Offered through UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Planning and Financial Therapy prepares financial planning and mental health professionals to understand the psychological and relational forces that shape how people make money decisions.
Recognizing the critical role of human behavior in financial success, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards recently added client psychology as a core learning objective. This certificate directly addresses that need—equipping planners with the knowledge and skills to help clients navigate the emotional and relational side of money.
Financial therapy is an emerging field that blends the expertise of financial planning with insights from psychology. Graduates gain practical tools to help clients meet their financial goals, reduce clients’ financial stress and money anxiety, strengthen money-related relationships, and support lasting financial well-being.
The program is ideal for financial professionals or mental health practitioners seeking to meet the educational requirements for the CFT™ certification from the Financial Therapy Association and the AFC(R) certification from the Association for Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, while deepening their ability to work effectively with clients around money.
This Graduate Certificate is available in both online and on-campus formats. For complete information on the online version, please visit the Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Financial Planning and Financial Therapy page.
Coursework
Pre/Co-requisite
FHCE 3200,3200E, 8200, 8200E or equivalent
Required Courses
FHCE 7200: Financial Counseling and Communication (Fall or Spring)
FHCE 8500: Survey of Financial Therapy (Spring)
FHCE 8550: Money and Relationships (Fall)
FHCE 6270: Behavioral Economics for Families (Summer ONLY)
FHCE 7205S: Clinical Practicum in Financial Planning (Fall or Spring)*
Recommended Courses
HDFS 6001: Pre-Practicum and Interdisciplinary Practice (Fall) (Not Required)
*May take multiple times for credit. Recommended to take at least twice especially for BFP/FT track Masters or doctoral students.