About Me
How I Got Here
In my first job after grad school, I lived paycheck to paycheck. I felt so embarrassed and ashamed, like I’d squandered my privilege (I had no student loans thanks to my parents' generosity). Like a good Virgo, I dutifully read everything I could find on personal finance. There were a few helpful tidbits, but mostly? I felt even more deeply ashamed of where I was. There was so much shame in personal finance education at that time. In every book, there were repeated messages about how driving a fancy car (ahem, it was a used Honda) and splurging on bottomless brunches (what brunches?) was putting me in the financial situation I was in. None of those financial experts ever talked about the importance of advocating for fair wages, cultivating a sustainable connection with finances, or examining how my upbringing shaped my relationship with money.
On top of that, I specialized in mental health within the field of social work. Clients would share how stressed they were financially, and my training only equipped me with skills to help them find supplemental food and temporary bill support. Nothing about how their relationship with money was impacting their mental health. It made no sense. I was trained on how to address notoriously taboo and difficult subjects, but somehow, my training never equipped me with the skills to talk with my clients about money.
Both personally and professionally, there was a gap between how we think and feel about money. Over time, I became obsessed with how to bridge the gap between money and mental health.
I found my way to the world of financial therapy, where I finally felt like I could holistically talk about money and mental health. Over time, I infused more of myself into my work. Not only are we talking about shame-free money, but how to joyfully spend on the things that we love. How to lovingly uphold financial boundaries while accounting for different cultural norms. And how advocating for inclusive policy change is a way to practice financial self-care.
My Credentials
I'm Lindsay Bryan-Podvin (she/her). I'm a biracial (Filipina-white) female social worker-turned-financial therapist, author, and speaker. As the first financial therapist in Michigan, I talk about money in a way that doesn’t make you feel gross. I hold a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Michigan State University. I am a certified practitioner in the Trauma of Money Method™, CFT-I™ (Certified Financial Therapist™) through the Financial Therapy Association, and I have my Financial Social Work certificate.
I’m the facilitator of the Financial Empowerment Initiative, a 5-part workshop series on financial wellness at the Center for the Education of Women+ at the University of Michigan.
I’m the author of the book, The Financial Anxiety Solution, which is a self-paced workbook to help you stop stressing about money by applying therapy techniques to your relationship with money.
My work has been featured in Self, TFD, Vox, Allure, Fast Company, HuffPost, Time, and more! Need more proof that I know my stuff? Check out these podcasts, blogs, and articles I’ve contributed to.
When I’m not bingeing on pop culture or personal finance podcasts, you can find me at my home in Ann Arbor curled up with my Portuguese Water Dog, eating stove-popped popcorn, and watching Bravo TV.
Want to hire me? Whether you are looking to sponsor a podcast episode or YouTube video, have me write for your publication, or speak to your audience, you can check out my media kit here.
Why Financial Therapy
Anyone can google their way to a budget spreadsheet. My role as Michigan’s first financial therapist is to guide you to financial and emotional balance. In the world of therapy, we talk about tough stuff like sex, trauma, and heartache but we rarely talk about the thing that impacts us in every aspect of our lives: money.
Money is emotional and psychological, and it’s my role to help you navigate it all. My approach to financial therapy is to check in with your thoughts and feelings before, during, and after we look at the numbers part of your money.
How I Can Help
With a long waitlist for 1:1 services, I’m excited to expand my financial wellness offerings to include consulting, workshop facilitation, keynote speaking, brand ambassadorship, and expert panel participation. I've had the privilege of engaging with diverse organizations, schools, companies, and brands, emphasizing the intersection of money and mental health. My style has been described as “dynamic, accessible, and vibrant” by audiences.
If you want a financial therapy and wellness expert to enrich your team or audience, reach out here, and we can explore how I can help.
Mind Money Balance’s Values
For too long, the personal finance industry has harped on rugged individualism without regarding the intersection of money with mental health, politics, race, and gender. Mind Money Balance believes in social justice and stands against any form of oppression, including, but not limited to: ageism, sizeism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, antisemitism, sexism, Islamaphobia, and ableism. My goal is to cultivate a shame-free space to engage with money. I want all of my clients to feel powerful and abundant in their relationship with money and to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves into therapy and coaching.
My beliefs on mental health align with the World Health Organization that defines mental health as, “Mental health is not merely the absence of mental disorders or symptoms but also a resource supporting overall well-being.”
I'm aware my services aren't financially accessible to all, so I volunteer with Circles of Washtenaw County, a program that aims to break the cycle of generational poverty. Mind Money Balance makes quarterly financial or pro bono workshop donations to local and national organizations. Past organizations that have received Mind Money Balance support include:
My Michigan Office
My office is in my home in Michigan, which means YOU get to join financial therapy or coaching from the comfort of your home. As long as you’ve got a wi-fi connection and a little privacy, you can stay on track to meet your goals by participating in video therapy. You might even see my fur monster pop up in a session, she’s a sucker for the limelight.
