Financial Therapy

Support for healing

financial trauma and money mindset


Tell me if any of this sounds familiar

  • "Financial trauma" hits the nail on the head. I have been straight-up traumatized by my experiences with money.
  • I feel anxious about money even though I have enough now.
  • I need to change my money mindset.
  • I'm just bad with money.
  • I keep repeating my bad money patterns.
  • I'm stuck in scarcity.
  • I am ashamed of my debt.
  • I make financial plans and budgets but never follow through.
  • I feel guilty about having money.
  •  I avoid my finances.


  • I undercharge but overdeliver and I’m burning out.
  • I’m under-earning.

Truth? 

Financial trauma is real.
On the surface, these can seem like they’re easy to fix.
So why can’t you get it together?
The reality is that it’s simply not that easy.


Here's what's missing

Living under White supremacist capitalist patriarchy is traumatizing.
Financial trauma is one of the ways that shows up in our lives and businesses.
Our culture teaches us that we can apply hacks to these challenges by thinking abundant thoughts or raising our rates. Budget culture leads us to believe it's just about managing our money better.

(And you probably know this as you’ve tried all these tactics with mixed results.)

Here’s what’s always missing from these solutions:

Money mindset -our beliefs, decisions and behaviours around money -is, at the root, psychological.

Much of the time, it's the result of financial trauma. Because of that, without connection, understanding and care, financial trauma and money mindset won't shift.


Your Trauma Around Money Is Real


Chances are you have experienced some sort of trauma, whether it be individual, generational, intergenerational, relational, societal or systemic, around money and finances.
(All in great part thanks--no thanks--to our messed up money world that arises from intersecting systems of oppression including capitalism, White supremacy, consumerism, Calvinism, etc.)

And let’s face it, who hasn’t experienced money stress, guilt, shame and self-blame?
 
Trauma and stress shape beliefs around yourself and the world, affecting your sense of safety, trust, control, self-esteem, and intimacy.

Trauma writes scripts in our minds, embedding behaviours into our nervous system.

When the trauma has to do with money, the beliefs we develop—usually outside of our conscious awareness
—lead us to various painful disruptive money behaviours.

Without healing that trauma and changing those scripts, financial strategies and behavioural tactics will only help superficially.

Here's how we can work together

to create lasting change

The Trauma of Money method is a powerful framework for understanding your current relationship with money and finances, unpacking how this relationship developed, and healing that relationship so you can move forward with new money beliefs and behaviours that serve you in the here and now.

With my support, you will compassionately investigate how your money traumas have affected your money mindset, and, in turn, your relationship with money and finances. 

We will hold this information with care so that what you need for healing can surface from the inside out.

The Trauma of Money process, and the skills you develop within it, will enable you to flourish in your business and your life.

Phases of the Trauma of Money method:

Phase 1: Orientation and resourcing

  • Nervous system support
  • Healing shame
  • Money narratives
  • How various systems are affecting you

Phase 2: Inquiry

  • Values
  • The meaning of abundance and wealth
  • Pleasure, happiness and satisfaction

Phase 3: Inventory

  • Taking a compassionate look at money and non-money wealth and debt

Phase 4: Alignment

  • Self-forgiveness
  • New, aligned beliefs
  • New relationship with money
  • Proposed actions

Phase 5: Aligned action

  • Taking action
  • Using nervous system tools
  • Compassionate companionship and/or accountability

Phase 6: Integration

  • Debrief on taking action
  • Ongoing orientation to values and vision
  • Ongoing nervous system and emotional support
  • Reflection
  • Celebration
  • Revisit previous phases as part of the integration process

In the course of working with me, you will be supported to:

  • Develop self-kindness (it's a learned skill)
  • Connect with your inner wisdom
  • Get to know your money stories and beliefs
  • Attend to the emotions behind these stories and beliefs
  • Shift your money mindset, beliefs and behaviours


Hello there! I'm Shulamit Ber Levtov.

You can call me Shula for short.


I'm the entrepreneur's therapist and a certified Trauma of Money facilitator.

I work with women business owners who want to address and heal their relationship to money, so they can set a foundation for sustainable financial success in business and in life.

What makes me different from other money mindset professionals?

I get what you're going through as an entrepreneur and I'm trained to support you.

I am a certified Trauma of Money facilitator and a Certified Financial Social Worker. I'm also a licensed, Masters-level, trauma-trained therapist with 20+ years of professional experience in the field of mental health. Plus I'm an award-winning entrepreneur who has been working for herself since 1990. 


The key to healing your relationship with money is supporting you to develop a warm and tender relationship with yourself.


Money elicits so many powerful emotions, not the least of which are shame, self-criticism and guilt.

 

A kind relationship with yourself supports you in taking a gentle, yet clear and honest look at your money stories, beliefs and behaviours.


As Carl Rogers said, "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change."


I integrate both counselling and coaching techniques in our work together, as well as social justice, somatics and spirituality. Because it's all connected, and systems of oppression play an important role in our money traumas.


Together we'll find what works for you and your relationship with your money. You'll have the responsibility for implementing the solutions, and I'll provide the support.

What is financial therapy for money mindset and trauma?

 

I am a certified Trauma of Money facilitator. The Trauma of Money method fosters decreased shame and increased discernment around money. It's a compassionate approach to healing collective and individual money-related traumas so that you can create financial safety and well-being.


Financial therapy for money mindset and trauma includes education, compassionate inquiry and healing work. It is counselling focussed on healing the emotional and mental impact of money stress and trauma.

This is Not Financial Advice


It’s  important to be clear that I am not a financial professional. 


I am a mental health professional who is qualified to support your inquiry and healing process in relation to the emotional and mental aspects of your money challenges.

 

I’m a certified Trauma of Money facilitator, as well as a Certified Financial Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I bring 10+ years of experience as a registered social worker psychotherapist to our work.


While I will provide you with resources and referrals as appropriate related to the following, it's important for you to know that I do not provide:

  • Psychotherapy 
  • Financial advice
  • Budgeting advice
  • Investment guidance
  • Business coaching
  • Bookkeeping support
  • CFO services
  • Tax consulting

Let's Work Together

Psychotherapy research conducted by the American Psychological Association indicates that, “on average, 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover.” (In this context, what it means to recover was self-reported by clients.)


Ongoing dialogue around money supports implementation of the learning and insights that occur in session.

I therefore recommend 2 appointments per month for a minimum of three months to set the foundation for change in your relationship to yourself and your money, accompanied by support between sessions.

 

$1000* per month for a minimum of three months

*CAD or USD, depending on the currency in which you earn your living

If you're not earning CAD or USD, email me to discuss.

Payment plans are available at no additional charge.

The "Fine Print"

The work we will do together is focussed on supporting you, as a small business owner, with your emotional, mental and financial well being. Yes, life and business intersect and affect one another, and we will attend to those intersections, and business and money will be our focus. Although I am a Registered Social Worker in the province of Ontario, I do not provide psychotherapy or social work services to clients outside Ontario.

When we work together, we will be engaging in counselling, meaning that:

1) I support you to explore the issues you bring forward and find solutions, and to identify both the strengths and needs you bring to any situation.

2) I provide you with resources and information relating to the issues you bring forward, and will explore and teach a variety of coping strategies.  

The frameworks guiding our work together are rooted in the following non-clinical certifications and training: Certified Trauma of Money facilitator; Certified Inner Relationship Focusing Professional; Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication; Dare to Lead™ trained; Coaching Way (Tara Mohr) trained; Masters in Counselling and Spirituality.

Let's explore working together. Book a free call here.