Financial Therapy: Minding Your Money

Are You Gambling With Your Mental Health?

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today we're talking about a growing public health concern: gambling. Gambling addiction and problem gambling are rapidly increasing in the U.S., with around 2.5 million adults facing severe (and 5 to 8 million facing mild/moderate) gambling problems. Nearly 10% of young U.S. men (aged 18-30) now show signs of gambling problems, and addiction rates are surging among young people overall.
If you or someone you know is struggling with this concern, help is available. Reach out to these organizations for confidential, 24/7 support:
- National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-MY-RESET; text: 800GAM; or chat online: https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER
Don't wait. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

More Money, More Problems

Hey everyone, welcome back to your Financial Therapy for the week! The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
A lot of us would love to ease our financial woes by winning the lottery—or more realistically, by having enough cash flow to not ever have to worry about making ends meet. But because so many of our financial decisions are emotional (and not necessarily rational) in nature, more money can often just lead to more problems.
So in today’s short episode, we’ll talk about three of the ways having more money can actually make us feel less free; and how it may be best to adjust how we think about money—being more mindful about how we earn and spend our dollars—in order to reduce our financial stress, instead.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
 
#financialtherapy #budgetsareboundaries #personalfinance

The Great Wealth Transfer

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – an MBA, Certified Financial Planning professional, and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome back to Financial Therapy!
Today’s episode is all about the Great Wealth Transfer, and what you need to know to be clear-eyed about what it all means for you—including why there may not be as much waiting for you as you think.
It’s one thing to have/receive money; it’s another thing to keep it… so let’s talk about some do’s and don’t’s to keep in mind for your financial journey, if and when your money comes in.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Making Drastic Change

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – an Certified Financial Planning professional, and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today's episode is all about how focusing on some practical things can eliminate some of our emotional decision-making when it comes to spending and earning money. I'll give you 5 areas of life that--if you look deeply at them--can help you make drastic shifts in your financial outlook, instead of just tinkering around the edges.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#personalfinance #budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy

The Instant Investor

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – an MBA, Certified Financial Planning professional, and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
If you're like many of us, you're looking for the most efficient and effective ways to invest your money--but where should you start? Do your research! I'll quickly run through three investment vehicles that you might want to look into, in order to become an "instant" investor.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Make Your Money Work for You

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week!
Today's episode is all about making your money work for you--for real. I'll talk about three aspects of money management you should be thinking about when making choices about how to save and grow your hard-earned dollars.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Lifestyle Inflation

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today we're talking lifestyle inflation/creep--what it is, how common it is for all of us, and how its hidden costs can affect your ability to build wealth. Our goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

8 Ways to Set Kids Up for Financial Success

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Since financial education isn't a staple in schools, you might be wondering how you can help your kids learn basics that can affect the rest of their lives. Tune in for 8 ways to set your kids up for success. Then continue the conversation using the resources below.
1. The Psychology of Money (Morgan Housel): https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-Lessons-Happiness/dp/B08D9WJ9G8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2B4PRYGPU4CU6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SUZeaRrecUX9DOlQyOtM348FKE71cHfPsdkB2QE1jYLzU3HuoXPAjZfJ6rMLpumk8c2znYKwZWpmdFTyz2OoiqI4i4VAQm-R6mBuHbx1BrT4Cw_E6Nm2KG3uQUSA-4vu0-cmWTSJZCZb12BhaM1vl5W47A6GM99n1mxTFVzumRmCRCKy2TCTycic3GITBv5WIhF8TNOgMyeW2dSEeiX1P1Zyyw4nrf8oz7D4cxTkABI.Ed9-qvXaN4P54LjWLItTfW6EK1Pn5bGDjpn4LkpjxqM&dib_tag=se&keywords=psychology+of+money&qid=1768355808&s=audible&sprefix=psy%2Caudible%2C275&sr=1-1
2. The Art of Spending Money (Morgan Housel): https://www.amazon.com/Art-Spending-Money-Simple-Choices/dp/B0F5585V8M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2B4PRYGPU4CU6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SUZeaRrecUX9DOlQyOtM348FKE71cHfPsdkB2QE1jYLzU3HuoXPAjZfJ6rMLpumk8c2znYKwZWpmdFTyz2OoiqI4i4VAQm-R6mBuHbx1BrT4Cw_E6Nm2KG3uQUSA-4vu0-cmWTSJZCZb12BhaM1vl5W47A6GM99n1mxTFVzumRmCRCKy2TCTycic3GITBv5WIhF8TNOgMyeW2dSEeiX1P1Zyyw4nrf8oz7D4cxTkABI.Ed9-qvXaN4P54LjWLItTfW6EK1Pn5bGDjpn4LkpjxqM&dib_tag=se&keywords=psychology+of+money&qid=1768355808&s=audible&sprefix=psy%2Caudible%2C275&sr=1-2
3. Money: Master the Game (Tony Robbins): https://www.amazon.com/MONEY-Master-Game-Tony-Robbins-audiobook/dp/B00OPAJZGG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IC4Q748EYXBW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OWcAV-Pd4ykEH_ugmUmU54HseA9Zuf7P8JJghxEI7Y_kLxvFPq9h_104sdpOjx32DVnL3vD0L21RX1AyP5Vhlp7b2eV4z7h82AXCDQRjrjWGgjDv_J-DYPs4GXPL3i_N4eLbNnOcZMMyH2fTb0SaZiMo0Hha3hGTdHVX6XQaEqtA-9nZPfVUbSVn-dkUuA39gNkv55VARGIL4JAgkpkPIU7CWpF1EyRd71phFudILTg.I1-03bb9tI3DYxZyIRiMIokzifEGVzRfqpC5zP9Uqw0&dib_tag=se&keywords=money+master+the+game+by+tony+robbins&qid=1768355461&sprefix=Money+maste%2Caps%2C261&sr=8-1
4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki): https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Anniversary-Middle/dp/B07QPQ8WBL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=K5QLD6NTZPZ4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oiyMsvIZJS4w0dmX3N2ljK_vZkDJfcmuPv8n2Z0ApKYLz7-Ep3AtKliXAbj-W2ZlyZ5TGTv4MT6JDhZd4ckJ9QMPqmcnCGlQw8D_wchL6LwKC3L5VuvG-w55Cw-On1P0PNa-6WNUWcxdRGmVsosflmxnHpM13dlrFkhjQuP5HVcgxWoQqXOJMrbg2WdS_M9eM5dibBz9vDT0Z1pbX8ESLJ99VqmrImFI382XYVPWdNM.iOlzmuPzOVwLjPUf_xHGhU64vDM0cgMB1pEAWEbOlMQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=rich+dad+poor+dad&qid=1768355588&s=audible&sprefix=rich+%2Caudible%2C491&sr=1-1
5. The Intelligent Investor (Benjamin Graham): https://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Investor-Rev-Ed-audiobook/dp/B00V7328GS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20BJG8CNN5M31&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I-PlqN84BfgdUKNXKLM40S71tjLgIKgxnQCfJEbechAuvxpNKR77uToJoBuP3j41__nL5WKALYvGCLkLr87WA9AqyHLJZFrTYj2VIPdFwdqTABfkcKMSh0L-G2gduv8owKI3y5XmTI9QY_7C8rxPWivt--brHVl3KPu1Q9XxZaGsF7BfSZ3YAai8OV4nzL9pwdQB0zYUTYnZGLgZApRFJoDreewmGy5n08qeUDnt1ow.JrGLUOR9uhadBkmbd6upI9xJF0i28kxHQJdhZh7CXXg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+intelligent+investor&qid=1768355629&s=audible&sprefix=the+inte%2Caudible%2C369&sr=1-1
6. Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/;
7. NerdWallet: https://www.nerdwallet.com/
8. MoneyWise: https://moneywise.com/
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

The Affordability Crisis: Drowning in Debt

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome back to Financial Therapy, and Happy 2026!
Today we're talking about a subject that affects nearly every household in America: the affordability and debt crisis. When you're constantly chasing the next level of income, or spending just to flex, debt can pile up quickly. But now, just spending on the basics can drive you into debt, because the affordability game has changed.
Let's talk about where we're all at, and how we can be more conscious about what we spend, and how it adds to the debt tab. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Holiday Replay: Budgets are Boundaries: 4 Hard Truths About Why You Don’t Have One

Happy Holidays, everyone! Today on Financial Therapy, we're replaying one of our most popular episodes--don't miss it, and be sure to call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763).
If you've ever wondered why it's so difficult to sit down, get focused, and make a budget, this episode is for you. Budgets help us set healthy boundaries--listen in for four hard truths about why many people don't have one. Let's talk about why budgets are important in setting boundaries with ourselves and others, as well as for our mental wellness.
Originally aired: October 14, 2025