Can You 'Manifest' Wealth? What To Know About This Controversial Topic

"I used to use 'manifesting' language in my practice, but I've since stopped; now I say 'create,' which I think more accurately reflects what's happening," says financial therapist Bari Tessler. "Because having a healthy relationship with money really comes down to not only having positive thoughts about money, but it's about the practical end, too. It's a combo of envisioning and hard work."

So what does this look like day-to-day? Well, the "envisioning" (or what some people describe as manifesting) comes into play in two ways: shifting negative self-talk around money and setting goals.

"Thinking positive thoughts about your relationship with money is always a good thing: Just start by realizing you might have negative thoughts and reframing them to something more gentle and kind," says Tessler. "A negative thought can spiral, and it's something you want to pull yourself out of by shifting your mentality." She notes this may look like someone constantly telling themselves that they're "just not good with budgeting" or that they "just don't know how to negotiate for more." By framing yourself this way, it makes it hard to envision changing.

From there? "Set an intention," says Tessler, who also calls these "financial ceilings." This can range from things like I'd like to increase my hourly rate for projects, or I'd like to save a certain amount of money, to I'd like to put a down payment on a house. "You want your financial ceilings to be realistic: something you can reasonably meet so you don't get discouraged," she says. "And yes sometimes you can have a large jump toward a goal, but often it happens in smaller increments."

So now that we've defined manifesting—or whatever term you want to use to describe it—does it, uh, work? "Setting an intention is wonderful, but it's only one part of it. You need to put in the practical steps too. Many people think the only thing you need to do is 'put it out there,'" says Tessler.

And your practical steps will vary based on your intention. If it's saving more, it will likely mean you need to create or redo your monthly budget to accommodate. If it's asking for more at work, come up with a game plan as to why you deserve it and how you plan to present that to your employers.