Sonya Lutter, Ph.D., CFP®, LMFT

About me

Sonya Lutter, Ph.D., CFP®, LMFT serves as the inaugural Director of Financial Health and Wellness. She leads curriculum and continuing education opportunities in the areas of financial psychology, financial therapy, and financial behavior. Sonya is also the owner of EnLite.World, a research and training consultancy firm for financial planners and therapists. She holds degrees from Kansas State University and Texas Tech University in marriage and family therapy and financial planning. Her work is regularly featured in major news outlets such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Sonya draws upon decades of experience in academia to apply theory to practice. Her developmental work in financial therapy is summarized in Financial Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice with co-editors Drs. Brad Klontz and Kristy Archuleta. Dr. Lutter's work in financial wellness involves multidisciplinary teams to focus on food insecurity, relational dynamics as it relates to money, and wellness among professional students such as veterinarians. Dr. Lutter's work at the financial counseling centers at Texas Tech University and Kansas State University have guided her effectiveness of financial counseling research agenda, which culminates with a co-edited book with Dr. Dorothy Durband titled, Student Financial Literacy: Campus-Based Program Development.

Research focus

Relational dynamics of financial planning; Impact of physiological stress on decision-making and well-being; Financial literacy among college and professional students

Research Interest/Areas of Expertise

Financial Health and Wellness

Selected Publications

Moore, C. M., Gallardo, J. E., Scott, A., & Lutter, S. (2022). Applying a human capital framework to college students' financial well-being. Journal of Personal Finance. Reiter, M. C., Seay, M., MacDonald, M., Lutter, S., & Loving, A. (2022). Racial and gender preferences when hiring a financial planner: An experimental design on diversity in financial planning. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. Rubin, L. M., Joseph, M., Lutter, S., Roberts, D. K., & Jones, J. J. (2021). Enhancing financial literacy among college athletes. Journal of Athlete Development and Experience, 3(2). Available at https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/jade/vol3/iss2/1 Potter, D., Jayne, D., & Britt-Lutter, S. (2020). Financial anxiety among college students: The role of generational status. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 31(2), 286-297. Archuleta, K. A., & Lutter, S. (2020). Utilizing family systems theory in financial therapy. Financial Planning Review. doi: 10.1002/cfp2.1073 Dew, J., Dean, L., Duncan, S. F., & Britt-Lutter, S. (2020). A review of effectiveness evidence in the financial-helping fields. Family Relations, 69, 614-627. doi: 10.1111/fare.12445 Britt-Lutter, S., & Heckman, S. (2019). The financial life of aspiring veterinarians. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. doi: 10.3138/jvme.0218-017rl Miller, M., Middendorf, G., Wood, S. D., Lutter, S., Jones, S., & Lindshield, B. (2019). Food insecurity and assistance on campus: A survey of the student body. Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 14(2), 1-25. doi: 10.4148/1936-0487.1097 Britt-Lutter, S., Dorius, C., & Lawson, D. (2018). The financial implications of cohabitation. Journal of Financial Planning, 4, 38-45. *Won best theoretical paper award at Financial Planning Association annual conference in October 2017 *Also appeared in: Journal of Financial Planning, The Best of 2018, 56-63. Tibbetts, R. H., & Britt, S. L. (2018). Associations of health and financial resources with stress: Applying the theory of conversation of resources. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 29(1), 60-67. doi: 10.1891/1052-3073.29.1.60 Britt-Lutter, S., Haselwood, C., & Koochel, E. (2018). Love and money: Reducing stress and improving couple happiness. Marriage and Family Review, 1-16. doi: 10.1080/01494929.2018.1469568 Zepp, P., Potter, D., Haselwood, C., & Britt-Lutter, S. (2018). The influence of coping strategies on college students' grade point averages. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 47(1), 73-86. doi: 10.1111/fcsr.12274 LaBaron, A. B., Allsop, D. B., Hill, E. J., Willoughby, B. J., & Britt-Lutter, S. L. (2017). Materialism and marriage: Actor and partner effects between materialism, importance of marriage, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Financial Therapy, 8(2), 1-23. doi: 10.4148/1944-9771.1145 Britt, S. L., Hill, J. E., LeBaron, A., Lawson, D., & Bean, R. (2017). Tightwads and spenders: Predicting financial conflict in couple relationships. Journal of Financial Planning, 30(5), 36-42. *Won best theoretical paper award at Financial Planning Association annual conference in September 2016 *Also appeared in: Journal of Financial Planning, The Best of 2017, 48-54. Britt, S. L., Ammerman, D. A., Barrett, S. F., & Jones, S. (2017). Student loans, financial stress, and college student retention. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 47(1), 25-37.