From an acclaimed couples therapist, the first book ever to address the financial power struggles in relationships Money, not sexual adultery, is the #1 problem in relationships. According to Dr. Bonnie, one of the nation's leading couples therapists, "nearly one-third of adults in committed relationships admit to lying to their partner about spending habits." Secret credit cards, binge shopping, revenge spending, and POPs (pissed off purchases) are just a few examples of how financial infidelity undermines trust and harms a relationship. With clarity and compassion, Dr. Bonnie—who has a near one hundred percent success rate in counseling couples—helps readers recognize their hidden financial indiscretions, reconnect with their partners, and recover the trust and intimacy in their relationships.

Money-related stress dates as far back as concepts of money itself. Formerly it may have waxed and waned in tune with the economy, but today more individuals are experiencing financial mental anguish and self-destructive behavior regardless of bull or bear markets, recessions or boom periods. From a fringe area of psychology, financial therapy has emerged to meet increasingly salient concerns. Financial Therapy is the first full-length guide to the field, bridging theory, practical methods, and a growing cross-disciplinary evidence base to create a framework for improving this crucial aspect of clients' lives. Its contributors identify money-based disorders such as compulsive buying, financial hoarding, and workaholism, and analyze typical early experiences and the resulting mental constructs ("money scripts") that drive toxic relationships with money. Clearly relating financial stability to larger therapeutic goals, therapists from varied perspectives offer practical tools for assessment and intervention, advise on cultural and ethical considerations, and provide instructive case studies. A diverse palette of research-based and practice-based models meets monetary mental health issues with well-known treatment approaches, among them: Cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused therapies. Collaborative relationship models. Experiential approaches. Psychodynamic financial therapy. Feminist and humanistic approaches. Stages of change and motivational interviewing in financial therapy. A text that serves to introduce and define the field as well as plan for its future, Financial Therapy is an important investment for professionals in psychotherapy and counseling, family therapy, financial planning, and social policy.

A guide to personal finance that will help teach budgeting skills, stocking a budget-friendly kitchen, talking to friends about money, investing, and more.

It’s not just about the money... Arguments about money are by far the top predictor of divorce, says Sonya Britt, a professor at Kansas State University. “It's not children, sex, in-laws, or anything else. It's money—for both men and women." Satan seeks every means possible to destroy marriages, and creating conflict around finances is one of his favorite tactics. But there is more to money problems than not sticking to the budget. Chuck and Ann Bentley reveal the underlying issues of financial and relational discord—and show how it robs couples of joy, intimacy, and marital satisfaction. Money Problems, Marriage Solutions presents seven keys to peace in marriage and helps couples unite and conquer to resolve financial issues together. Through real-life stories, a solid foundation from Scripture, and practical steps for application, this book gives a plan for getting back on the same team. Here is a clear and lasting way forward for couples struggling with money problems.

Do you overspend? Undersave? Keep secrets about money from a spouse or family member? Are you anxious about dealing with your finances? If so, you are not alone. Let's face it–just about all of have complicated, if not downright dysfunctional, relationships with money. As Drs. Brad and Ted Klontz, a father and son team of pioneers in the emerging field of financial psychology explain, our disordered relationships with money aren’t our fault. They don’t stem from a lack of knowledge or a failure of will. Instead, they are a product of subconscious beliefs and thought patterns, rooted in our childhoods, that are so deeply ingrained in us, they shape the way we deal with money our entire adult lives. But we are not powerless. By looking deep into ourselves and our pasts, we can learn to recognize these negative and self-defeating patterns of thinking, and replace them with better, healthier ones. Drawing on their decades of experience helping patients resolve their troubling issues with money, the Klontzes and describe the twelve most common “money disorders” - like financial infidelity, money avoidance, compulsive shopping, financial enabling, and more — and explain how we can learn to identify them, understand their root causes, and ultimately overcome them. So whether you want to learn how to make better financial decision, have more open communication with your spouse or kids about the family finances, or simply be better equipped to deal with the challenges of these tough economic times, this book will help you repair your dysfunctional relationship with money and live a healthier financial life.

Few people other than close friends and family knew that I suffered a financial disaster after loaning money to my husband's startup business. Plus, I uncovered a shocking secret he kept for a decade.I felt stupid, ashamed, and embarrassed.Here you can read riveting, true stories of ordinary people like me who faced financial hardships thanks to someone else's wrongdoing.- Did you co-sign a car loan for an underemployed boyfriend who left you with lousy credit?- Did you discover after the wedding that your fiance hid piles of debt?- Does your sister take advantage of your elderly parent?- Will you inherit nothing if your second husband forgets to update his will?- Did your partner waste your household savings on gambling or drugs?Meet characters like the Singing Co-Signers, Credit Cads, Deadbeat Moms, and Sugar Babies. Hear from victims infected with Sexually Transmitted Debt and Empty Accountitis.Get common-sense tips to prevent financial calamities and deal with the aftermath. Dozens of anecdotes will keep you spellbound, while also giving you hope for recovery if you have had your assets kicked by friends or family members.

"A fresh look at infidelity, broadening the focus from the havoc it wreaks within a committed relationship to consider also why people do it, what it means to them, and why breaking up is the expected response to duplicity — but not necessarily the wisest one.” — LA Review of Books From iconic couples’ therapist and bestselling author of Mating in Captivity comes a provocative and controversial look at infidelity with practical, honest, and empathetic advice for how to move beyond it. An affair: it can rob a couple of their relationship, their happiness, their very identity. And yet, this extremely common human experience is so poorly understood. What are we to make of this time-honored taboo—universally forbidden yet universally practiced? Why do people cheat—even those in happy marriages? Why does an affair hurt so much? When we say infidelity, what exactly do we mean? Do our romantic expectations of marriage set us up for betrayal? Is there such a thing as an affair-proof marriage? Is it possible to love more than one person at once? Can an affair ever help a marriage? Perel weaves real-life case stories with incisive psychological and cultural analysis in this fast-paced and compelling book. For the past ten years, Perel has traveled the globe and worked with hundreds of couples who have grappled with infidelity. Betrayal hurts, she writes, but it can be healed. An affair can even be the doorway to a new marriage—with the same person. With the right approach, couples can grow and learn from these tumultuous experiences, together or apart. Affairs, she argues, have a lot to teach us about modern relationships—what we expect, what we think we want, and what we feel entitled to. They offer a unique window into our personal and cultural attitudes about love, lust, and commitment. Through examining illicit love from multiple angles, Perel invites readers into an honest, enlightened, and entertaining exploration of modern marriage in its many variations. Fiercely intelligent, The State of Affairs provides a daring framework for understanding the intricacies of love and desire. As Perel observes, “Love is messy; infidelity more so. But it is also a window, like no other, into the crevices of the human heart.”