Love and Money: How Finances Influence Intimacy
- Farshid Rashidifar
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 11 hours ago
By Farshid Rashidifar (MSW. RSW. Psychotherapist)
April 11, 2025
Money isn't just currency—it's emotional currency. And as a therapist, I frequently see the subtle, often unconscious ways in which financial feelings shape romantic behaviors and relationship choices.
For some, feeling financially stable creates a sense of emotional freedom, confidence, and clarity. These individuals might approach relationships with higher standards and feel empowered to set clear boundaries. However, financial strength can also foster control, dominance, or emotional distance, if money is equated too closely with personal worth.
On the other hand, financial insecurity often triggers relational anxiety. Clients experiencing financial strain might withdraw emotionally, settle too quickly for partners who don't meet their emotional needs, or become excessively cautious in how deeply they invest in a relationship. Their hesitation isn't about lack of interest or capacity for intimacy—it's about protecting themselves emotionally from further vulnerability.
Money symbolizes different things to different people—freedom, control, status, security, or self-esteem. How we relate to these emotional symbols deeply influences our relational patterns. For example, a person equating money with independence may avoid emotional closeness during times of financial hardship, fearing dependence or judgment. Conversely, someone equating financial success with personal value might only feel worthy of love when financially secure.
Therapy helps uncover these hidden connections, providing an emotionally safe space to explore how financial narratives influence relational choices. By understanding these emotional dynamics, individuals can develop healthier approaches—not just to their finances, but also to the relationships shaped by them.
Ultimately, relationships aren't built on money itself, but on the emotional clarity we develop around it. The more aware we become of our financial emotions, the more conscious we can be in the ways we give, receive, and trust in love.
If this reflection speaks to you and you’re considering a deeper exploration of your own relational patterns, you’re welcome to request a private consultation.
Farshid works with a small number of clients at a time. All inquiries are reviewed personally to ensure the focus and fit of the work are aligned.
Research Note:
This reflection is grounded in clinical practice and informed by psychological research. While specific studies, data, and models are not disclosed, the themes are drawn from contemporary academic literature and reinterpreted through a therapeutic lens.
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