“One of my best friends left a marriage where her husband beat her, and a man at my church found out his wife was cheating on him for fifteen years. Nothing like that is happening in my marriage, so I should make it work, right?”...

In the course of counseling I hear certain charged words over and over again. Part of getting to know a new client is learning, what do these words mean to them? Often people will express frustration with me. How can I not know what “victim”...

“I know my daughter has issues Amy.” Polly has been talking to me on and off over the years about her now teenage daughter. “You keep telling me that my expectations are unrealistic, and that I need to see her more as who she is....

Marisol’s mother abandoned her on the streets of Mexico when she was four years old and Marisol survived, finding adults to give her food and shelter. For the next two years she slept under pieces of well-used cardboard, foraged for rotten food in garbage cans,...

Your co-worker’s child was in a serious accident, your neighbor’s father just passed away, or your best friend was diagnosed with a serious illness. You want to be helpful but you’re not sure what to do. Here are some ideas that people have shared with...

As a new hospice volunteer I was uncertain what to expect. The psychological process of sudden deaths was familiar to me as the director of a victim’s services program, but sitting with families who’s loved ones were dying over weeks and months was new and...

He’d started a new business from scratch a few years ago, and came in for some support. He outlined his business plan (which was solid), explained his background (offered him the necessary experience and skills), and shared how people were simply not buying his product....

Benny’s favorite activity as a little kid was going to church.  Sunday School, volunteering at fundraising spaghetti dinners, youth group trips when she got older—there was nothing she wouldn’t do.  She was a natural leader and encouraged other teens to join her.  Soon she started...

Sean grew up with a single mom who worked two jobs to make sure he and his brothers always had what they needed. Between his mom’s work schedules and his siblings sporting events it was rare to have everyone home at one time. But every...

Dan and Darrel have a marriage with traditional roles. Dan works outside the home financially supporting the family. He takes the kids on outdoor adventures on the weekends, and gives Darrel a card once a year (on their anniversary). Darrel manages the home, their social...