Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 49
When to see a financial therapist (and where to start)
If money worries are a昀昀ec琀椀ng your sleep, rela琀椀onships, work performance or mood - or if
shame keeps you from seeking help - a 昀椀nancial therapist can be a very e昀昀ec琀椀ve op琀椀on. If
you’re in immediate 昀椀nancial hardship, free services such as the Na琀椀onal Debt Helpline can
connect you with an accredited 昀椀nancial counsellor (call 1800 007 007). Financial counsellors
and therapists play complementary roles: counsellors focus on crisis management and
nego琀椀a琀椀ons; 昀椀nancial therapists focus on long-term behaviour and emo琀椀onal drivers.
A note for employers and managers
Workplaces have a role to play. Financial wellbeing programs, early-access-to-pay, 昀椀nancial
educa琀椀on and con昀椀den琀椀al coaching reduce presenteeism and improve reten琀椀on. When
employers normalise conversa琀椀ons about money (without judgement), they o昀琀en see produc琀椀vity
and morale bene昀椀ts. People perform be琀琀er when they aren’t lying awake worrying about rent!
Money and mental health are two sides of the same coin.
Trea琀椀ng them separately is like trying to mend one shoe
while the other keeps falling apart. Financial therapy
accepts the messiness of life, the mistakes, the grief and
the weird comfort we some琀椀mes 昀椀nd in spending. It
o昀昀ers prac琀椀cal, human-centred tools to help people live
more securely and with less shame. If you’re struggling,
reaching out is a strength, not a failure.
Resources
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Your Workplace EAP provider
Beyond Blue Australia
Na琀椀onal Debt Helpline (Australia)
Financial Counselling Australia
If you’re feeling overwhelmed,
you don’t have to face it alone. If
there’s immediate danger, call
000. For confidential crisis
support any time, call Lifeline on
13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
