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My partner will make a perfect wife – except she doesn’t want kids | Dear...

Why do you feel the need to rush into marriage when you’re not sure either, wonders Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I’m 29 years old, child-free, and I’m about to propose to the love of my life. She is 36...

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My sister has always bullied me. And she still makes me anxious | Dear Mariella

You are making it easy for your older sister to dominate you, Mariella Frostrup tells a woman in her 20s that she no longer needs to play by the old rulesThe dilemma My older sister and I are both in...

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My friend’s boyfriend died and I don’t know what to say to her | Dear Mariella

You can’t take away her pain but you can provide a listening ear, Mariella Frostrup tells a woman who is worried she has nothing to offer a bereaved friendThe dilemma I’ve never been one of those women...

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I feel inadequate around my girlfriend’s wealthy, high-achieving family |...

Your problem is your own self-worth, not the privileged family you are considering marrying into, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma After what seems an age of online dating (five years) I met a...

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I’m 40 and chronically single. Is my unhappy childhood to blame? | Dear Mariella

You can meet a partner at any stage of life, says Mariella Frostrup. But to hold onto someone, you need to deal with your insecurities firstThe dilemma I am a 40-year-old chronically single woman. I...

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I’ve got a top degree but wash dishes – and can’t face the future | Dear...

You’re not alone, says Mariella Frostrup. Get professional help to muster resilience and determination. We need people like you to change our political trajectoryThe dilemma I graduated last summer...

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I think my dad’s girlfriend takes advantage of him. How can I get over my...

Your father has an issue with boundaries, says Mariella Frostrup. Try to mend your relationship with him firstThe dilemma I’ve always had a close relationship with my dad despite not living with him...

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My boyfriend and I are well matched, but I just don’t fancy him | Dear Mariella

He doesn’t seem to be offering you much, so don’t just ‘make do’, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I have been dating my boyfriend for three months. He is intelligent and thoughtful, sensitive and...

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I’m a newly single mother and confused about my sexuality | Mariella Frostrup

You and your ex’s roles as parents should be foremost in your mind, says Mariella Frostrup, not your sexualityThe dilemma I am 21 and I have a four-month-old son with my boyfriend of four years. We...

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I’ve left my damaging childhood behind me, but why do I feel guilty? | Dear...

You must delve into your own past, Mariella Frostrup tells a social worker who has no contact with her own familyThe dilemma I’m 28 and was born and raised in a northern mining town. I went to...

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My rich and grumpy dad said my Christmas gifts were awful | Dear Mariella

Mariella Frostrup tells a man caught up in festive family tensions to ditch the present-giving charadeThe dilemma My father complained to my wife that the Christmas presents I bought for him and his...

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My husband left me and our kids and is now with another woman

A new relationship will long outlive – and swiftly obscure – the heartache you’ve been through, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemmaEighteen months ago, my husband left me and our children, who were both...

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My partner’s teenage daughter has to be the centre of his attention | Dear...

Seventeen-year-olds are good at triggering insecurities so stop being so easily provoked, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I live with my partner of five years, who I adore, and his 17-year-old...

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I was dropped by new friends and dread not seeing them again | Dear Mariella

You may have tampered with the balance of power with this couple, says Mariella Frostrup. Is there something you are not divulging?The dilemma For the past few months I have been befriended by a...

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I can’t get past my strained relationship with my mother | Dear Mariella

It’s time to leave the past behind and forge a new bond, and the first step should be yours, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I don’t have a very good relationship with my mum most of the time. It...

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I’m a sensitive man, so how can I stop getting hurt in relationships? | Dear...

Your irrational behaviour probably stems from trauma – come to terms with that first, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma My friends think my behaviour is leading me in a vicious circle in my...

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I’ve been gripped by shame since I came out as a gay atheist | Dear Mariella

Stop intellectualising your emotions and learn to master them instead, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemmaI’m in my early 30s and feel gripped by shame and inertia. I grew up a fundamentalist Christian...

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My friend had sex with someone underage – but I want to stand by him | Dear...

Walking away would be understandable but in our morally hysterical times, yours is a courageous stance, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemmaOne of my best friends from my teenage years was recently...

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A man took photos of my underwear and sniggered. I’m livid | Dear Mariella

Threaten legal action if this creep doesn’t apologise and provide evidence the photos have been deleted, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma Two years ago, a good friend of my husband’s invited us to his...

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My wife and I don’t have sex, and I have secretly been buying women’s clothes

Until you test the boundaries of your desires, you’ll be perpetually dissatisfied, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemmaI am a man in my late 50s. I am youthful and go to concerts, festivals and art...

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