My guest for this episode is Dr. Megan Ford. In a previous conversation we talked briefly about her work with the Love and Money Center at the University of Georgia, and this time we focus on that program.
The Love and Money Center, part of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, is a leading-edge example of what can be done in training professionals collaboratively in financial therapy, mental health, and financial planning. It includes what Megan calls three pillars: professional visibility, interdisciplinary training, and community engagement.
Megan describes professional visibility as bringing relational and financial health and wellbeing content out into the world. This includes training professionals through continuing education, as well as her own YouTube video series called Author Talk where she interviews authors from the field of financial therapy, financial psychology, and relational and financial wellbeing.
Interdisciplinary training is available for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Love and Money Center serves students working toward financial planning degrees and students working toward therapy degrees. In addition to opportunities to take courses from both disciplines, there is what Megan calls an “organic cross-pollination of knowledge” between students.
One feature of this collaboration is a clinical practicum in financial planning, which was the first of its kind when it was developed under Dr. Joe Goetz. It allows financial planning students to work with real life clients from the community. This is part of the community engagement aspect of the Love and Money Center. Therapy and financial planning services are offered at low or no cost to people in the community who may be priced out of services from professional practitioners. This includes opportunities for students from both disciplines to actively collaborate in client sessions, which is one model of financial therapy.
Megan’s goal for the next phase of the program is to train students specifically in financial therapy as its own unique knowledge base, competency, and practice. I’m excited to watch this vision develop; it is one more step toward financial therapy becoming its own discipline.
Check out The Financial Therapy Podcast by Rick Kahler concerning this topic.