Need a therapist who talks about money

I need a financial therapist, of sorts. I am going to be trying to speak frankly with my brothers about their overuse of our elderly mother's finances, and need to clarify my own feelings before I speak to them. Of the four adult children in our family, I am the only one with a financially self-sustaining lifestyle. The other three adult kids are all still heavily dependent on our parents' money. We have a financial advisor to work with, but I need to speak with a financially- oriented therapist who can help me work with my feelings about the fact that my own immediate family has a significantly higher income than my siblings and how that affects my sense of what I 'deserve' from my parents inheritance. There must be therapists out there who are particularly skilled in talking about financial issues. Thanks. Conflicted

Need a therapist in family and financial matters

My husband and I are having a lot of marriage problems and most of it is related to financial matters and communication. I am looking recommendations for a therapist in San Ramon/Dublin/Pleasanton area. If we cannot solve it, we will probably be divorcing and I really want to work out our differences for the sake of our 5 year old son. Thanks in advance. Anon

Linda Blackstone, LCSW (925)676-3054 has an office in Berkeley/Oakland border and Concord. She is great with individuals & couples also (doesn't necessarily specialize in financial issues). Both also do Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Give them both a call. I've recommended each of them to several people who really liked them. Good Luck

Do financial couples therapists exist?

I don't know if what I want is commonplace or fantasy, but my partner and I need help reconciling our very different core beliefs and values around money. We don't need just investment or budgeting advice, per se, but help in understanding how we are different and how we can work together to build a workable financial relationship. So we need someone with both financial savvy and communication/negotiation facilitation skills. I loved the 'money scripts' ideas presented in ''The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge'' and that kind of approach would be ideal. Of course, if they have the ability to only support my way as the right way, I won't complain... :). Any ideas? funny with money

My husband and I have very different approaches to finances - I feel best with a budget, and prefer to be cautious in our spending. My husband is generous and careless about finances, on the one hand, but also very emotionally bound up with spending decisions. We're making some headway on understanding each other's ways of approaching our finances, and also making some joint decisions about what matters to us most.

Her office is near the Glen Park BART station. If you decide to work with her, its best to have at least a couple of face to face meetings, and more can be done by phone. http://www.kathrynamenta.com ...an interesting time to be talking about money, now that we have much less of it!

Need a therapist to resolve financial disagreements

My spouse and I have been married for 18 years, together for over 20. We have ALWAYS disagreed about finances. I must admit that I'm not great with money. And because my husband completely flips out when he feels we're not managing it properly (read: I'm not managing it properly), we have been having huge arguments that often last several days. I love my husband and I know he loves me, but we can't get through this on our own. We need to meet with a therapist. But the problem is, therapists are expensive and we're just getting by. So, my question is ''can anyone recommend a good, inexpensive therapist near the Berkeley/Oakland Hills?'' We don't want to 'throw in the towel' so to speak, but the wedge keeps getting bigger and bigger. If I didn't think we had an excellent foundation to build on, I wouldn't look for a therapist (expensive or otherwise), I'd be looking for a divorce attorney. We want to make this work

Financial planner for couple with money disagreements

My husband and I have been married 22 years. Embarrassingly long to still have so many issues. We have had money disagreements/problems our entire marriage, but we're now in our 50's and this is ridiculous. My gut feeling is I'd like to find someone to look at our money/spending/debt, put us on a budget, have us be accountable to that person. We are completely stuck. Please don't suggest therapy (we already have a second mortgage's worth we're still paying on). We love each other, are staying married, but can't seem to make progess. And we each think the other is ''wrong'' about how to do money. I was a stay at home mom for most of our marriage and let him be in charge. Now that I earn money, it doesn't seem to be much different. And, my husband is an engineer who deals with million dollar budgets so he thinks he knows all there is to know about money. Sigh. Any recommendations/advice appreciated. anon

Both of them are extremely knowledgeable in the fields of finance, lending, financial management, small business consulting and real estate. Brandi is the financial manager and she is outstanding. We came to her with the same issues you describe and having just received a small inheritance. We also run a small business. Because we differ in our attitudes about money, I was worried that we would squander what we just received. Plus we really need to start saving for retirement and get out of debt.

Brandi has helped us to sort out, prioritize and fulfill our financial goals, get a handle on our debt and grow our business. She is so reassuring, encouraging and a pleasure to be around. She responds quickly and with very useful information. You can reach them at 415-664-5884. They almost always answer the phone. Their cell is 925-354-3100.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to call me at 510-567-9559. Catherine

Seeking a Financial Planner/Therapist Combo

A long time ago, my husband and I received a very helpful consultation with a Berkeley woman named Michelle Martin; she was both a MFCC (therapist) and a financial planner. She helped us work out many financial ''issues'' on both an emotional and practical level. She doesn't seem to be around anymore. We would love to find someone like this; traditional therapists really do not have the financial expertise we are seeking; and financial planners do not have the same sensitivity to emotional and interpersonal issues. We would love to find a similar ''combo'' professional who could help us sort through some issues we are currently dealing with. Any recommendations would be welcomed Susan

Planner to help separate couple's finances

My husband and I are would like to untangle and separate our finances. Does anyone have a financial planner they really like? Ideally, we would like someone with alot of experience/knowlege who is clear, kind, focused and goal-oriented. It seems pretty straight forward but I do see where it could get sticky, so I suppose that they should be sensitive too. Also I am assuming knowlege of California family law will be needed. We would appreciate your input.
Untangling the Tangle

Financial advisor or couples therapist?

Here's an example of our situation: my husband thinks that we can't afford to do go anywhere and I, without much thought, can decide that we can afford that $10,000 dream vacation. I would like us to find someone who can help us understand exactly where we are financially, how we should plan for the future, and what we can spend in order to enjoy life right now. Is there a financial planner who has the skills of a couples counselor, or vice versa?
head in clouds or maybe not

I recommend Rick Prime at Financial Network. Rick is an exceptional listener and can analyze your financial portfolio to help you figure out what you can afford to do in the present and future given your current and expected earnings. He is very diplomatic and equally good at listening to each partner -- much like a couples counselor in his approach. On the other hand, he's very analytical and can put together a long-term financial plan that explains just what your options are in various scenarios, including retirement planning, investing for college, upgrading your living situation and simply enjoying life. He is well-traveled and very diligent about asking about your vacation, travel and recreational goals and incorporating them into his analysis. I think he charges around $1800 to do a full plan, which takes into account your objectives and interests and how you can best save for them. His plans are very detailed and thorough, a really valuable road map in understanding your financial situation. He also manages investments, of course. But it's his personal style and realistic approach that make him really terrific to work with. His phone number is 510/384-1009. His email is primer AT financialnetwork.com. A happy client

Looking for books/therapy for couples financial compatibility

My partner and I are looking for a couples counselor, workshop, group or reading material that can help us determine if we are financially compatible. Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville area. Thanks! anon

Financial advisor or couples therapist?

I'd like to know if there are any therapists in the east bay that specialize in counseling couples on financial matters. Ideally the person would be able to handle a garden variety of marital issues, but have specific expertise in they area of spending behaviors. Looking for someone who could give very practical advice on how to approach money responsibly while dealing with the causes of current, not-so-responsible, behaviors. Open to hearing recommendations from people who have undergone this kind of therapy, or from therpists themselves who specialize in this. Thanks.