Mind over Money

Author Q&A

Who is this book written for?

We wrote this book for people who are dissatisfied with their relationship with money. Perhaps they overspend, undersave, are anxious about money, or depressed about their financial situation. Many of them know what they should be doing with their money, but just can’t seem to make it happen.
 
What are the most common money disorders that you treat?

Overspending is a common problem, as well as excessive risk-taking, financial enabling, financial dependency, financial denial, wealth avoidance, and hoarding.

How is today’s economy impacting the mindset of the typical American?

The economic crisis has been traumatic for many Americans. At the same time, it offers an exciting opportunity for us to examine our relationship with money and overcome our self-defeating money beliefs and behaviors. Prior to the crisis, the average American household had a savings rate of -0.5% and over $10,000 in credit card debt. While there are aspects of the economy we can’t control, the current crisis is awakening Americans to the role they have played in their financial stresses.
 
What’s the first step in overcoming a money disorder?

When we are experiencing financial stress, it is much easier to externalize the blame—a struggling economy, a tanking housing market, predatory lending practices, etc. It’s much more difficult to acknowledge the part we play in the mess, but therein lays the key to improving our financial health. To overcome our money disorders we must acknowledge the role we play. Our financial difficulties do not stem from our being lazy, crazy, greedy, or stupid. They are the result of psychological forces that lie beneath our conscious awareness with roots that run deep into our past. Discovering this link is a key component of transforming our financial lives.