Let’s
Break
the Ice
I'm Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a biracial financial therapist, podcast host, speaker, social worker, and author of "The Financial Anxiety Solution." I help you amplify your money for good with speaking, workshops, and brand collaborations. When I'm not geeking out over the emotional side of money, you'll find me walking my dog while listening to a podcast or cozying up with a bowl of popcorn, catching up on reality TV.
Why Hire a Financial Therapist
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, psychological and impacted by the systems we live in, 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 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.
That's why I founded my financial wellness business, Mind Money Balance. I believe that when we use money for good—our version of good—we can not only change our lives but create a positive ripple effect across our communities.
About Mind Money Balance
At the core of Mind Money Balance is a commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and improving mental health through financial well-being. I blend my expertise and credentials with empathy to create a space where diverse perspectives and experiences are valued and celebrated.
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I founded Mind Money Balance to challenge the personal finance industry's traditional emphasis on rugged individualism, recognizing the intersection of money with mental health, politics, race, and gender.
My goal is to create a shame-free space to engage with money through speaking engagements, workshops, and brand partnerships. I strive to empower individuals in their relationship with money, encouraging them to feel powerful, abundant, and comfortable bringing their whole selves into these conversations.
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I am committed to promoting social justice and firmly oppose all forms of oppression, including but not limited to: ageism, sizeism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, antisemitism, sexism, and ableism.
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. Organizations that have received Mind Money Balance support include:
Food Gatherers
ACLU
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Stop AAPI Hate
Girls Who Code
Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
Planned Parenthood of Michigan
Friends In Deed
Everytown Research & Policy
Once Pickled
Ypsilanti Community Schools
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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.”
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I’m a social worker turned financial therapist, author, and speaker. 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.
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I wrote 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.
How I can
help
I’m excited to expand my financial wellness offerings to serve a diverse audience through speaking engagements, workshop facilitation, and aligned brand partnerships. 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.