Christi Young, LPC

Many couples quietly live inside a painful pattern that feels confusing and exhausting.One spouse pulls away.The other reaches out—pursuing, pleading, or begging for closeness.Reconnection happens, hope rises…Then distance returns again. Over time, this cycle erodes trust and emotional safety. You may find yourself asking, Are we healing—or just repeating the same heartbreak? Christian counseling recognizes this pattern not as a failure of faith or commitment, but as a relat

Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions in the Christian life. Many believers assume that feeling angry means they have failed spiritually. Yet Scripture does not condemn anger itself—it warns us about what happens when anger takes control. “In your anger do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26) Anger is a signal, not a sin. It alerts us to perceived injustice, threat, hurt, or boundary violation. The challenge is not whether anger arises, but how we respond when it does . Chri

When your spouse is experiencing psychotic delusions, daily life can feel confusing, emotionally charged, and unpredictable. You may find yourself monitoring your words, your tone, and even your thoughts—afraid that one misstep will escalate fear or anger. Over time, a deeper fear can emerge: the fear of being controlled, or of losing control of your own life, voice, or safety. Scripture calls us to compassion—but it also calls us to wisdom, truth, and protection of the heart

A Christian Counseling Perspective on Difficult Friendships Friendships are meant to bring mutual encouragement, growth, and connection. Scripture reminds us that “a friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17), yet the Bible also speaks honestly about wisdom, boundaries, and the influence relationships have on our hearts. Not every difficult friendship is meant to be kept at all costs—and not every conflict means it’s time to walk away. Christian discernment asks a deeper qu

It Is Formed by Doing What Is Good, True, and Life-Giving Many Christians grow up learning faith as a list of “don’ts.” Don’t drink. Don’t lust. Don’t complain. Don’t get angry. Don’t rest too much. Don’t want too much. While boundaries matter, mental health is not formed by emptiness. It is not created by merely not doing harmful things. A soul does not heal through avoidance alone. Mental health is cultivated through intentional engagement with what is good, beautiful, mea

Discovering that your spouse has been looking at pornography can feel shocking, painful, and deeply destabilizing. Many spouses describe a sudden mix of grief, anger, confusion, betrayal, and self-doubt. From a Christian counseling perspective, it is important to say this clearly: your reaction makes sense . This kind of discovery affects trust, attachment, and one’s sense of safety within the marriage. This moment does not define you, your worth, or the entire future of your

From a Christian counseling perspective, having strong emotions is not a sign of weakness or spiritual immaturity. Emotions are part of how God designed the human nervous system. They alert us to danger, signal unmet needs, and reveal what matters most to our hearts. The challenge is not having strong emotions—but learning how to manage them wisely and faithfully . Many people were never taught emotional regulation. Instead, they learned to suppress feelings, spiritualize th

When a husband is experiencing delusional or fixed false beliefs , conversations can feel confusing, frightening, or emotionally exhausting. You may feel torn between wanting to correct what isn’t true and wanting to protect the relationship. How you speak matters—not because you can reason someone out of a delusion, but because your tone can either increase safety or escalate distress . Delusions are not stubborn opinions or moral failures. They are often rooted in fear, tra

Religious scrupulosity is a form of OCD where intrusive thoughts attach themselves to a person’s faith, morality, or relationship with God. The person fears sinning, disappointing God, losing salvation, or having wrong motives—and then engages in mental or behavioral rituals to try to guarantee spiritual certainty. Scrupulosity often masquerades as spiritual conviction, but at its core it is anxiety, not holiness . It is fear masquerading as spiritual responsibility. Many cli

A Christian counseling perspective Marriage asks two imperfect people to grow together, forgive often, and keep choosing love even when one partner withdraws, avoids, or behaves in ways that are emotionally irresponsible. When a husband’s immaturity shows up—through defensiveness, shutting down, impulsive decisions, or unwillingness to take responsibility—his wife can feel lonely, unseen, and burdened with carrying the emotional weight of the relationship. Scripture never ask