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CBT · Anxiety

Financial Anxiety Worksheet

Separate the feeling from the facts and take the smallest look-at-it move

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Money anxiety often runs on avoidance — the client feels dread without looking at the numbers, which keeps the dread accurate. This worksheet separates the feeling from the facts, names the money story the client learned, and lands on the smallest look-at-it move for this week.

The money situation on my mind (bill, debt, income gap, upcoming expense, unknown)
Anxiety when I think about it (0–100)
none
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
most
What I actually know about the numbers
What I've been avoiding looking at
The money story I learned growing up ('money is ___', 'people with money are ___')
How that story shows up in my behavior now (spending, hiding, over-working, freezing)
The smallest look-at-it move this week (open the app, read the statement, list the amount owed)
One person or resource I can ask for help (friend, adviser, hotline, employer benefit)
Anxiety after finishing this sheet (0–100)
none
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
most
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About this worksheet

Money anxiety usually runs on avoidance. The client feels dread without looking at the numbers, and the avoidance keeps the dread accurate — the situation grows worse in the dark. This worksheet separates the anxious feeling from what the client actually knows, surfaces what specifically has been avoided (unopened statements, unpaid bills, unread tax notices), names the money story the client inherited ('money is scarce', 'money corrupts', 'people with money are ___', 'talking about money is vulgar'), notices how that story shows up in current behavior (chronic overwork, hiding purchases, freezing on decisions, avoiding help), and lands on the smallest look-at-it move for the week. Not 'get out of debt' — 'open the app', 'read the statement', 'list the amount owed'. Small enough that avoidance doesn't get to veto it.

When to use it

  • Debt anxiety, especially clients who avoid opening statements or app notifications.
  • Income instability, freelance / gig / commission-based clients.
  • Tax avoidance and tax-related shame.
  • Post-layoff distress and severance-runway anxiety.
  • Inherited money shame — clients whose money story predates any of their choices.
  • Financial trauma from childhood scarcity, medical debt, divorce, or fraud.

How to use it

  1. 1
    Rate before and after

    Anxiety usually drops after the sheet, even before any external change — naming the situation reduces the load. The rating makes that visible.

  2. 2
    Separate known from avoided

    Two columns. The avoided column is the work; the known column shows the client they aren't starting from zero.

  3. 3
    The inherited story

    'What did I learn about money at home?' Almost always generates material the client hasn't named before, and it usually explains the current behavior.

  4. 4
    Smallest look-at-it move

    Under 10 minutes. Opening the banking app counts. The point is to break avoidance in a way small enough that avoidance can't win.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't this a financial planning problem, not a therapy problem?+

Both. The worksheet handles the anxiety and avoidance layer that stops clients from doing the financial planning. Refer to a financial adviser, credit counsellor, or hardship program for the numbers side — the sheet has a field for that referral.

How is this different from a general anxiety worksheet?+

It targets the specific avoidance-fed loop money anxiety runs on. Generic anxiety strategies (relaxation, thought records) don't move it much until the avoidance breaks.

What about clients whose situation is objectively dire?+

Then the worksheet becomes triage plus dignity. Naming the reality, taking the smallest concrete step, and asking for help are the interventions available; the sheet supports all three without pretending anxiety is the whole problem.

Is this worksheet free?+

Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to TherapistAssist to send as a secure client link.

Worksheet — Financial Anxiety Worksheet — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.