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Financial wellness consultant and brand strategist Beth Clay is a relative newcomer to Dubai. Just 39, the British expatriate has passed the three-year mark in the emirate, where she says the financial landscape is rapidly evolving. Here she tells wknd. of her transformation in her relationship with money<\/a>, from one of catastrophising to one of security.<\/p>\n If you had to use one word to describe money what would it be?<\/p>\n Emotional.<\/p>\n If you had to write a letter to money, what would you say?<\/p>\n I\u2019d say: \u201cThroughout our lives, you\u2019ve widely been misunderstood. People reduce you to bank account figures<\/a> that never feel big enough. But really, you\u2019re a mirror\u00a0reflecting our fears, our values, and the stories we carry, like \u2018I\u2019m not good enough for you\u2019 or \u2018you\u2019re out of reach.\u2019 When we stop chasing you and start building a healthy relationship with you, we see you for what you are\u2014a tool to open doors and create new possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.<\/a><\/p>\n How would you describe your relationship to money?<\/p>\n Balanced now\u2014but it wasn\u2019t always.\u00a0For years, I carried fears that led me to catastrophes over losing money. Studying the psychology of money helped me trace those fears back and reshaping that story\u00a0directed me towards better planning and diversification. Today, I diversify into \u2018pots\u2019 that give me both control and peace of mind.<\/p>\n How do you think this relationship was formed?<\/p>\n My father shaped a lot of it. He was a financial director who used money to support us and taught me about building wealth and setting goals. But losing him suddenly in my teens left me with deep fears around loss\u2014fears I unknowingly projected onto money.\u00a0It wasn\u2019t until my thirties that I consciously rewired that relationship. My corporate career, my leap into entrepreneurship, pitching on Shark Tank UAE,<\/a> and coaching others\u2014each experience proved that money isn\u2019t just numbers. It\u2019s about developing a healthy relationship with it and choosing the stories we want to carry.<\/p>\n What good or bad lessons about money management did you learn from your mother?<\/p>\n Resilience. Through my father\u2019s example, she carried forward the importance of planning whether that being in life insurance, saving for the future, investing – but she also taught me to make space for enjoyment. That balance now forms the core of how I help clients \u2014not just saving or spending but finding things that bring you joy in the here and now.<\/p>\n Who do you speak to about money matters and is it something you consider \u2018taboo\u2019?<\/p>\n So having raw, honest conversations about money is at the heart of everything I coach around financial wellness. I encourage all my clients to speak openly with their partners, siblings, children and friends so that we can be as transparent as possible. By putting our financial goals and struggles on the table, we discover ways forward that we couldn\u2019t see alone.\u00a0In short, I don\u2019t consider it taboo. In fact, I think the silence around money is one of the reasons so many struggle with it.<\/p>\n Who has taught you the most about financial management?<\/p>\n Initially, my father. But to be honest these days, it\u2019s clients. Every session reveals new insights about money stories, habits, and the emotions that drive them. It\u2019s why I\u2019m fascinated by the psychology of money\u2014the numbers are never separate from the feelings.<\/p>\n How do you think living in the UAE has changed your relationship with and perception of money or wealth?<\/p>\n