In-Person in Largo, MD | Online Across DC, MD & VA
Therapy for Toxic Money Patterns & Money Trauma
Because how you spend—and how you save—is never just about money.
When money feels like pressure—not peace.
You check your bank account more than you check in with yourself.
You’re either gripping every dollar like your life depends on it, or spending just to feel something.
You buy the books, take the courses, follow the finance influencers—but something deeper keeps sabotaging your progress.
You overwork to feel secure… and still worry it’s not enough.
You give too much to others and then resent the imbalance.
You hide your spending habits from your partner—or feel guilty for having more than your family did.
You feel shame after shopping. Or guilt when saving.
Or both.
And if you were raised with scarcity, financial trauma, or pressure to “make it out,” you may be carrying beliefs that say your safety, love, or belonging are tied to your financial behavior.
Toxic money patterns aren’t just about poor budgeting or overspending.
They’re survival strategies dressed up as success, hustle, or control.
But they affect everything:
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- Your health, because stress is always humming in the background
- Your relationships, where resentment, avoidance, or power struggles show up
- Your career, where you feel stuck, underpaid, or scared to walk away
- Your self-worth, which you secretly tie to your earning, giving, or saving habits
It’s not “just money.”
It’s your nervous system. Your lineage. Your identity.
And it’s time to heal the root.
It’s not about the money—it’s about the meaning.
Imagine looking at your bank statement without spiraling into guilt or panic.
Saying “yes” to something you want—not because you need to prove you’re generous, but because you’re allowed to receive too.
Turning down work, help, or family obligations without questioning your worth.
Not freezing when it’s time to invest in yourself.
Not chasing the next win because you think finally you’ll feel secure.
You’re not working harder to outrun a scarcity mindset—you’re building trust with yourself.
You make decisions that feel grounded, aligned, and nourishing—not reactive.
You start seeing money as a tool—not a test of your value.
We’ll start by getting curious about your money story—what you were taught, what you inherited emotionally, and what you’ve internalized.
You’ll learn to spot the patterns of over-giving, financial avoidance, perfectionistic saving, or shame spending without judging yourself.
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we’ll reframe the beliefs that keep you in fear or guilt. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) will help calm the nervous system when money stress hijacks your body and clear any emotional or energetic blocks you have around money.
Through Financial Social Work, we’ll also explore the connection between your financial behaviors and your emotional well-being—bringing practical strategies and emotional healing together.
This is sacred, root-level work. Not just “fixing your finances”—but finally feeling safe to live fully, freely, and in alignment with your values.
Therapy for Stress & Burnout can help you…
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- Identify the hidden roots of your overwhelm—so stress stops running the show
- Reconnect with your body’s signals before burnout takes the wheel
- Release internalized pressure to constantly perform, prove, or perfect
- Rebuild emotional safety so rest, joy, and saying “no” no longer feel like threats
- Create new patterns of living that support peace, not just productivity
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Together, we’ll rebuild a nervous system that doesn’t confuse burnout with success.
FAQ's
Q: What do “toxic money patterns” even mean?
A: These are behaviors or beliefs around money that keep you stuck in guilt, fear, or burnout—like chronic overgiving, avoiding your finances, tying your worth to your income, or feeling unsafe saving or spending. They’re often learned, inherited, or trauma-driven—and totally healable.
Q: Is this therapy or financial advising?
A: This is therapy. We’re not crunching numbers—we’re exploring the emotions, beliefs, and patterns that shape how you think and feel about money. We address the root causes of financial stress so you can build lasting change from the inside out.
Q: I make good money. Do I really need help with this?
A: Financial success doesn’t mean emotional peace. Many high earners still struggle with anxiety, guilt, or scarcity because of past experiences, family pressure, or deeply ingrained beliefs. Therapy helps you create alignment—not just income.
Q: Can I talk about financial trauma or family dynamics here?
A: Absolutely. We can explore everything from childhood poverty or wealth guilt, to cultural or first-generation pressures, to conflict with partners or family over money. No topic is off-limits, and no shame is allowed in the room.
Methods
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
As a clinician trained in the clinical application of EFT, I use tapping to help clients clear energetic and emotional blocks related to money. EFT is especially effective in calming the nervous system when anxiety, panic, or deep-rooted money shame arise. Whether your fear is about spending, saving, charging what you’re worth, or just being seen, EFT supports emotional regulation and lasting release.
Financial Therapy
This evidence-based approach explores the emotional, relational, and behavioral sides of money—not just the dollars and cents. We’ll look at how your financial choices are connected to your past, your identity, and your sense of worth. With this method, we create a path toward sustainable behavior change, rooted in self-awareness and self-compassion—not shame.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you challenge and reframe the thoughts that keep you stuck in shame, fear, or scarcity. Whether it’s “I’ll never have enough” or “I’m bad with money,” we’ll uncover the beliefs running beneath your financial behaviors—and replace them with ones that support emotional and financial wellness.
It’s not “just money”—it’s your story, your safety, your freedom.
You’ve worked hard to get where you are.
But if money still feels like a source of stress, conflict, or confusion… you deserve support that helps you feel grounded, not judged.
You don’t have to keep untangling this alone.