More than 100 friends, family members, colleagues and other guests celebrated the publication of faculty member Judith Stern Peck’s new book, Money and Meaning (John Wiley & Sons) at a book-signing party at the Ackerman Institute on December 12. Ms. Peck is pictured above (right)with the Ackerman Institute’s newest Board member, Diana Benzaquen.
“This book is a great accomplishment on Judy’s part,” Lois Braverman, President of the Ackerman Institute, told the guests. “It also represents a major landmark for the Money and Life Project, which Judy initiated at Ackerman eight years ago and continues to direct.”
The subtitle of Money and Meaning is New Ways to Have Conversations with Clients about Money, A Guide for Therapists, Coaches, and Other Professionals. Ms. Peck explained that while money issues often play a key role in family life, money is a subject that makes many therapists feel uncomfortable. The purpose of the Money and Life Project, and the book, which grew out of the Project, is to provide therapists and other professionals with the tools they need to encourage clients to think and talk about the ways in which their values are reflected in their financial decisions and the ways in which they make those decisions.