Relationships & Marriage Q&As

In our previous article on four styles of relational interaction, we looked at basic principles of control and responsibility, and how people interact in any given situation: hold, toss, grab, or fold. HOLD and FOLD are healthy choices; TOSS and GRAB are not. HOLD: When a person rightly realizes, What’s mine is mine. FOLD: When …

For most of us, the question pops up every day: How can I mind my own business and still be responsible to the people I have relationships with? The answer won’t always be straightforward because every person and every situation is different. But we can take steps in the right direction by understanding basic principles …

My husband’s problem with porn is destroying him, me, our marriage, and our family. Friends who care about both of us tell me to use tough love with him. But then I read articles that say it’s the wrong approach — that compassion and patience would be better. What should I do?

Our grandson is being supported by his parents (our daughter and son-in-law) to “transition” to a girl. They say that if we don’t call him by his new female name, they’ll cut us out of their lives. We don’t know where this is coming from or what to do. How do we show them love …

How do I handle the family secret that just came to light? I feel like my whole life has been a lie.

I’m engaged, and my fiancé wants a prenup. But we’re both Christians – and we both believe that marriage should be permanent. (At least, I thought we did.) A prenuptial agreement feels like we’re opening the door to divorce. Am I missing something?

How do I decide whether to attend a family event? I didn’t come from a healthy family of origin, and I don’t always feel safe around my relatives. But I feel pressure to be at every get-together.

What’s your opinion of in vitro fertilization (IVF)? My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for years. Our doctor suggested that we consider IVF, but friends have voiced some concerns about the procedure.

How can I encourage my wife to be more thoughtful about money? Our family has really struggled recently. I was laid off from my job two years ago and have finally found full-time employment. My wife worked a couple of part-time jobs, but we still have a lot of bills to pay. And no matter …

How do I deal with the reality of having lost all physical attraction for my severely overweight husband? I’ve tried to be encouraging and understanding. I’ve made healthy meals for us, offered to exercise with him, and listened empathetically to his frustrations for years, but he hasn’t shown interest in doing anything to change his …