Money. It’s one of the most powerful forces in our lives, yet it’s just paper, coins, or numbers on a screen. Why, then, does it have the power to stress us out, keep us awake at night, or even traumatize us?
In this post, we’re breaking down what money really is, why it carries so much emotional weight, and how financial trauma gets planted in our subconscious — shaping the way we think, feel, and attract money into our lives. This is the foundation for healing your relationship with money, and it’s exactly what we’re talking about in today’s post.
What Money Really Is
Let’s strip money down to its basics: coins, bills, or digital numbers. By itself, money has no intrinsic worth. The only reason it matters is because we collectively agree that it does.
Modern money isn’t tied to gold or silver anymore — it’s fiat money, which means its value comes from trust in the government and the economy that issues it. That makes money a collective belief made tangible.
At its core, money is energy. It’s a shared language, a tool to help life flow more easily. Just like the earth is held in motion by magnetic forces, your body also carries a magnetic field. Your beliefs and attitudes about money act like magnets too — either repelling or attracting it into your life.
Why Money Hurts Us
If money is “just energy,” why does it cause so much pain?
Because society has layered identity, worth, and power on top of it. From an early age, we’re taught that more money means more success, and less money means less worth. For some families, money became the center of arguments, secrecy, or shame. For others, it became tied to dignity, identity, and survival itself.
Some common sources of financial trauma include:
- Growing up in poverty or in a household filled with money stress
- Living through repeated debt cycles or financial instability
- Experiencing job loss, divorce, or medical expenses that overwhelmed you
- Having money used as a tool of control or manipulation
- Inheriting generational scarcity beliefs passed down through family lines
The Psychology of Financial Trauma
Money touches our deepest needs for safety, belonging, freedom, and identity. When there isn’t enough, it doesn’t just feel like you’re short on cash — it can feel like you’re not enough.
When money feels scarce, your nervous system goes into survival mode. Stress rises. Fear rises. Shame rises. And when those feelings repeat over and over again, they settle into your body as trauma.
This is what we call financial trauma: unresolved emotional wounds around money that live in your subconscious and shape your relationship with wealth today.
Reframing the Story
Here’s the shift: money itself isn’t bad. It’s not evil. It’s not out to get you.
Money is a neutral, supportive energy that wants to help life flourish. The trauma doesn’t come from money itself — it comes from the stories and fears we’ve been taught around it.
When you hold fear, shame, and scarcity around money, you block its natural flow. But when you begin to see money as a loving, supportive energy, you can rewrite the story. You can release old wounds and create space for peace, freedom, and abundance.
Journal Prompts to Explore Your Own Money Story
Take some time this week with these reflection prompts:
- What’s your earliest memory about money? How did it make you feel?
- What beliefs about money did you inherit from your family?
- When you think about paying bills, saving, or debt — what emotions come up?
- Do you notice patterns with money that keep repeating in your life?
- If money is energy, what kind of energy are you currently sending out?
Healing financial trauma starts with awareness. The more you understand how money wounds were formed, the more power you have to release them. Remember — money is not your enemy. It’s energy, and it wants to support you.
Ready to dive deeper? Watch the full video on Healing Financial Trauma here: [YouTube link once uploaded].
And in the comments below, let me know: What’s one money belief you’re ready to release?
Johanna Emily 
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