Why people do what they do with their money, and how we can help them make changes to meet their goals and live better lives?
This question has shaped a large part of my career. Ever since I was introduced to the concept that money causes conflict in couple relationships, I have been curious about the psychological and relational sides of money—how we feel about it, talk about it, fight about it, avoid it, and try to change it. Throughout my career, I have built theory, developed measures, tested interventions, and worked to make sure what we learn in research can actually be used with real people.
Why this work matters
Money is rarely just math. It is safety, power, identity, partnership, and hope. When anxiety, stress, old money stories, or strained relational dynamics or communication patterns take over, even a solid plan can stall. Research helps us name what is happening, measure it carefully, and test what actually helps people move forward.
Good practice needs more than instinct. Theory gives us a way to understand why something works. Research tells us whether it works, for whom, and under what conditions. Practice then sends us back to the questions that still matter. When those three stay connected, students, practitioners, and clients all benefit.
What I focus on
My work sits at the intersection of financial planning, marriage and family therapy, and psychology. I am especially interested in:
Financial anxiety and financial stress
How couples and families make money decisions together
Money beliefs, communication, and emotional patterns that shape behavior
Interventions that help people change in ways they can sustain
Tools that practitioners can use in meetings with real clients
A thread through this work is strengths-based to help people notice what is already working, set meaningful goals, create better relationships, and take the next step with more confidence.
Building theory and scales
Part of research is creating the language and tools the field can share. I developed the Couple and Finances Theory to help us understand the relational dynamics between couples and money. One of the tools I created with colleagues (Dale and Spann) is the Financial Anxiety Scale, a brief measure designed to help people and professionals notice when money-related anxiety is getting in the way.
You can use the Financial Anxiety Scale here on this site under the Resources tab. It is not a diagnosis. It is a starting point—for reflection, for a conversation with a planner or therapist, or for noticing whether worry about money is affecting sleep, focus, mood, or relationships. Please complete the form to help track how and where its being used. Please use the proper attribution when referencing it.
Meaningful change for people
I want research to change real people's lives, not just subjects in a research study. That is why I write for both scholarly and practice audiences, train students who will sit across from clients, and work with practitioners who need ideas and strategies they can use in practice the next day. You can check out some of these tools on in this tab and the Resources tab. When research, theory, and practice stay are continuously integrated, clients are more likely to leave a session with something they can actually do—and with a little more hope that change is possible.
If you want the deeper scholarly trail, you will find selected publications, books, and related resources in the sections below.