Can you help us figure how to spend a large, unexpected inheritance? At first we were excited, but now we’re seeing how quickly wealth can become a source of confusion and anxiety. My daughter thinks we should use the money to finance her education. My wife wants to remodel the kitchen. I’d like to make …
Life Changes Q&As
Is there a way to get out from under a hopeless amount of credit card debt? I’m spending more than I’m earning every month, and as result I’m sinking deeper and deeper into the hole. Most of the advice I get doesn’t apply to my situation because I’m in too much trouble. What can I …
Can you help me deal with the starving, binging, and purging problem I’ve had ever since I was a teen? Thoughts of food rarely leave my mind. My body weight has become an idol. I feel guilty, shamed, and dirty. How can I change?
How can I find healing from the effects of disaster and trauma? Over the past month our community has been devastated by a terrible flood. The impact to my family has included the loss of our home, interruption of work and school, loss of income, physical deprivation, and overwhelming anxiety about the future. Now that …
What can I do to address my ongoing inability to sleep? Is medication a good solution for insomnia? The problem has lasted several weeks so far. It seems to be rooted in anxiety, and it’s becoming worse: the more I worry about getting to sleep, the longer I lie awake. If anxiety is the issue, …
How do we find the best possible care for our aging mother? In our quest for a workable plan, one of the options that has surfaced is “assisted living?” What exactly does this entail? What kind of service does it offer, and how do we select a good assisted living facility? We’d appreciate any advice …
How should I respond if someone sues me? In 1 Corinthians 1:1-11, Paul says that Christians shouldn’t bring lawsuits against one another. That makes perfect sense to me. I understand that brothers and sisters in Christ need to explore other, less adversarial ways of resolving their differences, and I don’t intend to sue anybody if …
How can I know if I need to seek professional help with my depression? What exactly is the definition of a “clinically” depressed person? I feel sad and fatigued much of the time, and nagging anxiety is a chronic problem, but I have no idea if these are serious issues or not. Can you help …
What are some of the most important financial concerns for a newly single adult with kids?
What do I say to a friend who has had a miscarriage? I can tell she’s really hurting, and I’d like to reach out to her somehow. The problem is, I’m afraid of putting my foot in my mouth. I’ve never been through an experience of that kind myself, so it’s difficult to put myself …
How can I be healed from the sexual trauma I experienced while growing up? Hardly anyone knows that I was a victim of sexual abuse during my childhood and adolescent years – not once, but several times. Now I’m married with children of my own, and to most outsiders I appear to have it all …
Do you have any advice or school recommendations for someone who wants to pursue a career in Christian psychology and counseling? I’m looking for colleges and universities that offer degree programs in this field from a distinctly biblical perspective.
Are the entertainment media really as powerful as we’re often led to believe? The argument is regularly made that violence in society is directly attributable to violence in movies, television, and popular music. Is this really true? I’ll admit that I’m skeptical. It’s hard for me to believe that people actually go out and commit …
Does the Bible really say that gambling is wrong? I realize that it’s one of those activities – like dancing and playing cards – that religious conservatives have traditionally been “against.” But I’m not convinced that there’s any solid biblical basis for their opposition to what I regard as innocuous games of chance.
Do you have any advice for me as I attempt to help my elderly mother protect her financial assets and make sure her wishes will be carried out after her death? Wills, trusts, partnerships, probate, power of attorney — I know next to nothing about them. How should we plan her estate?
Should Christians be involved in lawsuits?
Is there always a risk of suicide in depression? My spouse has struggled with depression on and off for years. She has a prescription for medication, but she doesn’t always take it faithfully. Sometimes she seems so low that I begin to worry that she may harm herself in some way. Do you think I’m …
Are my spouse and I morally or legally obligated to pay off a deceased parent’s debts? My father-in-law passed away a few months ago with significant indebtedness. To complicate matters, he lived and died in a foreign country and I have no idea how that government handles a situation like this. More to the point, …
What’s your opinion of the use of hypnosis in therapy? Is this really a legitimate clinical tool? Are there any spiritual dangers associated with this practice?
Is it possible that psychologists and therapists who deal in “Repressed Memory Syndrome” are actually planting false memories in the minds of their patients? I can’t help wondering whether, at least in some cases, the practice of this type of therapy might encourage the invention of past events that never really happened. What do you …
