35. Understanding ADHD and Money with Christine Hargrove, PhD

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When clients miss meetings, avoid financial conversations, or struggle to follow through on planning recommendations, most advisors assume it's about motivation or priorities. Christine Hargrove, PhD and assistant director of the Love and Money Center at UGA, reveals why these behaviors often signal something entirely different: undiagnosed or unaddressed ADHD affecting how your clients process financial information and make money decisions.

ADHD isn't just about distraction or impulsivity—it's a neurodevelopmental condition affecting 4-5% of adults that fundamentally changes how people experience time, process information, and connect with their future selves. Christine explains why traditional financial planning approaches built around long-term goals and future visualization often fall flat with ADHD clients, and shares specific strategies to make your planning process work with their brains instead of against them.

You'll discover the emotional weight ADHD clients carry into money conversations—that deep sense of shame and feeling like they're the only adult who hasn't figured this out yet. Christine walks through the seven executive functions and explains which ones matter most for financial planning, giving you a framework to understand where your clients are actually struggling versus where you might be accidentally making things harder.

This conversation goes beyond accommodation into true adaptation. Christine shares practical techniques like using visual aids effectively, externalizing working memory through strategic note-taking, and reframing future-focused questions to help ADHD clients actually connect with their financial goals. You'll also learn how to spot ADHD patterns in couples dynamics and why understanding both partners' neurological wiring can transform how you facilitate financial conversations.

Resources and Guest Information:

• Christine Hargrove - Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, Love and Money Center at UGA
• Love and Money Center at UGA - Providing financial therapy and planning services
• Financial Therapy Association - Training and resources for financial therapy integration

Connect with Host Ashley Quamme:

• Podcast Website: Planning & Beyond®
• LinkedIn: Ashley Quamme - Licensed Therapist & Financial Behavior Specialist
• Beyond the Plan®: Financial psychology integration services