Anxieties are rising across the nation in nearly every facet of daily life. If Americans aren’t being convinced to worry about the climate, they are being coerced into believing they are racist, homophobic, in mortal danger from a former president, and financially better off than their bank accounts indicate.
Fear-mongering has been the basis of Democratic ideology for decades. Under President Joe Biden, however, these fears are reaching new levels and hitting Americans in ways never before seen.
Take, for instance, the need for so-called “climate therapists.” Climate therapy has been around for several decades, historically used by an unhinged few who believed the world would end in a fiery explosion of plastic bags and unrecycled cardboard. But in the wake of progressive alarmism, more emotionally susceptible Americans are feeling helpless and overwhelmed by climate change, and the “need” for this bizarre psychiatric specialty has risen abruptly since 2022.
If you can think of it, there’s a therapist who “specializes” in it.
As more Americans are drowning in debt, financial insecurity wreaks havoc on emotions and bank accounts. It’s unlikely to ease while Biden controls the White House, but fear not – paying someone to listen to your concerns about money is the latest growing trend in psychology.
It’s a “science” created to address a real problem. Among those who experience negative effects on their mental well-being due to financial issues, 65% attribute it to inflation and rising prices, while 59% point to the cost of daily expenses like groceries and utilities. Gen Xers are particularly affected, with 54% of individuals aged 44-59 reporting that money negatively influences their mental health, the highest rate among all generations.
The idea of financial therapists has existed since 2009, gaining a foothold under the last disastrously painful Democratic presidential rule. The trend of financial therapy is growing as more Americans seek mental health care to develop coping strategies for anxiety, depression, and other conditions. According to the CDC, 12.6% of U.S. adults sought counseling from a mental health professional in 2022, an increase from 9.5% in 2019.
The Financial Therapy Association (FTA) now has about 80 members providing financial therapy or non-clinical guidance, specializing in layoffs, sudden wealth, budgeting, insurance, retirement, and “financial trauma.”
Patients can expect to pay between $100 and $250 an hour to tell a professional how money worries adversely affect them.
It’s important to note that these therapists do not provide financial planning help. They merely listen as patients describe how their financial ruin has made them anxious about losing the luxuries they once enjoyed, like food and housing, in Biden’s America. Instead of offering concrete help to patients experiencing financial anxiety, they may provide a professional “there, there” and helpful advice like “stop feeling bad for spending money to feed your family.”
Financial therapists claim to assist patients in resolving financial trauma by offering therapeutic guidance. They can help identify and address financial stressors, like inflation and the cost of financial therapy.
Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist from Michigan, explains that her role focuses less on managing money and more on understanding the emotions linked to money. She claims that financial therapy helps people understand how emotions, psychology, and systems affect their financial decisions and guides them to make choices that feel right for them.
The homework required before a financial therapist visit is similar to preparing a personal budget. In fact, it’s identical and, surprisingly, free.
Start by creating or updating your budget, listing your monthly bills, debt repayments, insurance, and other expenses to get an overview of your spending. Next, write down your debts and assets, including credit cards, student loans, medical debts, and the value of your home, retirement accounts, or savings.
Subtracting your debt from your assets will give you your net worth, offering a clear financial picture. Finally, consider your financial goals, such as buying a house, getting married, or paying off debt. Listing short-term and long-term goals can help you stay focused and motivated.
Now that your budget is laid out, take the financial therapist’s number and throw it away. You can save an estimated $250 a week by not scheduling the appointment. Feeling financial anxiety is normal, and the best therapy to address it is taking charge of your own finances.