Is There Such Thing As Financial Healing?
Is There Such Thing As Financial Healing?
How And When To Initiate It
“The first step to solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist” - Unknown
There is some confusion around the proper attribution to the above quote however it’s an often used idiom that makes a lot of sense in financial education and wellness. With regard specifically to financial trauma, it can be tough to hold up the mirror that is introspection and face the experiences, habits, and maintained beliefs that surface through not only financial trauma but any trauma.
Hear me well; you cannot out earn your financial traumas, bad habits, or limiting beliefs when it comes to money. That is why this work is simultaneously so crucial yet often ignored. Many of us don’t have the vocabulary to name the invisible obstacles that impact the ways in which we interact with money.
We learn as we go.
We read books, take courses, attend seminars and workshops. We scroll social media, run the rat race, and try to find happiness in THINGS or lavish experiences. No matter how much we make, it seems that it’s never enough.
Have you stopped to consider that participating in consumerism is a traumatic experience in and of itself? And no, this is not a conversation about bashing capitalism. It’s acknowledging that even the billionaire class has to play this game that causes financial anxiety and financial trauma every second of every day.
So how do we heal?
More importantly than the how, I believe is WHEN. We begin to heal once we acknowledge that there is something to heal from. It’s the painful realization that there are levels to this and that level one is simply the fact that it costs money to be brought into this world, to maintain your existence on the planet, and it even costs money to die. That compounded by things like social class, access to basic needs like housing and clean water, access to education, jobs you’re eligible for, and even racial trauma make the experience one that requires deeper healing work; but it is possible.
It’s just not automatic.
If you’re subscribed to this newsletter then chances are you’ve either already started or are ready to start your healing journey. You are aware that financial trauma exists and may have begun to look at how and where that shows up in your own life. Congratulations! Your “when” is now.
And as much as I’d like it to be, this is not an exhaustive resource on financial trauma. So I cover the first part of healing in the “3 E” structure by giving you exposure or making you aware of a thing.
The Three E’s
The first E in the 3 E’s is exposure. Next is education and that’s a learning journey we are on together. I share what I learn or experience and you share with others (hopefully). We talk in the newly activated chat room environment, you listen to the stories of regular people on my podcast, and you do a bit of independent study on cases that most resonate with you.
Last and most importantly is execution. This is where you take what you’ve learned and have been exposed to and you apply it in real life. This can be done alone or it can require a bit of handholding. The great thing about that is that there are coaches like myself, financial counselors, financial therapists and others to help you through that process so that you aren’t alone.
In fact, part of the paid subscription to this newsletter gives you access to office hours once a month, and becoming a founding member gives you a 1 hour coaching session with me at a fraction of my normal rate.
Not An Easy Pill To Swallow
Financial healing is not a magical solution that can be bottled up and mass produced. It’s highly intimate, and it’s an ongoing journey. Even in understanding what financial trauma is, acquiring a financial education, and working with a financial professional, you STILL have to make the choice everyday to heal— because as I shared above your existence is financially traumatic. It’s like exercising your body or getting an oil change—it requires work. And maybe that does sound depressing because we are taught to address the symptoms of an issue rather than the issue itself. So easier to avoid or ignore the things that need work until they appear to need work.
If you’ve enjoyed any of my posts please share and encourage others to subscribe. It makes my day when I get notifications that someone liked or commented on the post itself, although I’m certainly open to email responses that aren’t so public. Consider subscribing to the paid version of the subscription as well as it helps to support me in this work and gives me an opportunity to add even more value to you. Also let me know what you don’t like, what you want more of, and suggestions around topics and themes for the future. If you have stories you’d like to share anonymously for me to give feedback on feel free to share those with me as well, in fact I encourage it! Lastly don’t forget to check out and rate the podcast.
Thank you always,
Rahkim