watch a VIDEO about getting a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL
Accountant (CPA) or Financial Advisor
In Financial UA, we encourage and support our members to invite a trained professional of their choosing to be part of their team. The Financial UA approach is a Team approach. We understand there are limitations to the experience and knowledge of our Qualified Sponsors.
Many 12 Step Fellowships share this wise philosophy of suggesting to their members that they include an appropriate, highly trained professional as part of the recovery process. Overeaters Anonymous suggests to their members that they recruit a Licensed Dietitian, Nutritionist or other Medical professional to craft a healthy and reasonable food plan. This is because OA members are not trained to address medical or health issues and should not overstep these boundaries, especially when the health and life of another could possibly be jeopardized by bad information or rigid black or white thinking. Instead they "turn it over" or "surrender" the control of the food to a trusted professional.
Similarly, the Sex Addicts Anonymous fellowship suggests to their members that they invite a professional therapist to be a part of crafting the Three Circles plan for healthy sexual sobriety. The SAA member is encouraged to meet with his / her Sponsor AND a professional therapist and within that group session, the three of them invite a Higher Power to join them as they begin crafting what the "Inner Circle", "Outer Circle" & "Middle Circle" ought to contain in terms of healthy and appropriate relationship and sexual boundaries. In this situation the therapist helps to hold the space and also offers an objective, trained and educated perspective as to what is healthy and reasonable.
Oftentimes addicts can hold opinions that tend toward the extremes. We would not turn to a car mechanic to drill out a cavity in our tooth. Instead we go to a Dentist. Here a trained professional can provide perspective and balance to the group conscience.
In Financial UA, we encourage our members to work closely with an Accountant--CPA or a trained Financial Advisor, or both as part of creating a healthy and sustainable plan for building earning & income, savings and wealth. When working with any professional we recognize that these individuals work for us and their job is to teach and guide us toward making sound and sustainable financial decisions that best help us meet our needs and goals, both short and long term. When possible we look for people who have the heart of a teacher and who are willing to teach us what we do not know or point us in the direction of getting the best quality information.