I started my career in the money world over
25 years ago as a cash management administrator
for a major bank in New York City. I was helping
large corporations set up systems for maximum
cash flow and, at the same time, I couldn't
responsibly manage my own money. I was divorced
and really didn't understand the value of money
or the concept of creating a budget or "spending
plan." I learned early in life and believed
that men made more money, men had more power
and men had more rights. So, of course, I didn't
really understand the meaning of money other
than how I wanted it to work for me, or how
to value it in relation to who I was. Over time,
I realized I was unconscious about the true
value of money and the true value of myself.
A friend of mine came over and helped me create
a budget in order to meet my monthly bills.
For the next six years, I wrote down and accounted
for every penny I spent. This helped me to see
where my money went, what my patterns were,
and where I placed my values. I learned about
myself and became fascinated about how all this
worked together. It grew into a passion.
During this time, I was also studying The Pathwork
lectures, a contemporary spiritual discipline.
These lectures touch on every human element
in helping one transcend unconscious images
and negative patterns into a life of self-responsibility,
self-acceptance and self-love. Studying and
experiencing these lectures for 20 years has
had a profound impact on my life. They have
helped me be in reality, find the core of my
being and the freedom to be my whole self.
I also consulted with a very creative career
counselor many years ago. She helped me integrate
my love and compassion for the human spirit
and money. This led me to give individual sessions
and my first workshop ... and 30 people came.
Thus, Money and Self-Empowerment™
was founded. That's a positive intention for
you!
After many years of not committing to a career,
I returned to school to finish college and,
in my early 40's, I earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in Counseling and Psychology. Upon completion,
I was invited by one of my mentors, (a Consumer
Psychologist), to co-teach The Psychology
of Money at SUNY Empire State College.
What an opportunity and great experience! Simultaneously,
I attended the Institute of Core Energetics
and became a Certified Core
Energetics Therapist. After taking a year
off I went back to school and earned a Master
of Social Work degree with a major in clinical
studies at Fordham University. I graduated when
I was 50!
If this wasn't enough, while I was in social
work school, I was asked by my Life Coach to
teach Money and Energy, which was part
of a week-long Life
and Health Coaching intensive in the Chicago
area. It had such a profound effect on my life
that I signed up for the Health Coach Training
Program and have become a Holistic
Life Coach. Following this, I joined the
faculty of the Whole Health Coaching Institute
and have taught Money and Energy and Growing
Your Coaching Practice.
I’ve extended my coaching practice to
work specifically with money issues and have
created a Money
Coaching specialty. I work with a variety
of people -- from those who are trying to makes
ends meet, to teaching clinicians how to work
with clients with money issues, to private practitioners
who want to grow their practices, to very wealthy
people who need direction and clarity in dealing
with money on a daily basis.
In addition, one of my internships in social
work school led me to work with individuals
in drug and alcohol recovery, as well as with
individuals who were mandated by the state.
Working in the addictions field led me to working
with addictions and money, and I have facilitated
workshops at the National Association of Social
Workers Addictions Conference and the Cape Cod
Symposium on Addictive Disorders. I created
The Dynamics of Money
in Treatment: Helping Your Clients Create Financial
Health and have taught this at Hofstra University
and the Alcoholism Council of New York. I've
brought this seminar into corporations and offer
it as a Distance Learning Course for addiction
professionals, mental health and prevention
practitioners. It has been approved for CEU
credits by The State of New York Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Services, the National Association
of Social Workers and NAADAC, The Association
for Addiction Professionals Trainers Academy.
I am on the faculty of NYU School of Continuing
and Professional Studies, The AsOne Coaching
Institute and The 92nd Street Y. I've also developed
Money and You Telegroups
utilizing a phone bridge. It's an amazing experience
to have people from all over the country just
pick up the phone and join a class. We create
a safe environment and experience where everyone
participates and gets support for whatever they
need.
From my desire to continue feeling the pleasure
of my creativity and work, I created a new product
of Abundance and Prosperity
Cards. It is a deck of 36 affirmations/messages
to help empower one to create abundance and
prosperity in every area of one’s life.
It has inspired me to begin creating a book
to go along with the cards.
I have created Kids and
Money for birthday parties. It is a program
aimed to help children develop a healthy relationship
with money. I use interactive games, art projects
and good old-fashioned talking and listening.
This helps children to experience their innate
wisdom and celebrate their authentic selves.
I am also writing a children's book on the value
of the human spirit in relationship to money.
In addition, I have developed an experiential
class, The Law of Attraction,
designed to inspire individuals to create abundance
and prosperity in every area of their lives.
We address the dynamics of positive and negative
intentions, money and empowerment, understanding
judgment (the critical voice) and forgiveness,
the creative process of the Law of Attraction
and the power of gratitude. In this class, participants
have an opportunity to formulate a vision and
create the blueprint of their best life to achieve
their goals.
I feel blessed and privileged to do this work
in helping others in their journey towards self-empowerment.
As we continue to evolve and transform our negative
patterns into positive directions, we become
richer in our souls. This is the gateway to
creating financial integrity and abundance and
prosperity in every area of our lives.
I maintain a private practice in Brooklyn Heights
and Manhattan. I facilitate groups, workshops
and lectures and I'm available for in-house
seminars. Please feel free to call or e-mail
me with any comments or questions that you may
have.
With Abundant Gratitude,
Judith
Gruber
|
