Why Money Is Still a Taboo Topic for Psychotherapists: And Why it Doesn’t Have to Be
As therapists, we hold space for the full spectrum of human emotion. We talk about grief, rage, shame, trauma, pleasure, and fear. And yet, there’s one topic many of us still avoid: money. We may talk around it: setting a fee, handling cancellations, or offering a sliding scale. But rarely do we look inward at our own emotional relationship with money.
What did you learn about money growing up?
When you set your fees, what feelings arise?
Do you feel resentment, guilt, confusion—or calm when you consider the very real, transactional nature of money?
These questions aren’t just for our clients.
They’re for us, too.
Why It’s So Hard for Therapists to Talk About Money
Most of us were trained to be ethical, generous, attuned, and self-sacrificing. The helping professions have long been shaped by messages like:
“If you care, you shouldn’t charge too much.”
“Therapists aren’t in it for the money.”
“Success means selling out.”
At the same time, we live in a world where money shapes our lives in very real ways: housing, retirement, healthcare, even our capacity to say yes or no to clients. And yet, even with their financial realities, many therapists, undercharge, or over-give, feel conflicted or anxious about raising fees, feel like a retirement savings isn’t possible, and carry shame around debt, spending, or “wanting more financial security”.
Your Money History Matters
Just like we explore our clients’ early attachment experiences, we also carry a personal money history—the beliefs and patterns we absorbed from caregivers, culture, religion, and a myriad of other factors – both directly and indirectly. Ask yourself: Was money a source of stress or safety? Was it linked with power, silence, or struggle? Were you praised for saving, or judged for spending? Left unexamined, these narratives can quietly drive how we run our practices and relate to money today. On average we can carry between 50 and 100 unconscious beliefs about money that guides our decisions and our behaviors.
Doing Your Own Work
For psychotherapists, learning about their relationship with money is not about budgeting apps or business coaching (though those can be helpful at the right time and place). The education and the application are about creating:
Awareness of your inherited money stories
Agency to make choices that serve you
Compassion for the emotions tied to money
Understanding of why you made the choices you did
Clarity about next steps to take that work for you
In this work, you might explore fee guilt, unlerearning patterns, scarcity beliefs, boundaries around time, money, and energy. This work is less about spreadsheets and more about integrity—living in alignment with your values and your needs.
You Deserve a Practice That Supports You.
Not just emotionally or spiritually—but financially. That’s not greed. That’s sustainability. That’s avoiding burning-out. When your practice supports you, you can support your clients with greater clarity, capacity, and care.
Ready to Begin?
If you’re a therapist ready to explore your relationship with money in a shame-free, I’d love to work with you.
Join the Money & Meaning Group Here
or
Book a free 15-minute consultation