Hi, I’m Jillian.
As someone who has worked in the mental health field for over 10 years, I know that therapists tend to keep their head in the sand around money. They feel incapable and overwhelmed by worry, so they avoid it.
I know because I’ve been there and now I'm on a mission to help therapists face their fears and take control of their financial future.
My Story
The truth is, I didn’t really start learning about personal finance until I was in my mid-twenties. My parents didn’t talk to me about money growing up, but what I learned from hearing them talk about it was that “money is stressful” and “there is never enough”. I got the message somewhere along the way that girls and women aren’t good at math or money and that I would need to find a man to take care of me.
I was the person in my family who did everything “right”, so I followed the traditional path to happiness. I went to college, found a great guy, chose a career path, went straight into grad school to become a therapist and got married. In the process, I spent all the money I made from working and took on over 100k in student loan debt by going out of state for school (twice!).
Shortly after getting married, my husband and I added up our combined debt and discovered we owed $364,000 with a significant majority being student loan debt. And no that did not include a mortgage. We were speechless. We felt ashamed, sad and hopeless. Then we got on a very popular but VERY rigid plan (you might be able to guess the one) and slowly started paying down our debt while saving money where we could. It was hard. We couldn’t even afford to pay the interest that was accruing on our loans. In 2019 we were able to increase our income significantly (which I realize is a privilege) and that helped us to be able to start making larger debt payments.
In 2020 we began to realize how restrictive and unhealthy the personal finance program we were using was for our mental health and our relationships and we started adding in more balance and fun into our lives. I became obsessed with learning as much as I could about personal finance. In the process, my husband and I have had many conversations about values, fears, dreams, and goals related to money.
We have paid off over $250,000 in student loans so far and continue to slowly work toward debt freedom in a way that aligns with our values and stage of life.
Now I get to help therapists improve their own financial well-being without the shame and deprivation that I experienced on my own journey.
My Approach
01
Empathy
You don’t have to worry about being judged by me. There is SO much shame around money which is why I believe the only way to approach making changes in your finances is with tons of empathy and compassion.
02
Exploration
Together we will explore your current financial picture and any money mindset blocks that might be making it difficult for you to stick to a plan or align your behavior with you goals. We may also explore aspects of your relationship with money as it relates to past experiences.
03
Education
Money can be an intimidating topic to ask questions about. I will answer any question you have, provide education as needed, and connect you with other professionals outside my scope of knowledge and experience.