Internal Family Systems & Financial Therapy with Tara Unverzagt

In this episode of the Healthy Love and Money Podcast, I welcome Tara Unverzagt, founder of South Bay Financial Partners and a fellow financial therapist. We explore Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how this groundbreaking therapeutic approach can help individuals and couples transform their financial relationships. Tara shares her journey of integrating IFS into her financial therapy practice, how understanding our "parts" can heal deep-seated money wounds, and why no part of us is bad—even the ones that sabotage our financial decisions.

Quotes:

“There are no bad parts—just parts that need to be heard.” – Tara Unverzagt“Our financial behaviors are shaped by our internal ‘parts,’ and when we listen to them with compassion, we can make lasting changes.” – Tara Unverzagt

Key Moments:

⏳ [1:00] Tara’s journey into financial therapy and Internal Family Systems

⏳ [3:30] The shift from “fixing” money problems to embracing all parts of ourselves

⏳ [7:15] The power of scaffolding vs. enabling in family financial decisions

⏳ [12:00] How attachment theory influences our financial behaviors

⏳ [17:30] Everyday money conflicts—how a simple comment about crumbs turned into a deep realization

⏳ [22:00] The spender-saver dynamic and how IFS helps couples navigate financial differences

⏳ [28:40] Understanding financial anxiety and how it’s often rooted in childhood experiences

⏳ [33:00] The deep connection between money, identity, and self-worth

⏳ [40:10] Why financial planning should be about understanding emotions, not just numbers

Resources & Links:

🔗 Connect with Tara Unverzagt:

• Website: South Bay Financial Partners
• LinkedIn: Tara Unverzagt
• Instagram: @SouthBayFinancialPartners

📖 Recommended Books & Resources:

• No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Wired for Wealth by Brad Klontz

💡 Connect with Ed Coambs:

• Website: Healthy Love and Money
• Instagram: @HealthyLoveAndMoney
• LinkedIn: Ed Coambs

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Podcast Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and reflects my experiences as a financial therapist and Certified Financial...