Family Financial Trauma. Inheritance Disputes.
- Money dynamics exist in every relationship, couple, family and extended family and is one of the most sensitive topics in people's lives. - We all have varied attitudes and different narratives in regard to money and finance related matters which create challenges and may become highly emotive. - Diversity of family structures, including nuclear families, same-sex families, extended and step families, lone-parent families, no child families, reconstituted families, and grandparent families, can all become exceedingly complicated when money is involved. - Partners may financially help each other, couples may help each other, married and de facto couples may receive access to funds from their partners, parents may financially help children, grandparents may help grandchildren, siblings may help siblings. - Failure to properly document these transactions lead to significant issues including disparities in expectations, amounts gifted or borrowed and allocation of resources to various family members. - Inheritance is a complex and highly sensitive topic, often involving intricate legal, financial, and emotional considerations. - Amid the loss of a loved one, anticipation of receiving an inheritance can lead to conflicts and tensions within families, especially if there are differing expectations or perceptions of fairness. - Disputes among heirs, relating to perceived or actual unequal distributions, complex asset and trust structures, debts, liabilities or executor complications seem more common than not.
Therapy approach
- Clarifying what’s being asked and required from you and what it costs you emotionally.
- Separating gratitude from obligation and define your bottom lines.
- Building scripts and boundaries for predictable conflict points.
- Planning steps that reduce leverage and increase independence over time.
Session formats
- Trauma‑informed counselling appointments in person or via telehealth.
FAQs
Is it unsuitable to seek help in complicated situations concerning the mistreatment of an elder or disabled person, even when the abusers are family members?
No it is not wrong to accept help. However it is important to take on this help while clarifying terms, documenting agreements, and reducing exposure over time.
What if I am blamed for interfering or getting involved in family matters?
That is quite common for third parties to be blamed when money is used for leverage within family units. Always remember that abuse is absolutely unacceptable, regardless of familial ties. Therapy enables you to respond effectively without succumbing to feelings of shame or the pressure to comply.