Financial Coaching Services for Couples
Customized, collaborative coaching that teaches you how to trust yourself and each other with money.
Why Holistic Financial Coaching for Couples? Because the “money talk” is so @#$%& difficult!!
I value the peace in our relationship, so I won’t bring it up right now.
We’ve already been over this, so what’s the point of bringing it up again?
It’s just easier not to talk about it.
She’s so stubborn. I don’t want to talk about it either, but we really need to hash this out with that big car repair coming up.
We make plenty of money… why can’t we ever seem to save any of it!?
We just need to sit down and push through this… we’re out of options, out of time. Why isn’t he listening?
Having a Healthy Financial Life Together is More Than Just Communication.
There is an unspoken lie that makes talking about money with our partners so much harder than it needs to be. This overly simplistic mindset sets an unrealistic expectation without providing any skills or strategies.
This is the age-old chestnut that “communication is key,” and the underlying lie here is that communication is the only thing we need without providing us with what good communication looks like or the skills to get there. Yes, communication is crazy important, but HOW do we get there? Just repeating this little bit of wisdom isn’t nearly enough, and if it were, we’d all be masterful communicators!
And very seldom does “the money talk” pick up where it left off last time.
Most times, you feel like you’re starting back at square one.
What your life looks like right now is that you can be both simultaneously stuck and apathetic. Somehow both in crisis and shut down, overwhelmed and frustrated.
You didn’t start this relationship just to have the same fight about money over and over.
Of course, no one sets out to shut down conversations about finances (or anything else). But it happens so easily.
Tension leads to avoidance because (of course) you’re both going to avoid what stresses you out and strains your relationship. That avoidance and resistance to starting this work together are normal. The impetus to shut down is a protective strategy to keep us from continuing to try.
It’s very easy to get sucked into the cycle of avoidance, procrastination, and shutting down. And you don’t need me to tell you that cycle of avoiding only makes everything worse.
And of course, this avoidance, however protective, can result in both partners moving zombie-like and miserable through their lives, and ultimately at the end of the relationship.
You didn’t start this relationship just to have the same fight about money over and over.
Of course, no one sets out to shut down conversations about finances (or anything else). But it happens so easily.
Tension leads to avoidance because (of course) you’re both going to avoid what stresses you out and strains your relationship. That avoidance and resistance to starting this work together are normal. The impetus to shut down is a protective strategy to keep us from continuing to try.
It’s very easy to get sucked into the cycle of avoidance, procrastination, and shutting down. And you don’t need me to tell you that cycle of avoiding only makes everything worse.
And of course, this avoidance, however protective, can result in both partners moving zombie-like and miserable through their lives, and ultimately at the end of the relationship.
Working With a Financial Coach for Couples Gets You on The Same Page.
Financial conversations can be quality time! That “money talk” you once avoided can be an intimate time that you’ll actually look forward to. You can use these talks to grow together as a couple, evolve as individuals, and reach your goals for years to come!
The money talk will help you grow together because you will develop your internal language and shorthand for your money and your lives together.
That shared language is in itself its kind of intimacy. Your money talks together will help you evolve independently and together. It may seem kind of impossible right now, but when you aren’t worried about what is going on RIGHT NOW. When you can see further into the future and see further around corners, your future takes on a new clarity.
Suddenly, goals become much easier to navigate and accomplish… and then it’s lather-rinse-repeat for the next goal and the next! Once you have the foundation of productive, safe money conversations, you’ll be able to see further and further.
Here’s what we’ll do in our financial coaching for couples sessions:
We’ll have a safe, open conversation about what you each want, and the obstacles you both feel are standing in your way. Identifying and communicating each of your own values, strengths, concerns, and obstacles as both individuals and couples is important because it ensures that we’re always on the right track.
And that we are honoring and respecting you both as individuals and your relationship as a whole. It’s my job to frequently check in with you on goals and values to ensure that we are staying on track with what you want to accomplish.
From that point on, we are a team. I’ll share strategies, tools (and sometimes games) to help you develop your own money language, create an adaptive spending plan, and build a scaffold for safe, intimate financial conversations.
Talking about money means you need a shared language.
Your relationship and life together are unique and different from everybody else’s, so it’s critical you create your shared money language. Just having the language is important, of course. Still, the work of developing it together is yet another way your evolving money conversations will draw you and your partner closer together.
Creating an adaptive spending plan rather than a traditional budget is important because it puts the “right now” concerns on cruise control. Once you develop that system together to tackle the current obstacles, we will begin thinking about your goals and dreams further into the future.
The scaffold for intimate financial conversations is crucial because it means that you’re not going it alone. Just like you’re going to develop a unique money conversation with your partner that evolves with your lives, the scaffold I’ll teach you has developed and evolved as clients have used it over the years. There is a beautiful sweet spot between tested concepts that work with every couple and the customization of building a strategy for you BY you!
Eventually (here’s the best part!), you won’t need me anymore!
But don’t worry, I’m not going to hand you a workbook and disappear! When you two are comfortable with how you’re spending, able to trust yourselves and each other, and having fun talking about money, then I know we’ve succeeded!
Is it Time to Work With a Financial Coach for Couples?
There is a point when financial stress becomes too difficult to shoulder just the two of you, and you don’t know what else to do. That’s when it’s time to work with a holistic financial coach, even if that first conversation about coaching is one of the hardest you’ll ever have.
Reasons Couples See a Financial Coach
There are many different reasons a couple could seek out coaching. Sometimes the issue of bringing a couple in is relatively small and temporary. Other times the issues can feel too big to even begin to look at.
Here are some reasons many choose financial coaching for couples:
- Lack of agreement on spending and budgeting
- Financial stress
- Financial Infidelity
- A lack of savings, or not enough savings, regardless of income
- Bills or mail being avoided and not opened
- Lack of clarity on shared goals and priorities
- A looming choice or change
- Struggling to make good financial decisions together
- Fighting about money or avoiding money conversations altogether
- Money imbalance in the relationship
- Feeling unseen, unheard, or unimportant to your partner
- Not able to stick to a budget
- The same stressful conversation over and over again
- Don’t know how to get to big financial goals
Not Sure How Holistic Financial Coaching Would Work for YOU?
Don’t worry! Questions are welcome. Check out the FAQ page for answers to the most common questions I get asked. Want to get a feel for my philosophy? Here’s more about why I do what I do. The home page has some great stories. Or if you’re just ready to get started, let’s talk!
Let’s get started with a free informational session! Call or text now! (503) 908-3425.
Ready to Begin Meeting With a Financial Coach for Couples in California, New York, or Anywhere in the United States?
Are financial disagreements putting a strain on your relationship? Take the first step towards a harmonious financial future together! Join our couples’ financial coaching services and meet with a skilled financial coach for couples at Pacific Stoa to unlock the secrets to managing your money in healthier, more fulfilling ways. Start building a stronger financial foundation for your love story – together, you can achieve your financial dreams! Follow these three simple steps to get started:
1. Reach out to me to schedule an appointment
2. Begin meeting with me, Hanna Morrell, a skilled financial coach for couples
3. Build a stronger financial foundation in your relationship!
Other Services Offered at Pacific Stoa
At Pacific Stoa, I want to make sure you have everything you need when it comes to managing your finances. So in addition to helping couples take control of their finances, I also provide Financial Coaching for Individuals, Financial Coaching for Divorce and Separation, and Financial Coaching for Families. I also offer Financial Consulting for Nonprofits and Businesses to help create a customized strategy built specifically for you, your organization, and those you serve. Check out my FAQ to learn more about Financial Coaching and my Blog!