As we begin to take our financial needs seriously—raising fees, setting boundaries, and valuing our work—those shifts don’t stay contained to our businesses. They often ripple into our personal lives, especially our friendships. In this episode, I talk about what can happen when we move from self-sacrifice to self-advocacy, and how that transition can quietly (or painfully) change the dynamics of the relationships we’ve built.

I explore why some friendships feel strained when old patterns of caretaking and over-giving no longer fit, and I name the very real grief that can come with outgrowing relationships that once felt safe or familiar. This isn’t about blame or “doing friendships wrong.” It’s about understanding that growth—especially financial and personal growth—can be both liberating and tender at the same time.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted between honoring your own needs and preserving friendships you care about, this episode is for you. I offer a compassionate lens for making sense of these changes and reassurance that while some connections may fall away, others—often deeper and more mutual—can emerge in their place.

When Taking Your Financial Needs Seriously Changes Your Friendships

(00:01:45) Noticing Your Personal Needs as Your Practice (and Life) Evolves

(00:05:18) Boundaries, Self-Worth, and Shifting Toward Mutual Relationships

(00:08:37) How Changing Beliefs About Money and Systems Can Create Distance

(00:12:49) Grieving Friendships That No Longer Fit Who You’re Becoming

(00:13:59) Making Space for New or Deepened Connections

From Self-Sacrifice to Self-Worth: Redefining Friendships as Your Relationship with Money Changes

As I’ve grown in my own relationship with money and self-worth—and as I’ve supported hundreds of therapists in growing their practices, earning more, and redefining what success looks like—I’ve seen this pattern again and again. When we stop undercharging, over-giving, or minimizing ourselves, our internal shifts often ripple outward into our friendships and relationships. As our values around money, time, and worth evolve, the relational landscape can change in ways that feel confusing, tender, or even unsettling at first.

Here are a few reflections to hold as you navigate this season:

Valuing your time changes relational expectations When your time and energy matter more to you, friendships rooted in imbalance may feel harder to sustain.
Honoring your needs can reveal misalignment Some relationships deepen when both people embrace self-advocacy; others struggle when old roles no longer apply.
Growth often brings both grief and renewal It’s normal to mourn what’s changing—and also to make room for friendships that align with who you’re becoming.

Financial self-care doesn’t just affect your business—it shapes how you show up in relationships. If you’re feeling sadness, confusion, or even relief as friendships evolve, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re growing. And on the other side of that growth, there is space for connection that feels more mutual, supportive, and true to you.

Ready to Improve your Business Money Skills?

Are you a Solo Private Practice Owner?

I made this course just for you: Money Skills for Therapists. My signature course has been carefully designed to take therapists from money confusion, shame, and uncertainty – to calm and confidence. In this course I give you everything you need to create financial peace of mind as a therapist in solo private practice.

Want to learn more? Click here to register for my free masterclass, “The 4 Step Framework to Get Your Business Finances Totally in Order.”

This masterclass is your way to get a feel for my approach, learn exactly what I teach inside Money Skills for Therapists, and get your invite to join us in the course.

Are you a Group Practice Owner?

Money Skills for Group Practice Owners is a six-month course that takes you from feeling like an overworked, stressed and underpaid group practice owner, to being the confident and empowered financial leader of your group practice. Click here to learn more and register for the January 2026 cohort.

Get to Know Linzy Bonham:

Linzy Bonham is a private practice therapist turned money coach who helps private practice owners and health professionals feel calm and in control of their finances through her coaching at Money Nuts & Bolts and her podcast Money Skills for Therapists.

It all started when she saw her extremely skilled colleagues struggle with the money side of business. Some had even left private practice, or were avoiding starting one, because the financial side was too stressful.

So Linzy decided to help therapists and health professionals develop peace of mind about their money. Since so many were never taught these skills, she focuses on the “how” of making the business side of private practice doable, and even super satisfying.

Follow Linzy Bonham:

About Page: https://moneynutsandbolts.com/about/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linzybonham/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneynutsandbolts/

Mentioned in this episode:

Want to work with Linzy?

Check out the FREE masterclass, The 4 Step Framework to Getting Your Business Finances Totally in Order, where you'll learn the framework that has helped hundreds of therapists go from money confusion and shame to calm and confidence, as well as the three biggest financial mistakes that therapists make. At the end, you'll be invited to join Money Skills for Therapists and get Linzy's support in getting your finances finally working for you. Click on the link to find a masterclass time that works for you!