5 Signs Your Relationship with Money is Holding You Back

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your therapy practice—burnt out, underpaid, or unsure how to make it all feel more sustainable—it might be time to take a closer look at your relationship with money.

So many therapists are operating in survival mode, not because they’re bad with money, but because they’ve never been given the tools—or the permission—to explore how money shows up emotionally, relationally, and psychologically.

Money touches everything: how we price our services, how we talk about fees, how we make decisions in our businesses, and how we envision the future. The more awareness we bring to this relationship, the more intentional and empowered we can become—not just as practice owners, but as whole people.

Here are five signs your relationship with money might be holding you (and your practice) back—and what to start doing about it.

These patterns are common money mindset blocks for therapists and can quietly sabotage both your income and your impact.

1. You Avoid Looking at Your Numbers

You know you should track income and expenses, but every time you try, you feel anxious, shut down, or completely avoidant. This isn’t just procrastination—it’s likely rooted in past difficult money experiences—or money trauma.

Money avoidance is a nervous system response. When we feel unsafe or overwhelmed by money, we disconnect from it as a protective strategy. But over time, avoidance leads to disorganization, missed opportunities, and more stress.

Try this: Start small. Choose one thing to check weekly—like reviewing your bank balance. Start with a few minutes of getting visibility into your finances. Pair it with something grounding like going for a walk after. Over time, you’ll build tolerance and clarity.

2. You Feel Guilt About Charging Your Full Fee

If you find yourself spiraling after raising your fees or feel deeply uncomfortable enforcing your cancellation policy, you’re not alone. Many therapists equate increasing their fees or charging for no-shows with being selfish, greedy, or unethical in some way.

Your fee doesn’t represent who you are as a person, and it doesn’t cause harm. It is merely a necessary tool for your wellness and there is a number that you need in order to sustain yourself and your business. It’s math.

Your fee also reflects the energy, expertise, and emotional labor you bring into every session, and allows you to have capacity to serve your clients fully. You can care about your clients and care about yourself. Charging sustainable therapy fees means you can be well-resourced.

Bonus tip: If fee increases bring up guilt, try writing a “compassionate script” that honors your values while clearly communicating the change. Practice saying it out loud until it feels more regulated.

3. You’re Constantly Hustling but Still Feel Financially Insecure

You work hard, see tons of clients, and still feel like there’s never quite enough. This can be a sign of a deeper scarcity mindset or internalized belief that you must overwork to earn.

Many of us come from personal or professional systems that rewarded over-functioning and self-sacrifice. Scarcity doesn’t just live in our budgets—it lives in our bodies.

Pause and reflect: What would “enough” feel like for you? What would it look like to earn sustainably instead of constantly stretching yourself thin? Scarcity isn’t always about income—it’s often about inherited beliefs and unconscious money blocks.

Try this: Journal about what financial safety actually looks and feels like to you. What systems or supports would help you experience more security?

4. You’re Stuck in People-Pleasing Around Money

You overextend, undercharge, or say “yes” to sliding scale even when you’re financially not able to. You worry that setting boundaries will make clients leave or see you as uncaring.

This kind of people-pleasing is often connected to fawn responses or relational money trauma—where we’ve learned it’s safer to prioritize others’ needs and abandon our own.

Notice the pattern: Where else in your life do you feel responsible for others’ comfort or approval? Healing this pattern helps you step into your worth and make decisions from alignment, not fear.

Tip: Consider pausing after you say your full fee out loud to a client. Sit in the discomfort and let the client have the opportunity to respond as opposed to assuming they are not able to afford your full fee.

5. You Avoid Long-Term Financial Planning

Retirement? Savings? Investment accounts? It all feels overwhelming or out of reach, so you push it off for another day—or another year.

Long-term planning can feel inaccessible when you’re in survival mode. And if you’ve experienced financial trauma, the idea of a secure future might feel impossible.

Start here: Financial literacy is important—but so is financial healing. Begin with your money story. What messages were you taught about wealth, security, or success? Unpacking those beliefs creates space for possibility.

Next step: Choose one small action that supports your future self. This could be talking to a friend or colleague who may have experience in saving for retirement. Hear their story so you can know it’s possible—and that you’re not alone in it. Or, listen to a podcast episode that talks about the psychology of money or saving for retirement. Breaking the taboo around talking about money can be a great first stepping stone.

Your money relationship is more than just spreadsheets and fee policies—it’s emotional, relational, and rooted in your story. And the good news? It can be healed.

When you start to shift your money mindset as a therapist, you don’t just change your bank account—you change how you show up in your life, your business, and your clinical work.

Ready to Begin?

Start by exploring the root of your beliefs. What shaped your relationship with money? Where did those beliefs come from—and are they still serving you?

Here is what I recommend:

1. Take the FREE Money Blocks Quiz to see which money block is holding you back the most.

2. Read this blog post on what a money story is: What is Your Money Story?

3. Download the Money Story Reflection Guide to uncover your unique money story and how it impacts you both personally and professionally.

Healing your relationship with money is one of the most powerful things you can do—not just for yourself, but for your clients, your business, and your future.