The Financial Therapy Podcast - It's Not Just About The Money – Details, episodes & analysis

Our financial choices aren’t just about dollars and cents—they’re shaped by the stories we believe about money, called money scripts. In this video, Rick Kahler explores how these scripts, passed down through generations, influence everything from saving to spending. Joined by Enneagram expert Joan Ryan, the conversation delves into how personality types add a fascinating layer to our financial habits. Whether you're a Type Three overspending to impress or a Type Nine avoiding budgets to keep the peace, understanding these patterns is key to rewriting your financial story. Awareness is the first step to lasting change!

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Rick Kahler uses a vivid boardroom metaphor to show how clashing internal financial parts of you, like a strict Project Manager, cautious Risk Manager, and bold Entrepreneur—can create chaos in your financial life. Without your calm, capable CEO (the Self) leading, these parts clash, leading to stress and indecision. This episode explores how to identify these financial “managers,” understand their roles, and unblend from their extreme behaviors. By unlocking the Self, you can harmonize these parts, making thoughtful, balanced money decisions and reclaiming leadership of your financial life."

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

In this podcast episode, we're diving into the critical role that emotional intelligence (EQ) plays in your financial success. Understanding and managing your emotions is key to making smart money decisions, and we're here to help you assess where you stand. We’ll explore ten definitive ways to evaluate your EQ, from recognizing emotions, emotional regulation, relationship health, and handling criticism, they all have an impact on your financial well-being.  Whether you’re struggling with sticking to a budget or feeling swayed by others’ financial opinions, these insights will guide you in identifying areas for growth. Tune in to discover how boosting your EQ can lead to more confident and effective financial decision-making.

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Transparency is a highly valued attribute that extends to individuals, businesses, and government.  It is often touted, routinely promised, and often undelivered.  How many political candidates have promised to be the most transparent office holder ever, only to actually deliver the complete opposite?  The same is true of companies and individuals, promising to be transparent only to deliver opaqueness.  When it comes to promising transparency, it often seems the more a person or company touts it, the higher the probability it will not be delivered.  Perhaps Shakespeare’s famous line from Hamlet, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" is a fitting warning.

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

In my experience, IFS Informed Financial Therapy is one of the more effective methodologies in helping clients resolve money issues. The power of the IFS protocol was demonstrated in my recorded conversation with Dr. Helen E. Lees, editor of PARTS & SELF, the international voice of the IFS Foundation. Because this was a type of interview with me, the session was not a normal IFS Session and did not follow the standard IFS protocol. I’ve seen clients make progress much faster in resolving their money issues when financial therapy is combined with IFS, it still is normal that the process will take several months or longer. As with most therapy, there are not many “quick fixes.” That said, I was impressed with how quickly Helen worked through the whole process.

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Financial New Year’s resolutions are a common phenomenon this time of year—especially for anyone who overdid the holiday spending and who knows the new year is going to bring a new batch of credit card bills. Probably one of the most common financial resolutions is: “I’m going to make a budget and stick to it.” I’ve not written much on New Year’s Resolutions over my 30 plus years of writing a personal finance column.  Why?  Because “white knuckling” any meaningful behavioral change is rarely successful. 

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

With all the supply chain chaos, inflation, and uncertainty in the economy, this year is a perfect time to celebrate Christmas in the manner of Ebenezer Scrooge. Am I suggesting you celebrate Christmas like a cold-hearted skinflint? After all, Ebenezer Scrooge is probably the most famous miser in literary history. With the current economic uncertainty, most of us could logically support following his example of spending less, or even nothing, in uncertain financial times. 

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

In Part 2 of Rick’s discussion with Sonya, they discuss trauma and its impact on a person’s financial decisions. Sonya will also reveal the common denominator a person that suffers a significant loss in their lives is resiliency. The answer took Rick by complete surprise.

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Rick talks with Sonya Britt-Lutter who is one of the pioneers of financial therapy.  Sonya was the first “real” financial therapist I knew of to have formal training in financial planning and therapy.  Listen to her journey to becoming a founder of financial therapy, which included her turning down a position with Rick, getting a doctorate in financial planning, and becoming the first president of the Financial Therapy Association. 

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Tyler and Kristen wanted a modern four-bedroom house with a three-car garage within their price range.  They bought a 75-year-old three-bedroom fixer upper with a one car garage that was over their price range. Real estate agents have a saying that “buyers are liars.”  Are they really, or was there something deeper, more emotional driving their decision?

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.