Episode 2: What is Financial Abuse?

Has your spouse ever cut off your access to a bank account or credit card? Have you felt nervous, trapped, or truly frightened because of your spouse or significant other’s actions surrounding your finances? There is help available. I’m Dr. David Hawkins, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in couple’s crisis counseling and narcissistic and emotional abuse at the Marriage Resource Center (MRC). I’m hosting this episode of the Mad.In.Love podcast to help shed light on a form of abuse that is not as commonly talked about as physical or emotional abuse. Financial abuse can often be triggered by fear - fear brought on by early childhood trauma, for instance, if the abuser grew up in a financially unstable situation, experiencing homelessness or other life stressors stemming from money or lack thereof.I’m joined today by Lee Kaufman, a skilled life and relationship coach who has been helping people help themselves for 20 years, including over 4,000 hours with the Marriage Recovery Center. Early in his career, he spent over a decade in the financial and legal industries. This has given him unique insight on how business, finances, and family are inextricably connected. If one of these systems break down, the others will shortly follow. Lee’s work is based on three main principles: Connection, Intellectual Understanding, and Emotional Understanding.In this episode we will talk about several examples of financial abuse (most often, but not always) perpetrated by men against their wives. You may not even realize that you are in a financially abusive relationship, until you hear about some of the specific scenarios we discuss. Lee tells us about identifying what level of abuse is happening, how to address it therapeutically, and the paths available to de-escalating the abuse, or even extricating yourself from the abusive situation.The Mad.In.Love Podcast is brought to you by the Marriage Recovery Center in Seattle, and hosted by Dr. David Hawkins, MBA, MSW, MA, PhD. Dr. Hawkins is a renowned clinical psychologist who has brought healing and restoration to thousands of marriages and individuals since he began his work in 1976. He is passionate about helping couples heal marriage wounds and rediscover deeper connection and intimacy. Dr. Hawkins is a speaker & trainer for the American Association of Christian Counselors and writes for Crosswalk.com, CBN.org, and Believe.com. He has made regular appearances on Moody Radio and Faith Radio and is a best-selling author of over thirty books. Dr. Hawkins and his team of trained experts offer narcissistic and emotional abuse counseling in Seattle and virtually nationwide. To schedule your in-person or video session, call our team at (206) 219-0145.Resources:Lee Kaufman at MRCDr. David Hawkins at MRCFounded by Dr. David Hawkins, the Marriage Recovery Center is the leading authority on the treatment of narcissistic and emotional abuse. To schedule your in-person or video session, call our team at (206) 219-0145 or email [email protected] ***Please note that Mad.In.Love welcomes guests with diverse viewpoints. Their beliefs do not necessarily reflect our mission at the Marriage Recovery Center and the Emotional Abuse Institute, but we value open dialogue and exploration.***