My methodology is different to that of your regular Financial Advisor – I have been there and done that and have seen the results it brings. Don’t get me wrong, regulated financial advice is very necessary at times and has its place, as does investment management -also part of my career path, but they have something very important missing.

My approach involves thinking. Deep thinking. Not about where you want to go on holiday, your next choice of car, or when you want to retire – your financial plan will, no doubt, address those things and we will build them in. My approach is about uncovering a bigger question – Why?

Developing a good relationship with your money is all about looking at what it gives you. ‘Okay Karen’ I hear you say, ‘If I use my money to buy a bar of chocolate then it gives me a bar of chocolate, what’s so complicated about that?’ 

But a bar of chocolate isn’t just a bar of chocolate, is it? It could be just a convenient snack when you are hungry; A luxurious treat to reward yourself for the two hours you put in at the gym (we’ve all been there); it could be dark chocolate for its health benefits; it could be a bit of nostalgia – the type of chocolate your favourite aunt bought you every Saturday as a child before you went to see the latest movie. Are you getting my drift? The point is, spending money almost always comes with some sort of underlying emotional motivation, especially when that money is your own hard-earned cash.

Our basic needs (such as accommodation or food) are a little different to our discretionary spend in that they are fundamental requirements. Even so, our choices and the way we manage our budget still have a strong emotional trigger and can affect the way we feel. 

Developing a good relationship with money requires examining the triggers and rewards of your spending habits, detaching from what you feel is expected of you (or what you might unrealistically be expecting of yourself) and reassessing what it is that you really want. It’s a confidence thing - you need to stand back from the beliefs and expectations that you have carried with you in life so far and evaluate them to see if they are serving you well or, as is sometimes the case, is it you that is serving them? Getting back in the driving seat financially is the first step to fulfilment.

I was having a discussion recently with a group of friends and we were talking about motivation and developing a sense of urgency. One of the guys chipped in that he had recently read an article that said we had just 4,000 weeks on average on this earth. I whipped out my calculator, I have passed the 3,000 mark, a sobering thought. Now 4,000 weeks equates to an age of around 77 and I am an optimist but even so! My point is, wherever we are in our journey, there will be an end point and the aim of Wealth Therapy is to ensure you reach that point feeling that you had a fulfilling and worthwhile journey. 

However much (or little) money you have, even if the figure is a minus one, Wealth Therapy can help you change your thinking and start enjoying the rest of your 4,000 (+/-) weeks.