April Reflections: Money Stress, Beliefs & A Gentle Invitation
Unpacking Money Stress: A Holistic Look at Tax Season
Hi Brave Community!
As spring settles in and new life emerges all around us, many of us find ourselves feeling tense. This time of year, aka “tax season”, often brings a spike in stress – tight chests, scattered thoughts, perhaps shame and panic.
And, while it’s easy to blame numbers on paper or looming deadlines, the roots of this stress actually reaches far deeper.
What if the real tension isn’t about money itself, but about the stories we’ve been told – and the ones we keep telling ourselves?
Where Money Stress Comes From
Money is more than just numbers and math. It’s emotions. It’s history. It’s the messages our minds and nervous systems absorbed from our families and our culture.
Maybe you grew up hearing, “We can’t afford that.” Maybe you watched your caregivers fight about money, work themselves to exhaustion trying to survive, or protect suspiciously and fiercely around their wealth.
Over time, these early experiences become core beliefs:
“Money is scarce.”
“People are only after your money.”
“I have to work hard to deserve ease.”
“Money equals success.”
“I’m bad with money.”
“Wanting money makes you greedy.”
These beliefs don’t just live in the mind – they show up in our bodies, our behaviors, our choices – especially in moments like tax season.
Money stress isn’t just about taxes – taxes are the trigger that bring your money beliefs and subsequent stress responses to the surface.
We also want to take a moment to acknowledge the very real distress and pain that can accompany having to let go of hard earned money when you disagree with how your tax dollars are being used.
A Gentle Invitation
There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling overwhelmed right now and you are certainly not alone. This is a potent opportunity to pause, reflect, and meet your money stress with compassion and curiosity.
Here are a few journal questions to help you gently explore:
What physical sensations arise when I think about money right now?
What was I taught about money growing up (directly or indirectly)?
What beliefs do I carry about earning, saving, or spending money?
What do I wish I believed about money?
If I could write a new money story, what would I want it to feel like in my body?
You don’t have to figure it all out right away. Simply bringing awareness to these patterns is a powerful first step. And remember, your body and beliefs are not fixed – they’re adaptable, responsive, and wise <3
As always, we are here to support your process. Whether you’re navigating money stress, emotional triggers, or just wanting to feel more grounded this season – you are not alone and we got you! Just email us at info@bravecounseling.com to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate and non-judgemental therapists today!
Therapist Highlight: Marlys Hersey
Meet the genuine, spicy, and good-humored Marlys Hersey!
Marlys (she/they) is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor in the state of Colorado.
Throughout their career in counseling Marlys has worked in a variety of settings including community mental health, intensive rehabilitation treatment, integrated medicine, and private practice.
Marlys strives to allow the people she works with the space to gain essential insight & awareness, and learn the skills needed to create new and different results in their lives. Marlys fosters partnerships with their clients to help you feel better, function better, connect more easily with others, enjoy your life more, and move towards your goals with clarity, humor, and grace.
Marlys offers individual and couples therapy and is energized by working with folks who are motivated, open to collaborating, and 15 years or older.
Marlys uses and integrates a variety of therapy modalities including...
◾️ EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization Therapy)
◾️ IFS (Internal Family Systems)
◾️ SFBT (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy)
◾️ EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy)
◾️ Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Relapse Prevention
◾️ DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
◾️ ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
◾️ LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming Therapy
Marlys specializes in helping people to...
◾️ Understand entrenched patterns and embrace various parts of themselves to reach a greater sense of wholeness
◾️ First understand their own behavior, and then learn and practice life-changing skills in emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, and distress tolerance
◾️ Explore their preferred futures, and work towards the creating the lives they truly want
◾️ Improve their relationships – including with themselves
◾️ Heal from trauma
◾️ Function better day-to-day and reconnect with a sense of joy and purpose
Marlys as a person↓
►Personality: Strong, Witty, Curious
► Activities: Hiking, biking, hula hooping, walking, traveling, reading, writing, improv, staring at the sky (day or night), hanging out and talking with friends, snorkeling, and kayaking.
►Fun Facts: Marlys currently lives in San Luis Valley (south central CO) and has lived & traveled all over the U.S. and to several other countries -- they're hoping to finally make it to Europe this year. She's had over 100 jobs, is an animal lover, (with a special thing for cats), and has been involved in cat rescue and TNR efforts for years.
►Favorite Quote: "Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard