Hi, I’m Mariah. I Know What Financial Anxiety Feels Like Because I Lived It.
Welcome. I am Mariah Hudler, LCSW, MBA, CFT™, and the founder of Koru Financial Therapy. I am a licensed psychotherapist and certified financial therapist, but I didn't arrive at this work by having it all figured out. I was raised by a single mom who was the sole financial caregiver for my sibling and me. My childhood was steeped in financial scarcity, and I carried the heavy, quiet panic of that stress with me into early adulthood. Even as I entered graduate school to start my career as a social worker, I carried limiting money beliefs rooted in my childhood and faith. I took on massive student loans. I was highly vulnerable to undervaluing my skills, chronically underearning, and burning out. I avoided looking at my bank accounts, misused credit cards, and resented people who had money. Despite being a highly educated professional, I felt like a complete and utter failure when it came to my finances. I had to learn the hard way that you cannot budget your way out of trauma. Healing my relationship with money required awareness, grace, and clinical support. I built Koru Financial Therapy to be the exact space I wish I had back then.
The Clinical Framework: How I Keep You Safe
When you sit down with me, you are not just getting a financial coach. You are getting a clinician with 20 years of experience in medical social work and a decade as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
I blend traditional psychotherapy with financial strategy so we can heal the root cause of your money anxiety while taking real action toward your goals. I am a neuro-affirmative therapist, uniquely trained to support ADHD, autism, and perfectionism without demanding that you force your brain into neurotypical boxes.
My clinical toolkit includes:
Master Certified Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): For rapid, body-based trauma relief.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Advanced training to help you navigate difficult thoughts and take values-driven action.
Relational Life Therapy & Gottman Method (Level I): To help couples stop fighting and start building equitable financial partnerships.
Certified Financial Therapy (CFT™): 8 years specializing in the intersection of wealth and mental health.
My Qualifications at a Glance
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #65613) – California
Certified Financial Therapist, specializing in financial wellbeing for over 7 years
MBA: Executive Master of Business Administration (University of Waikato, New Zealand)
MSW: Master of Social Work (UC Berkeley)
BA: Sociology (UC San Diego)
Bilingual: I proudly provide psychotherapy in both English and Spanish.
Getting to Know Your Therapist
Building a safe, effective therapeutic relationship means knowing who is sitting across the screen from you. Here is a little more about the human behind the credentials:
My Core Values: Adventure, connection, and service. When I am not working, you can usually find me out in nature or exploring new adventures with my family.
My Money Beliefs: I am a recovering Money Avoider and a current Money Vigilant. I know exactly how hard it is to stop avoiding financial realities, and I use that lived experience to help you build a proactive, safe relationship with your resources.
My Energetic Blueprint: I am an Enneagram 7, 9, & 1 (Enthusiast, Peacemaker, Reformer) and a Manifesting Generator. In session, this means I bring a deep sense of calm and safety, combined with the dynamic energy and creativity needed to help you get unstuck.
Ready to build a life that reflects how you actually want to live?
I would be honored to walk alongside you. Let's start the conversation.