God's work never stops. Will you help?

Urgent Need: During the summer months, giving typically slows as the focus turns to time off and vacations. But family ministry doesn’t stop! We need your help to continue standing strong for life, marriage, and family. Will you become one of the supporters needed by 11:59 p.m. on August 31?

Please give now to continue providing biblical resources to save and strengthen families.

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God's work never stops. Will you help?

Give by August 31 to continue critical family ministry!

God's work never stops. Will you help?

Urgent Need: During the summer months, giving typically slows as the focus turns to time off and vacations. But family ministry doesn’t stop! We need your help to continue standing strong for life, marriage, and family. Will you become 1 of the supporters needed before 11:59 p.m. on August 31?

$
Please enter a valid amount

God's work never stops. Will you help?

Give by August 31 to continue critical family ministry!

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Headshot photo of Focus on the Family broadcast guest Darby Strickland

Darby Strickland

Darby Strickland is a counselor and faculty member for the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. She is the author of several books including Is it Abuse?: A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims. She is also a contributor to the free web-based training curriculum Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused. Darby has a Master of Divinity degree in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary, where she currently teaches a course on counseling people in abusive marriages. She and her husband, John, have three children. Learn more about Darby at her website, darbystrickland.com.

Focus on the Family Broadcast logo

Practical Advice for Helping Kids Through Life’s Changes

Counselor Darby Strickland describes how parents can shepherd their children through the upheaval of life change by answering their questions with honesty, listening to their hearts with care, and ultimately pointing them to the unchanging love of God.

Photo of a woman's arms holding off a man's arms in a struggle, indicating sexual abuse in marriage.

What Is Sexual Abuse in Marriage?

Sexual coercion and assault in marriage can be hard to recognize. This is because there is unbiblical teaching about sex and manipulative tactics at play. Learning to refute this false teaching and recognize abuse is key to ending the confusion and preventing abuse.

Photo of a young man emotionally hurt from an argument with his wife. The wife looks on from the background. Sometimes it's hard to tell if its a bad conflict or emotional abuse.

Is It Bad Conflict or Emotional Abuse in Your Marriage?

Emotional abuse in marriage is one of the hardest forms of abuse to recognize, but unrepentant patterns are the key to identifying it.

Photo of a wall and chain between the viewer and the church, symbolizing spiritual abuse keeping you away from God.

What Is Spiritual Abuse in Marriage?

Darby Strickland, a counselor and teacher at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, defines spiritual abuse in marriage and offers advice for helping wives who are oppressed in this way.

A young couple sits at a table, stressed out over finances. Financial abuse in marriage is a real problem.

What Is Financial Abuse in Marriage?

Darby Strickland, a counselor and teacher at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, defines financial abuse in marriage and offers advice for helping wives who are oppressed in this way.

A man grabs his spouse's aggressively, symbolizing physical abuse in marriage.

What Is Physical Abuse in Marriage?

Physical abuse is a means of coercively controlling another through fear and intimidation. It involves intentionally or recklessly using physical force that may result in bodily injury or physical pain.