A friend of mine was trying so hard to be the loving husband, putting in place a strategy he had learnt through some Christian “self help” literature.

Often we are painfully aware in our relationships how we seemingly overreact to our partner in various situations.

Why do our arguments always end up feeling the same?

As we stood in front of the rubber gloves in the supermarket of a sleepy town we knew we had achieved what we wanted from this holiday – the “chill” factor!

"I cannot celebrate Christmas with all the traditional rituals from my home that “made” Christmas for me and my family."

My husband and I recently ran a pre-marriage course, and the participants had all spent years in committed relationships. What could we tell them that they didn’t already know?

By relying on our rational mind to control our untrustworthy emotions, are we making the assumption that the mind has not been equally affected by the fall?

The fact that one’s Christian husband has an addiction to pornography is shaming.

Churches should be places where people can be supported and cared for, but how do we balance the needs of one person over the wellbeing of the rest of the church.

One of the sad things that I encounter from time to time is couples who come for counselling when their marriage is in tatters and the damage seems irreparable.

Relationships, like our cars, need time, attention and expenditure of some sort to keep them running in peak condition.

How prevalent is it? The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that one in four or five Australian women (23%) reported experiencing abuse from partners during their adulthood.

An article in the Sunday papers describes how Laura Munson reacted when her husband of some 20 years announced that he no longer loved her and was moving out. Standing in a calm place, she told him that she didn’t “buy it”.

One, two, or three, or four, or more – and how do we decide?

Neuroscience is rapidly discovering concrete explanations for effects we have long recognised intuitively, like the power in the praise we either receive or give.

How are we to respond to our fellow Christians when they lapse morally? Can we counsel if we aren't conscious of our own sin?

I believe that sometimes we talk so much about God’s forgiveness of our sins, that we fail to give true regard to the cost of such forgiveness.

This week we have seen Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull wrestling in a power struggle over the “ute gate” affair, demonstrating some of the verbal “power over” tactics common to a verbally abusive relationship.

Nicky Lock discusses the best ways to support your spouse or friend when they have depression.

If as Christians we are to love our neighbour and to love one another, on what basis can we decide that we need to end a friendship?

Apart from the dented bank accounts and extra kilos gained due to Mother’s Day celebrations, there can be emotional consequences too.

Many of the couples who sit in my counselling room have, at its most simple level, lost the ability to be friends with each other.

I am of the generation that learnt Latin for 5 years in high school, and remember hours of conjugating verbs in a sing song fashion for Miss Walter, our classics teacher.

Loyalty - the first of three key qualities for any healthy relationship.

Marriage - an opportunity for a new beginning for parents as well as the bride and groom.