How does your ADHD impact your financial life? In this collaboration with Everyone's Talkin' Money podcast, financial therapist Rachel Duncan sits down with Shari Rash, financial advisor and podcast host, to explore the unique challenges and surprising strengths that come with ADHD when managing money. Shari shares her personal experience as someone diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and how she's created systems that work with her brain, not against it.

💬 "I do this thing if I go to the store—I'll put the necessary stuff in one bag and then the extra stuff that I got on a whim in another bag. When I get home, I'm bringing the necessary bag into the house right away, and the other bag I'm keeping in my trunk. Depending on how long I keep it there tells me how much I really wanted it." - Shari Rash

Guest info:

Shari Rash is the co-host of Everyone's Talkin' Money podcast and a fiduciary financial planner at GWA Wealth who believes in holistic financial planning.

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Understanding ADHD and Dopamine [00:04:00 - 00:09:00] Rachel explains how dopamine affects reward-seeking behavior and how this can manifest in impulse shopping and the "thrill of the hunt" when researching purchases.

Time Blindness and ADHD Tax [00:11:00 - 00:17:00] Discussion of how ADHD-related time perception issues can lead to financial penalties and the importance of using calendars and reminders as management tools.

Hyperfocus and Executive Function [00:17:00 - 00:24:00] Exploration of how hyperfocus can be both a strength and challenge when it comes to managing finances, and the importance of automation to overcome executive function difficulties.

The Importance of Support Systems [00:24:00 - 00:29:00] Why trying to manage money alone with ADHD can be overwhelming and the value of finding appropriate support systems.

Making Money Management Boring (In a Good Way) [00:33:00 - 00:39:00] Discussion about how finding your "sparkle" elsewhere and making money management intentionally boring can be a strategy for success.

📋 ADHD Facets: Challenges and Strengths with Money

Dopamine Processing

Challenges: Impulse spending, reward-seeking behavior, difficulty starting tasks that aren't immediately rewarding

Strengths: Excellent researchers when interested, ability to "deep dive" into financial topics, enthusiasm and creativity when engaged

Time Blindness

Challenges: Missing deadlines, late fees (the "ADHD tax"), difficulty planning for future financial goals

Strengths: Present-focused awareness, ability to be fully immersed in the moment, potential for creative solutions under pressure

Executive Function

Challenges: Difficulty managing multiple financial tasks, forgetting bills, struggling with complex financial systems

Strengths: Ability to simplify overly complex systems, finding unconventional solutions to problems

Hyperfocus

Challenges: Getting so absorbed in one financial aspect that others are neglected, difficulty switching tasks

Strengths: Incredible productivity and attention to detail when interested, ability to master complex financial concepts quickly

All-or-Nothing Thinking

Challenges: Setting unrealistic financial goals, giving up if perfect compliance isn't possible

Strengths: Ambitious goal-setting, thinking outside conventional financial wisdom

🛠️ Shari's Life Hacks for ADHD and Money

Time Blocking on Calendar: Schedule specific times for financial tasks, breaking them into realistic chunks to avoid overestimating what can be accomplished, and creatively celebrate completion.

Just Say No to Store Credit Cards: Create a firm personal rule to decline all store credit card offers regardless of the one-time discount, avoiding complexity and potential forgotten payments.

Simplify Banking: Keep accounts consolidated rather than creating multiple accounts that increase complexity. Focus on clear "why" behind any separation of funds.

The Return Bag Hack: When shopping, separate necessary purchases from impulse buys into different bags. Leave impulse purchases in the car trunk with the receipt—if you forget about them, return them!

To-Do List Ritual: Write down every task, even small ones, and experience the dopamine hit of crossing items off. Crumpling and throwing away the completed list creates a satisfying sense of closure. Tip: Make your first task "finish writing to-do list!"

📚 Resources Mentioned

Everyone's Talkin' Money Podcast

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcasts

GWA Wealth (Shari's financial planning firm): gwawealth.com

💬 Join the Conversation 

Do you have ADHD? What money hacks have you found to help you manage money? We want to know and will make a follow-up episode! Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and let me know [specific question related to episode] https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen: 

https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/club

Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

Why does your partner's stress surface as money worries? Why is it that one of you have more comfort about money topics and the other avoids it? It's actually all rooted in attachment styles. Financial therapist Rachel Duncan sits down with Ed Coambs CFP (R), LMFT, CFT-I TM, MBA, a fellow financial therapist and planner and author of "The Healthy Love and Money Way," to explore how your past relational experiences shape your money interactions, from fighting, to avoiding, to repair. We begins with a listener question about a spouse whose anxiety shows up through financial concerns, then we dive deep into creating healthier money conversations with your partner, and in addition, yourself.

💬 "Their past relational experiences are what's shaping their money interactions. It's not the actual money itself, it's the meaning and relational experiences tied to the money that's shaping their reaction." - Ed Coambs

Key takeaways from the episode:

Your approach to money conflicts is often rooted in childhood attachment patterns

There is no financial security without relational security, even for single people

Most people have never witnessed a loving money conversation modeled for them

How you enter and exit money conversations significantly impacts their success

Guest info:

Ed Coambs CFP (R), LMFT, CFT-I TM, MBA is a financial therapist and financial planner who founded Healthy Love and Money. He and his team helps couples understand their money in ways that strengthen connection and collaboration, and authored "The Healthy Love and Money Way."

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

The GREAT Framework for Money Conversations [00:05:40 - 00:17:00] Ed introduces his framework (Greet, Remember, Empathy, Attachment, Thank you) for approaching difficult money conversations with your partner.

Relational Rupture and Repair [00:17:00 - 00:25:00] How relationships cycle through states of relating, rupture, and repair, and why many couples get stuck at the rupture stage with money talks.

Understanding Attachment Styles [00:32:00 - 00:39:10] The four attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, disorganized) and how they influence your financial behaviors and communication patterns.

Building Financial Security Through Relational Security [00:41:20 - 00:45:10] Why there can be no true financial security without first establishing relational security, both with yourself and your partner.

📚 Resources Mentioned

"The Healthy Love and Money Way" book by Ed Coambs

Take the attachment style & money quiz at healthyloveandmoney.com

Financial Therapy Association directory

Dr. John Gottman's research on relationships

"Why Won't You Apologize?" book (by Harriet Lerner)

💬 Join the Conversation

Have a story to share or question about money and relationships?! Please help me build a follow-up episode by leaving a voicemail! Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone! https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen:

Listen to Rachel and her husband discuss differences and similarities in their childhood financial experiences in S1 E6: 🌎How Culture Shapes Money: A Ukrainian Perspective

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

Do you feel shame discussing your money when you're worried about being judged for having too much or too little? We all do this mental gymnastics, and we're here to explore WHY we do it. I'm join by Hanna Horvath, CFP a certified financial planner and money psychology expert, about the complex relationship between money and identity. We talk about class perception, wealth signaling, lifestyle inflation, and the psychological gymnastics you (and we all) perform when discussing financial status with others.

💬 "For most people, money is a part of their identity, and it's a part of how they see the world and their values—an expression of their values. So when you start to unpack that, you really do see how money and wealth can be a way in which people present themselves to the world and want to be perceived." - Hanna Horvath CFP

Key takeaways from the episode:

Your financial behaviors are often driven by unconscious emotional factors rather than rational decision-making

People make remarkably accurate snap judgments about others' income based solely on a neutral photo of their face!

Social media has exacerbated lifestyle inflation and distorted your perception of "normal" financial status

Generational differences in financial experiences create significant communication gaps

Wealth is relative—your perception of your own financial status is heavily influenced by those around you

Guest info: Hanna Horvath is a certified financial planner and money psychology expert who explores how money shapes our identity, behaviors, and relationships through her Substack newsletter "Your Brain On Money" and social media channels.

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Money as Identity [00:02:00 - 00:08:00] Rachel and Hanna discuss how your financial decisions become wrapped up in your identity and how you code-switch depending on who you're talking to about money.

The Psychology of Wealth Perception [00:08:00 - 00:15:00] Research shows people can judge others' income level from photographs with a 68% accuracy, and how you subconsciously use "status signalers" to communicate your financial position.

Social Media and Lifestyle Inflation [00:15:00 - 00:25:00] How social media has accelerated lifestyle inflation by constantly exposing you to curated displays of wealth and consumption.

Generational Money Perspectives [00:25:00 - 00:36:00] Let's contrast the financial realities of different generations, particularly between Baby Boomers and Millennials, and how these differences shape your money narrative.

📚 Resources Mentioned

Do I Look Rich to You? - Hanna's article that started it all!

Hanna's Substack newsletter: "Your Brain On Money"

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbrain_onmoney/

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko

The Next Millionaire Next Door: Enduring Strategies for Building Wealth by Thomas J. Stanley & Sarah Stanley Fallaw  & Sarah Stanley Fallaw  

"Strangers in Paradise" by James Grubman, Ph.D

"Classy" NPR podcast by Benjamin Menjivar

Wall Street Journal article: "What Happens When a Generation Never Grows Up?"

💬 Join the Conversation 

What kind of "mental gymnastics" have you done to look either more wealthy or less wealthy? We've all been there and we'd love to hear your story for a future episode of the podcast. Leave us a private voicemail! Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen: S2 E4: 🔄 When budget culture meets diet culture w/ anti-diet dietician Lean Kern

💫 Use code PODCAST for 50% off your first month and start your money healing process! [H3]

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Rachel Duncan, Financial Therapist, and Leah Kern, RD, an anti-diet dietician from the Shoulders Down Podcast explore the striking parallels between budget culture and diet culture.

How do these two systems use similar tactics of restriction, shame, and unrealistic standards to keep us trapped in destructive cycles?

The conversation explores:

How both diet and budget culture are rooted in white patriarchy and privilege

The binge-restrict cycle that happens with both food and money

How understanding the "want beneath the want" can help break these cycles

Why shame is never an effective motivator for lasting change

💬 "It's not the money, it's the restriction."

Key takeaways from the episode:

Both budget culture and diet culture promise simple solutions but fail to address deeper emotional needs

The "f- it" moment happens in both cycles when restriction becomes unbearable

Progress isn't linear - healing your relationship with money or food means the magnitude and frequency of binges decreases over time

Often our spending or eating addresses an unmet need - identifying that "want beneath the want" is crucial

Creating micro-moments of pleasure throughout the day helps prevent end-of-day binges

Social media normalizes and even celebrates disordered relationships with both food and money

True healing often means rebelling against cultural norms and expectations

GUEST INFO

Leah Kern is an anti-diet dietician, certified intuitive eating counselor, and host of the "Shoulders Down" podcast. She helps people heal their relationship with food and body through intuitive eating principles and challenging diet culture.

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

[00:15:08] The binge-restrict cycle and how it applies to both money and food

[00:23:00] The "want beneath the want" - identifying deeper needs behind impulse spending

[00:42:16] Discussion about addiction - parallels and differences with food and money

[00:53:46] The impact of social media and "hauls" on our relationship with money

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED

Leah Kern RD - Intuitive Eating Starter Pack

The Year of Less - Memoir about overcoming shopping addiction

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy approach

Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski - Discussion of the stress cycle

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Send us your stories of consumer culture, diet culture, and budget culture showing up in ads, marketing or other messaging! We'll collect stories for an upcoming episode of the pod. Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and leave a voicemail sharing your experience. https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen:

S1 E10: ✍🏽 THE journal prompt for healing - Dear Money, what would you have me know?

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

How do you navigate a strange job market where positions are being pulled mid-interview process? It's frustrating to say the least. Shannon, a fundraising professional turned career coach, shares insider perspectives on employer behaviors during hiring, strategies for protecting your current position, and techniques for effective salary negotiation.

💬 "Everybody, you should be making more money and you're worth more. That's my last note. Rachel will teach you how to keep it. I'll tell you how to make it." - Shannon Bowen

5-Point Checklist for Job Seekers (Based on Shannon's Advice)

Refresh your LinkedIn profile with a compelling headline and "About" section

Request recommendations from managers, peers, and people you've mentored

Document your achievements with specific data points and metrics

Tell your unique story - what approach or "secret sauce" do you bring everywhere?

text your friends to ask: what 5 adjectives describe me? Pepper them into your resume and/or cover letter!

Research market rates for your position and skills

Practice saying your desired salary out loud until comfortable (Don't burp your salary requirement)

Remember: negotiation is a normal conversation, not a confrontation

Don't self-select out of positions you don't meet 100% of requirements for

Understand job descriptions are often poorly written and outdated

Focus on the interview process as a two-way relationship-building exercise

Get everything in writing, especially promises about compensation

Regularly communicate your achievements to leadership with concrete metrics

Make your work visible - don't assume people notice your contributions

Connect your daily work to larger organizational outcomes

Post about professional accomplishments on LinkedIn to build your reputation

Engage with connections regularly before you need their help

Join professional organizations in your field for extended networking

Tell everyone when you're job searching, including people outside your industry

Consider volunteering or side projects to expand your connections

Remember there's no shame in job loss - people want to help

Guest Info

Shannon Bowen is a career advancement coach + salary whisperer who coaches professionals on how to ace their job search and step into a higher salary band. She is also a nonprofit executive leader, fundraiser, and job search expert. Currently, she is the Chief Advancement Officer for Pacific Northwest Research Institute, is the Co-President for AFP Advancement Northwest Board of Directors, and is the CEO of Monsoon Leadership, which trains nonprofit professionals how to land their dream job and get paid what they deserve. Shannon also teaches ballroom dance, DIY designs her house, cooks gourmet meals, and plans her next foodie vacay.

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

[00:03:00] the current job market and employer dishonesty

[00:09:00] Strategies for protecting your current position through self-self-promotion

[00:14:00] Create a compelling LinkedIn profile that tells your unique story

[00:22:00] negotiate your salary from your very first job

📚 Resources Mentioned

Monsoon Leadership (Shannon's career coaching business)

Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment

Dependable Strengths Articulation Process from University of Washington

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

💬 Join the Conversation (H3)

Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and let me know, are you on a job search? got a story about salary negotiation? https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen: [H3]

S1 E11: 🫣 The REAL Reason You’re Struggling to Sell Your Services

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

Rachel Duncan, Financial Therapist, responds to a listener question about the emotional side of taxes. Why do we still feel tax anxiety even when we've improved our systems and understanding? We dive into the psychology behind our tax-related stress and offer practical solutions to help soothe your tax anxiety.

How childhood experiences with taxes can create lasting anxiety

The anniversary effect - how your body remembers past stressful tax seasons

Understanding anxiety as your body's call to action

The four trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) in relation to taxes

Somatic awareness exercises to identify and soothe tax-related fears

💬 "Your logical brain knows that you've done everything right, but your body is remembering past experiences of tax anxiety. It would make sense that your nervous system today is trying to protect you from that perceived threat happening again."

Key takeaways:

Tax anxiety is incredibly common, especially for self-employed people

Our bodies may be responding to past negative tax experiences even when our minds know we're prepared

Anxiety is your body's signal to take action - physical movement can help process it

The four trauma responses can manifest in our tax behaviors: fighting the system, avoiding/procrastinating, freezing up, or overcompensating

Rightsizing the threat helps put tax concerns in perspective

Creating positive sensory associations can help rewire your tax experience

Problems and mistakes with taxes are fixable

⏰ EPISODE BREAKDOWN

00:02:00] Amelia's question: why do I still have tax anxiety despite having systems in place?

[00:08:00] How to understand anxiety as your body signaling you to take action

[00:09:00] The four trauma responses and how they manifest around tax time

[00:14:00] Somatic awareness exercise to identify and soothe tax anxiety

📚 Resources Mentioned

Off the Grid Podcast (Amelia Hruby, thanks for the question!)

Tax calculator (but if you're self employed, add an additional 7.65%)

Find a volunteer to help you with your taxes for free

💬 Join the Conversation

Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and let me know what's one step you'll take to work through tax anxiety?https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen: How I became a Financial Art Therapist

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

Have you ever experienced harm in a community? It's common, and we all have the opportunity to learn, clarify, and regenerate, even through difficult conversations. Here, you'll learn the ingredients for safer spaces and healing conversations.

Financial Therapist, Rachel Duncan is joined by Maz George, a queer, trans, nonbinary coach, facilitator, sacred galvanizer and visual artist based in Brooklyn who supports people seeking greater joy, creativity, and connection with a focus on embodied liberation around gender, sexuality, and spirituality. We talk about the opportunities for growth in uncomfortable conversations, repairing harm, and promoting safety for all in all types of communities. We also talk about the special responsibilities for leaders of communities, and how the Money Healing Club is celebrating Trans Day of Visibility.

Maz fills us in on:

💬 "Visibility without safety is a trap. It makes you a target, it makes things more dangerous. And one of the ways that people create safety is through financial abundance." - Maz George

Key takeaways from the episode:

⏰ Episode Highlights

💌 Connect with Maz

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you ever had to navigate a difficult conversation in a community setting? What helped you feel safe enough to engage? Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and leave a voicemail sharing your experience with community/relational repair. https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎧 Your next listen: [H3]

S1 E12: 🏳️‍🌈Queer Finance & Anti-Capitalist Money Strategies with River Nice

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Full transcript: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

🎙️We're a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective where creators like me are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change.

How does someone become a Financial Therapist? This episode weaves together Rachel's childhood counting coins, a love of bugs, college surprises, being "office mom", and getting a C in self care.

🎯 Key Moments:

- Were you ever the banker in Monopoly too?

- The Feminism & religion that changed how I see everything

- My love/hate relationship with being "Office Mom"

- How can Art therapy and financial therapy work together?

- Why financial therapy needs to be part of all mental health education

Resources:

Center for Financial Social Work Training (Affiliate link)

Financial Therapy Association

NY Times article about financial therapy

🎧 Your next listen: Cultural perspectives on money with a Ukrainian twist. Get to know my husband, Alex!

🖐️Leave us a voicemail: What topics or speakers do you want to hear about next season? Click on the big orange button on our site right from your phone or browser and let me know https://www.moeyhealingclub.com/podcast

💫 Use code PODCAST for 50% off your first month and start your money healing process!

https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/club

Full transcript can be found here: https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

Are you exhausted from trying to make "ethical" financial choices in a system built for billionaires? This week’s episode of The Money Healing Club Podcast will redefine how you think about financial justice, mutual aid, and community care.

Host Rachel Duncan and Angie Fitzpatrick sit down with River Nice (they/them), a queer, anti-capitalist financial educator, to break down:

💭 "Y’all, this episode is packed. We talk about the financial systems stacked against us, but more importantly—how we take care of ourselves and each other anyway. I walked away from this conversation thinking about money in an entirely new way, and I hope you do too." —Rachel

River helps their clients with topics like budgeting, debt, financial emergency preparedness, investing, insurance, and planning how to afford life goals like gender transition, family planning, buying a house, and retirement in their signature 12 week program, Take Control of Your Money.

00:59 | Queer Budgeting & Financial Priorities

04:23 | Estate Planning for Chosen Families

10:57 | Ethical Investing & Harm Reduction

11:36 | The Hidden Costs of Capitalism in the Stock Market

14:42 | Balancing Financial Security & Social Justice

21:07 | Why "Personal Responsibility" is a Myth

23:58 | Alternative Retirement Planning for Queer & Nontraditional Families

25:55 | Mutual Aid & Collective Financial Solutions

29:53 | Rethinking Philanthropy & Radical Wealth Redistribution

36:51 | Practical Steps for Building Financial Resilience

42:26 | Final Thoughts & How to Work With River Nice

S1E3: Women's Relationship with Earning (ft. Angie Fitzpatrick)

📢 Leave us a voicemail! What are your thoughts on queer financial planning, ethical investing, or mutual aid? Click the big orange button on our website and share your story: 👉 www.moneyhealingclub.com/podcast

💡 Start your money healing journey today! Use code PODCAST for 50% off your first month in the Money Healing Club:

📩 Get my free mindful spending course:

📜 Full transcript available here:

Ever feel weird or uncomfortable when it’s time to sell your services? You’re not alone. In this episode, Rachel Duncan, financial therapist, and Lexi, hypnotherapist, dive deep into the subconscious blocks holding you back from selling with confidence.

Inside this episode, we cover:

Lexi also shares how she cleared a major money block using self-hypnosis—and how you can too!

📚 Resources Mentioned

🎧 Your next listen: S1 E4: How can I teach my kids good money habits?

🖐 What was your experience selling stuff as a kid? Leave me a voicemail!

💫 Start your money healing journey! Use code PODCAST for 50% off

🤑 Get my free mindful spending course:

📜 Full transcript available: