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We are excited to announce that KFG’s very own Rick Kahler is one of the first professionals to earn the designation of Certified Financial Therapist-Level I™ Professional (CFT-I™).
Rick plays a fundamental role in bringing awareness, training, and regulation oversight to the developing field of financial therapy. Financial therapy is a process informed by both therapeutic and financial competencies that helps people think, feel, and behave differently around money to improve overall well-being through evidence-based practices and interventions.
Financial Therapy is still in its formative years of study and establishment. In 2010 a group of researchers and practitioners came together to form the Financial Therapy Association. Through the establishment of the FTA, research and developmental tools were compiled and the need for standards of study and regulations became evident. The FTA launched into creating a designation that encompasses the combined approach of both the therapeutic and financial competencies. Rick was a founding board member of the Financial Therapy Association and on the Certification Committee that spent four years developing the certification.
There are three levels of the certification, with Level I being the most foundational. To become a CFT-I™, individuals must meet specific educational and experience requirements across the areas of 1) financial therapy, 2) financial planning and financial counseling, and 3) therapeutic competencies. The committee now turns their efforts to developing Level-II and Level-III.
We wish to extend congratulations to Rick for his work in both creating and attaining this designation. If you would like to learn more about the Financial Therapy Certification program, click here to read more on the FTA website.
