#200 - The Boy Behind the Miser, a Child’s Trauma, an Adult’s Defense

Long before he became a miser, Scrooge was a lonely boy left behind at boarding school—forgotten, unwanted, and emotionally starved. In this IFS-informed exploration, Rick traces how those early wounds formed exiled parts burdened with shame and abandonment, which in turn gave rise to the controlling, isolated adult we meet in A Christmas Carol. Scrooge’s obsession with money, his cold demeanor, and his rejection of connection weren’t signs of greed—they were survival strategies. Through this lens, Dickens’ story becomes more than a tale of redemption—it’s a powerful look at how childhood trauma shapes adult financial behavior and how healing begins when we finally turn toward those long-forgotten parts.

A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.
Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.