansas City Star, Investment News, frobes.com, onenewsnow.com, usatoday.net, and filife.com, and Mid-America Ag Network among others. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Archuleta is a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist in Manhattan, KS.