CEO, Co-Founder Trauma of Money
As the co-founder of The Trauma of Money, Chantel Chapman is considered a refreshing voice in the financial recovery and education space, renowned for her cutting-edge, relatable, and trauma-informed money guidance. Drawing influence from 14 years of experience as a mortgage broker, 10 years as a financial literacy consultant, and extensive research in addiction, behavioural science, community economic development, trauma, and mindfulness, Chantel’s distinct disciplines make learning about money the antithesis of anything you would experience through traditional schooling.
Chantel currently runs the Trauma of Money – an accredited course certifying professionals or individuals in trauma-aware and trauma-informed approaches to finance. TOM’s approach works to decrease shame and increase discernement around money. Chantel has taught and written personal and entrepreneurial finance curriculums for Universities, and Accelerator programs such as Humber College, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ryerson University, United Way, Simon Fraser University, EntrepreNorth and Fireweed Fellowship. Chantel was the lead player on building Canada’s first-ever, award-winning digital mortgage experience with free credit score and a consultant on several other innovative products for one of Canada’s largest Fintech brands.
Chantel is a settler of European descent who works and resides on the stolen traditional lands of the Kwantlen (kwaant·luhn), Musqueam (“mus-kwee-um”), and Tswassen (saa·wa·sn) peoples.
In unrelated news, Chantel (not an actor) starred in a short film as the wife of a mafia kingpin along with the founder of Lions Gate Studios.
TOPICS
Trauma of Money
You may tell yourself that you are bad with money, that you lack financial literacy. You may be experiencing money shame.
The key term to learn here is trauma. Chances are, you hold some sort of trauma, whether it be individual, generational, intergenerational, relational, societal or systemic.
What does this trauma do? It shapes your beliefs around yourself and around money.
Trauma writes scripts in our minds, embedding behaviours into our nervous system. These narratives lead us to different painful, disruptive behaviours and money disorders. Without healing that trauma and changing those scripts, financial strategies will only help superficially.
In this topic, we will explore financial trauma, and we will also reveal how trauma in general impacts the brain and, in turn, our relationships with money and financial wealth.
This will include an exploration of the narratives that arise out of the following layers: Generational/Intergenerational Trauma, Relational Trauma, Societal Trauma, Systemic Injustice, Laws of Nature and Financial Literacy. Along with this uncovery, we will introduce interventions for accessible healing.
The Psychology of Scarcity
Scarcity can impact the brain in a similar way to trauma. Here we will uncover what happens to the brain during scarcity or the belief of scarcity and how this state can reduce bandwidth, impulse control, and executive function. We can experience financial scarcity, time scarcity and even connection scarcity. We will explore how we can introduce scarcity-sensitive policies into our organization or within ourselves, enabling us to reduce shame and take steps forward to move out of scarcity or scarcity thinking.
Dopamine Treadmill
A look at the intersections between consumerism, our unacceptance of pain, and the dopamine-seeking treadmill and how this can lead to many undesirable behaviours with money.
