Laurel Road Brings on Financial Therapist to Strengthen 'Mental Wealth' Initiatives

Aja Evans, LMHC, to support members at the intersection of mental health and financial wellbeing

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Jan 25, 2022, 09:05 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Laurel Road, a digital banking platform of KeyBank with specialized offerings for healthcare and business professionals, announced today it has engaged Aja Evans, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in New York City, as a Financial Therapist to offer existing and prospective members guidance and resources for building 'mental wealth,' which speaks to the specific impact finances have on mental health and overall wellness. Through this partnership with Aja Evans, LMHC, Laurel Road will provide its members a knowledgeable guide for understanding and pursuing the principles of sound mental health and financial wellbeing.

The addition of Aja Evans comes just two months after Laurel Road launched its Mental Wealth Survey, which found that a striking 72% of Americans under 40 say managing their finances is a strain on their mental health. The survey also unveiled that through building financial literacy, the strain can be alleviated as 79% would feel less stressed about their financial situation if they were further educated on how to achieve financial wellness.

Financial therapy, by definition, is a process informed by both therapeutic and financial expertise that helps people think, feel, and behave differently with money. Financial therapy takes similar practices of traditional therapy into account but is specifically focused on how people interact with money and how that consequently impacts feelings and behaviors.

"Time and time again, we've heard about the stressors our members are faced with when it comes to managing debt and personal finances. At Laurel Road, our mission is to be a partner, rather than just a bank, as this allows us to deliver financial peace of mind at every stage of one's financial journey," said Alyssa Schaefer, General Manager & Chief Experience Officer at Laurel Road. "Working with a financial therapist like Aja allows us to leverage her deep expertise in the field of psychology and financial planning, which will ultimately help us better understand what our members need to achieve mental wealth, giving them a more positive and hopeful outlook through a mindful approach to their financial situation and helping to inform our future product development."

Aja Evans will serve as Laurel Road's Financial Therapist and will be available to members through advice-driven content to be posted to its website and social channels as well as upcoming Q&As and live streaming events. Her content will explore how an individual's upbringing, life experiences and beliefs about money impact financial wellbeing. Laurel Road members can expect to experience a glimpse of her approach as a financial therapist, helping those who struggle with financial wellness, or want to improve it in general, to shift the mindset they have about money to improve their relationship with it.

"As a licensed therapist, I've seen first-hand the benefit greater financial education, resources and planning have on someone's mental wellbeing," said Aja Evans, LMHC and Financial Therapist for Laurel Road. "For me, it's incredibly rewarding to support people in their journey to having more financial literacy and to building a better relationship with money. I'm thrilled to partner with Laurel Road as they share these values, recognize the explicit link between financial wellness and mental wellbeing and are taking action on it."

To learn more about Aja Evans and her financial wellness offerings, visit ajaevenscounseling.com or follow her on Instagram (@ajaetherapy). To learn more about Laurel Road's commitment to mental wealth, its growing digital banking offerings, and how its supporting members with financial literacy, visit (laurelroad.com/resources) or follow @laurel_road on Instagram.

About Laurel Road
Laurel Road is a digital banking platform and brand of KeyBank that provides tailored offerings to support the financial wellbeing of healthcare and business professionals. Laurel Road's banking and lending solutions, including Laurel Road Checking^SM, Laurel Road High Yield Savings^®, Laurel Road Student Loan Cashback^®Card, student loan refinancing, loans, and more, provide our members with a simplified, personalized experience that helps them better navigate their financial journey and achieve life's goals. Additionally, Laurel Road has reimagined banking and financial management for physician and dentists through Laurel Road for Doctors, a tailored digital experience made up of banking, insights and exclusive benefits to provide the financial help and peace of mind they need through each career stage. Since 2013, Laurel Road has helped thousands of professionals with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees consolidate and refinance more than $7 billion in federal and private school loans. For more information, visit http://www.laurelroad.com. Laurel Road is a brand of KeyBank National Association. All products offered by KeyBank N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS # 399797. Equal Housing Lender. © 2022 KeyCorp^® All Rights Reserved. Laurel Road is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp.

About KeyCorp
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $186.3 billion at December 31, 2021. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

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SOURCE Laurel Road