You’re not bad with money. But you do avoid opening your bank account. You let the bills pile up. You change the subject when finances come up because not knowing feels safer than looking. And underneath all of that is a shame spiral that’s been running so long it just feels like who you are. The real issue isn’t your habits. It’s that your money story was formed before you were old enough to question it, the system is more broken than anyone will admit, and nobody has ever addressed the emotional layer underneath — just the numbers. This week I sat down with Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a licensed clinical social worker, certified financial therapist, and founder of Mind Money Balance. She won’t make you feel worse about where you are. She covers why high-achieving women get stuck in financial shame, what your childhood money story is still doing to you right now, and why curiosity — not discipline — is what finally moves the needle. She also gets into joyful spending, the “fun money account,” financial self-care by subtraction, ADHD and money, and how to talk about finances with a partner without it blowing up. You’re going to walk away feeling less alone, less ashamed, and clear on what you actually have the power to change. Listen now: YouTube: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: In This Episode Why smart, high-achieving people still struggle with money It’s not a personal failure. It’s the combination of a genuinely broken system, deeply ingrained money beliefs formed before age 8, and a shame spiral that keeps you from ever looking closely enough to actually change anything. The shame vs. guilt distinction that changes everything Guilt says: I made a bad money decision. Shame says: I am bad with money. Lindsay explains why shame makes it almost impossible to take action — and why curiosity is the way out. You cannot budget your way out of a broken system Lindsay breaks down the structural realities that make financial stress inevitable for so many of us — outdated financial advice, housing costs that have nearly doubled when adjusted for inflation, healthcare tied to employment, and the “enshittification” of the tech platforms that were supposed to save us money. This is context most people never get, and it matters. How your childhood money story still runs the show Money beliefs are largely formed by age 7 or 8. Lindsay walks through how to get curious about your own money story — not to spiral, but to finally understand why you do what you do. Joyful spending — and why perfectionists resist it For a lot of us, spending on ourselves feels indulgent, irresponsible, even scary. Lindsay talks about the “fun money account,” the under-$20 practice purchase, and why learning to spend joyfully is actually an act of self-care. Financial self-care by subtraction Sometimes the most generous thing you can do is take things off your plate, not add more. Lindsay talks about automating bills, canceling aspirational subscriptions, and doing a social media audit of the financial content you’re consuming. ADHD and money: working with your brain, not against it From the “ADHD tax” to body doubling with Focusmate to giving yourself permission to own three water bottles — Lindsay has genuinely practical, brain-first strategies for managing finances when your brain doesn’t do “conventional.” Money and couples Lindsay shares her “theirs, mine, and ours” system, why couples who talk about money regularly are measurably happier, and what to ask when deciding between a couples therapist and a financial therapist. What she wants every perfectionist to take away about mistakes Mistakes with money are not a sign you’re failing. They’re part of the process. Lindsay’s parting message for perfectionists is one of the most freeing things in this episode. Key Quotes “You cannot budget your way out of a broken system.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “Guilt says, I made a bad money decision. Shame says, I am bad with money.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “Secrecy, silence, and judgment make shame worse and harder to overcome.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “We are trying to shoehorn ourselves into an economic picture that no longer exists.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “Throw out about 80% of the personal finance advice out there. It was written for a world that is long gone.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “There’s a lot of fear in joy — because it feels like if I have joy, I’ll lose my edge.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “A mistake doesn’t mean you’re bad. It is just an opportunity to learn more about yourself.” — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin “Your money story started before you were old enough to question it.” — Dr. Therese If You Loved This Episode 💌 Share it with a friend who you know is white-knuckling their finances in silence 📝 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It takes two minutes and makes a real difference in helping this show reach more people who need it. 🔔 And if you haven’t subscribed yet, do that now so you don’t miss the rest of Season 2. About Checking In This podcast is for high-achievers, perfectionists, and eldest daughters who look like they have it all together but are silently struggling. Think of Dr. Therese like a big sister with a doctorate who’s been there too and knows what actually helps. No confusing academic jargon or pretending she has all the answers. Just real conversations about building a life you don’t need to escape from. New episodes every Thursday. Season 2: Unimaginable Joy — exploring everything that impacts mental health beyond the mind. About Lindsay Bryan-Podvin Lindsay Bryan-Podvin is a licensed clinical social worker, certified financial therapist, and founder of Mind Money Balance. She ran a financial wellbeing curriculum for the University of Michigan for three years and has been featured in Allure, HuffPost, CNET, Time, and PBS. She’s the author of The Financial Anxiety Solution, a workbook that walks you through the emotional, psychological, and behavioral roots of your money stress — not just the numbers. 📖 The Financial Anxiety Solution 📲 Follow Lindsay 🌐 View the website About Dr. Therese Dr. Therese Mascardo is a Filipina-American psychologist and author of Love The Journey. For over a decade, she’s been in therapy rooms noticing patterns most people never get to see: what happens right before someone breaks through to genuine joy, what keeps people stuck, what actually helps when everything feels heavy. Her mission is to help people love their lives so they never want to leave them. Resources Mentioned * The Financial Anxiety Solution by Lindsay Bryan-Podvin * Focusmate (body doubling app) * The Financial Therapy Association If this episode resonated, these ones pick up right where it left off * The Surprising Connection Between Success, Shame & ADHD w/ Dr. Shawn Horn * Are You Building the Wrong Life? w/ Jodie Cook 💙 Sponsored by TherapyNotes This episode is made possible by TherapyNotes — the all-in-one practice management software built for therapists who are tired of spending Sunday nights catching up on notes. Scheduling, billing, telehealth, and HIPAA-compliant documentation all in one place. Their TherapyFuel AI drafts progress notes in seconds so you can close your laptop and actually be present in the rest of your life. Try it free for 2 months with code DRTHERESE This is a public episode. 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