A wealth therapist is not a financial advisor or lawyer. I’m not here to discuss with you how to invest your money, nor how to spend it. My interest is in how coming into wealth impacts you as a whole human being, how it affects you psychologically and emotionally and how you are able to integrate the complex concept of wealth-holding into your consciousness.
Change is hard
Phases of transition in our lives create stress and overwhelm. We’re creatures of habit, us humans, so change – good or bad – shakes us up to some degree.
It’s undeniable that money plays a core role in our psyche – it’s attached to value, and what, after all, is value?
It’s not easy to put your finger on it with a definition, because it’s a slippery concept that lives and moves. And so the sudden acquisition of wealth can elicit all sorts of long-buried issues connected to value, on many deep levels.
A wealth counsellor is there to support this challenging transition and help clients to make choices that reflect their values. Part of the point of therapy, after all, is to help people see things through a different prism.
Feelings of guilt, shame, fear of being judged, not fitting in, and isolation can accompany wealth. And these feelings can become debilitating, potentially leading to depression and anxiety. While wealth comes with advantages, it comes with complexities and challenges that are outside of the mainstream human experience.
Wealth and disconnection
In my experience as a wealth counsellor, I’ve seen my clients experience isolating and intensely confronting situations made more complicated by wealth, particularly in cases where wealth is acquired suddenly. This might be through an inheritance or selling a business, for example.
Two main themes that tend to emerge from client conversations are meaning and purpose. When we delve into those, there is often a direct connection with self-worth and self-belief, which can then trigger an existential crisis.
Money can disconnect people.
It can change relationships and relationship dynamics. It can create social awkwardness as the wealthy person feels set apart.
It’s not uncommon to then see old friends or family members added onto the payroll, which, while well intentioned, naturally creates its own relationship complexity.
The context of sessions with my clients revolves around the impact that their wealth has on them.
I look at their core values, who they wanted to be as children and what may be blocking them now. Power dynamics, relationships, isolation, control, family, and identity are just some of the themes that are wrapped around wealth, and these issues are nothing new.
They’re just augmented by the onset of wealth. So wherever the discussions we have take us, they are always held within the perspective of how their wealth is affecting them.
The benefits of having the support of a wealth counsellor are that they are a neutral, objective party, with no motive.
It’s a confidential and safe environment with no judgement, and a warm and welcoming human connection. By providing tailored care, we’re able to provide the right tools to chart a way forward that positively supports mental health, integrating wealth with core values.