Keywords
behavioral economics; financial capability; financial social work; interdisciplinary practice; personal financial planning
Abstract
Financial wellness challenges are increasingly complex and multidimensional, shaped by structural constraints, behavioral frictions, and technical financial decision-making. While interdisciplinary approaches to financial well-being spanning financial social work, personal financial planning, and behavioral economics are already emerging in academic programs and professional associations, practitioners often lack a clear, practice-oriented framework for integrating these perspectives into day-to-day client work. This article offers a practitioner-oriented integrative review that synthesizes these three disciplines into a cohesive practice map for addressing the financial needs of diverse and often marginalized populations. Rather than proposing a novel discipline, the paper clarifies the distinct contributions of each field, identifies points of convergence, and examines persistent barriers to interdisciplinary implementation, including professional silos, credentialing norms, compensation models, and ethical boundaries. The article concludes with practical implications for interdisciplinary service delivery, training, and collaboration, offering a roadmap for practitioners seeking to operationalize a whole-client approach to financial wellness.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Stone, R., & Stone, S. (2026). The Whole Client: Rethinking Financial Wellness Through Interdisciplinary Practice. Journal of Financial Therapy, 17 (1) 6.
Included in
Counseling Psychology Commons, Family and Consumer Sciences Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Finance and Financial Management Commons, Social Work Commons
