June 2015

 

In This Issue...

  1. Message from the President
  2. Mexico Bound: 2015 Annual Conference
  3. Get Plugged In
  4. Get to know the FTA Board
  5. Latest Research in Financial Therapy
  6. Spotlight on Financial Therapy
  7. Social Media
  8. Upcoming Events - Mark your Calendars!
  9. Contribute
  10. Strategic Planning Special Report

Message from the President

Wow! We have so many exciting things going on in FTA. FTA BOD has made it their mission in 2015 engage in a strategic plan to increase the value for our members and get members involved in the organization. I highly encourage you to read one of the featured sections of this newsletter, which is a report by the Sarah Asebedo, chair of the strategic planning committee. The report features action items the FTA BOD is currently taking or planning to take in the future. For example, one of those action items is an education initiative. Speaking of which,

did you check out our first ever webinar? Dr. John Grable, CFP®, University of Georgia, and myself had the opportunity to present on the topic of expanding core practice skills to help clients enhance client well-being. We were inspired by the great turnout and were delighted to talk about how as financial professionals and mental health practitioners, we can add skills to help our clients improve their financial satisfaction. Our next webinar is June 12 at 12 PM (Central) and will be presented by Susan Zimmerman, ChFC, LMFT who will talk about how to “ACE” the hard part of soft skills when working with clients and money.

Our most exciting endeavor is the upcoming conference in Mexico, July 9-11! Each year, we hold an annual conference to bring our membership together. This year’s conference committee, chaired by Marcee Yager, has done a great job creating a fabulous program that will invigorate a passion for financial therapy, allow for networking, and stimulate and enhance your knowledge and understanding about clients and money. Read more about it below and go to http://www.financialtherapyassociation.org/conference-2015 to register! I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Kristy Archuleta, PhD, LMFT
Kansas State University

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Mexico Bound: 2015 Annual Conference Updates

You are invited to the 2015 FTA Conference that will be held in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico July 9-11, 2015! Don’t miss the cutting-edge pre-conference program led by Dr. Ted Klontz. He will share the latest research and practice related to the role of the brain in financial decision making. Keynote speakers, Louis Barajas, Dr. Jerry Gale, and Dr. John Grable, will facilitate discussions on using therapeutic techniques in addressing financial issues, with a particular emphasis on culturally competent practice and research. Seminar and poster presenters lined up are “all pro” academics and practitioners from both mental health/counseling and financial professions. We will also be featuring a university showcase, where attendees can learn about academic programs that focus on financial therapy.

You can receive up to 12 hours of continuing education credits for CFP® and AFC® designations! Continuing education credits for mental health practitioners are currently pending.

You don’t want to miss this exciting opportunity. For details, check out our website to see the amazing registration rates and get details on the all-inclusive resort that will be hosting us! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for updates and sneak peeks of our upcoming conference in beautiful Mexico!

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Get Plugged In

FTA is an awesome organization that was founded by professionals who have a passion for helping people meet their financial goals, change harmful financial behaviors, and increase financial well-being. We depend on volunteers who recognize that interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects are key factors in optimal financial health and who share this same passion. If this is you, I encourage you to get plugged in by volunteering and help develop the field of financial therapy. This is an exciting time to be a part of developing something new!

There are a number of ways to get involved! You can start by contacting our administrative office by email [email protected] or, telephone (727) 940-2658 x 2003. Here is a list of other ways to get involved!

  • Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIN

  • Attend the Annual Conference July 9-11 in beautiful San Jose del Cabo, Mexico!

  • Invite a colleague or friend to attend the annual conference!

  • Volunteer to be a committee member.

  • Renew your membership and invite a colleague to join!

  • Become a reviewer for the Journal of Financial Therapy

  • Submit your research to the Journal of Financial Therapy

  • Make a tax deductible financial contribution to the FTA, a 501(c)3 organization 

  • Mention the FTA in media interviews and in your professional networks

Apply to become a board member! Near the end of the calendar year, we will solicit applications to become a board member. Be watching!

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Get to Know Your Board!

Do you know who is working hard for you as a member of the FTA Board of Directors (BOD)? The FTA BOD is comprised of members who volunteer their time to serve the membership and to promote the development of the field of financial therapy. Board members represent practitioners and scholars from both mental health and financial fields. Each board member commits their time and efforts serving a three year term.

In this newsletter, we welcome Maggie Baker, Ph.D. of Wynnewood, PA to the FTA BOD. Dr. Baker has been practicing for 30 years to empower clients to achieve optimal psychological, physical, and financial well-being.  She has been an active member of the FTA since its inception. She fills a vacated mental health practitioner position for the remainder of the term.

The 2015 Board of Directors Members:

  • Kristy Archuleta, Kansas State University - President (Academic)

  • Megan Ford - President Elect (Mental Health Practitioner)

  • Rick Kahler, Kahler Financial - Past President (Financial Practitioner)

  • Marcee Yager, Retired Financial Planner- Secretary & Conference Chair (Financial Practitioner)

  • Derek Lawson - Treasurer (Financial Practitioner)

  • Sarah Asebedo, Professor in Practice, Virginia Tech (Financial Practitioner)

  • Saundra Houston, Texas Tech University (Academic)

  • Dave Jetson, Jetson Counseling (Mental Health Practitioner)

  • Maggie Baker (Mental Health Practitioner)

  • John Grable, University of Georgia (Academic)

  • Student Member - Ally Degraff, University of Georgia

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Latest Research in Financial Therapy

All over the world, scholars and practitioners are reading the research and theoretical contributions to the field of financial therapy in the Journal of Financial Therapy (JFT). JFT is published twice annually and you can access it by going to www.jftonline.org. Watch for the next issue of the JFT to be published later this summer.

This quarter, we highlight an article published in Volume 5, Issue 1 by Drs. Bryce Jorgensen, Damon Rappleyea, and Alan Taylor of East Carolina University. In their article entitled, “Understanding Financial Literacy and Competence : Considerations for Training, Collaboration, and Referral for MFTs”, these scholars address the practitioner competence in financial literacy, client financial problems, the benefits of financial literacy, referral process, and appropriate treatment considerations to clients experiencing financial distress. To read the full article, go to http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1062

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Spotlight on Financial Therapy

Want to know what others like you are doing? The Journal of Financial Therapy features a practitioner and a scholar, who are members of the FTA, in each issue. Here, we spotlight Dr. April Benson, a nationally known psychologist specializing in the study and treatment of compulsive buying disorder. Her books, “I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self” (2000), and “To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop” (2008) are revolutionary in the treatment compulsive buying.

To learn more about Dr. Benson and her work, read the interview with her: http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1091

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Social Media

The easiest way to get involved is to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIN. Then you can share our posts with your networks! When you are sharing be sure to tag us with @FinTherapyAssoc or #financialtherapy in your tweets.

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Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendars!

  • June 12 at 12 PM (Central): Webinar with Susan Zimmerman, “How to Ace the Hard Part of Soft Skills When Talking about Money,” CEs available for CFP® and AFC®. To register, go to: http://www.financialtherapyassociation.org/webinar-2

  • July 9-11: Annual Conference in San Jose del Cabo, CEs available for CFP® and AFC®; CEs pending for mental health practitioners., To register go to: http://www.financialtherapyassociation.org/conference-2015

  • August 28 at 1 PM (Central): Webinar with Rick Kahler, CFP® and Dave Jetson, MS, LPC-MH, QMHP; More details forthcoming.

  • November 17: Preconference with Association for Financial Counseling and Planning (more details forthcoming)

 

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Contribute

The success of the FTA is made possible by volunteers and financial contributions. Financial contributions are tax-deductible and can be made in any size. Please go to: give URL  to donate. We greatly appreciate your support!

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Strategic Planning Special Report

Financial Therapy Development: 2014 Ten Considerations Summary and Future Directions

With the 2015 FTA Annual Conference right around the corner, the BOD wanted to pause and communicate some of the key takeaways from the membership discussion about the Ten Considerations1 that took place at the 2014 conference in Nashville, TN. To better understand whom our members are and their perspectives on financial therapy, a membership profile survey was first sent to members in 20132. To further explore who our members are and what they need, roundtable discussions were held during the 2014 conference about areas of development for financial therapy. The feedback and ideas generated from this discussion have been instrumental for the FTA BOD to strategically plan for the future and continue to develop financial therapy. We are excited to share the key takeaways, the actionable items, and ways you can get involved that have resulted from this endeavor.


Key Actionable Takeaways
The following points represent the three key takeaways identified as most important to the growth of the FTA and/or the development of financial therapy over the next 2-3 years.

1. FTA members need knowledge and skill development opportunities in between conferences through cross-training sessions and continuing education credits. Potential learning sessions might include therapeutic communication skills for financial professionals, technical financial training for mental health professionals, and education regarding theoretical models and assessment tools currently utilized in financial therapy.

Ø Action: The Board of Directors is engaging in an education initiative with a goal of providing educational webinars that qualify for continuing education credits at minimal cost to members. On May 1st, we offered our first webinar and on June 12th, the second webinar will be offered. See the website for upcoming webinar details. In the future, an education committee will be formed to manage this project. If this is an area of interest for you, please contact: [email protected]


2. FTA has a diverse membership group that may benefit from more frequent interaction between conferences in order to gain a better understanding of our professional similarities and differences. Increased dialogue among members may facilitate collaboration opportunities and better alignment across the FTA.

Ø Action: The Board of Directors is considering creating online discussion forums in order to facilitate these continued conversations. If this is an area of interest to you, please contact: [email protected]

3. FTA members expressed a high level of interest in discussing what skills are necessary when conducting financial therapy. Defining the set of skills needed to conduct financial therapy will provide the FTA with a stronger foundation from which to build upon.

Ø Action: The Board of Directors plans to gauge the membership’s interest in forming a focus group to further discuss and define the set of skills necessary to conduct financial therapy. If this is an area of interest to you, please contact: [email protected]

General Summary

The following represent additional themes and takeaways from the in-person round table discussions regarding the 10 considerations for the development of financial therapy:

  1. The FTA is comprised of a diverse membership group with different ideas regarding how to define financial therapy. The current definition is broad and inclusive of the different professions within the FTA at this time.

  2. An effective and comprehensive theoretical model for financial therapy that integrates all professions has yet to be developed.

  3. There are different viewpoints regarding the unit of service (e.g. individual or family) when conducting financial therapy. Overall, membership interest in this area was low.

  4. FTA members appeared to be highly engaged in discussing relationship boundaries and cultural and spiritual diversity. These conversations can potentially be continued through discussion forums (see Key Actionable Takeaways #2).

  5. When it comes to ethics, the majority of the conversation centered on the need to gain an understanding of the services mental health professionals and financial professionals provide. This is another conversation that can be continued further through discussion forums (see Key Actionable Takeaways #2).


The Ten Considerations1

As a reminder, the following are Ten Considerations for the Development of financial therapy as outlined by Gale, Goetz, & Britt (2013).

  1. Defining financial therapy and successful outcomes of financial therapy services.

  2. Developing theoretical model(s) to explain and predict how people change behavior, cognition, and relationships within the context of financial therapy.

  3. Identifying of the unit of service or treatment in financial therapy.

  4. Defining relationship dynamics and boundaries between professionals from different professions of practice, and between the professional and client when providing financial therapy services.

  5. Developing a set of skills required to provide financial therapy services.

  6. Developing assessment tools to determine when good work is achieved.

  7. Ensuring knowledge expertise required to provide financial therapy services.

  8. Acknowledging the responsibilities of the professional and client and developing a sensitivity to power dynamics.

  9. Addressing cultural and spiritual diversity.

  10. Adhering to a code of ethical behavior, professional standards, and best practices.

1Gale, Jerry; Goetz, Joseph; and Britt, Sonya (2012) "TEN CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINANCIAL THERAPY PROFESSION," Journal of Financial Therapy: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/jft.v3i2.1651

2Asebedo, Sarah; McCoy, Megan A.; and Archuleta, Kristy L. (2013) "2013 Membership Profile of the Financial Therapy Association: A Strategic Planning Report," Journal of Financial Therapy: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1067

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Financial Therapy Association | PO Box 655, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688 | (727) 940-2658 x 2003