Mother-in-law must back off about religion
This column was originally published in 2014.
Dear Annie: I am Protestant, and my husband was baptized in the Catholic Church, but religion was never important to him or his family. Neither of us has converted, nor will we. My husband has attended services with me, and I have attended the occasional holiday service with my in-laws. I respect their faith.
Here’s the problem: My mother-in-law apparently thought I would convert as soon as I joined the family. This has been a huge problem for her. Because I respect her faith, I have tried to follow the rules while at mass, and that means I do not take communion. This bothers my mother-in-law to no end. She finds it offensive. There is likely to be a Catholic funeral that I will have to attend soon. I do not want to create a scene or cause my mother-in-law more unhappiness, but I also do not wish to offend the rest of the family or the church by deliberately ignoring the prohibition to take communion. How do I proceed? Trying To Be Respectful
Dear Trying: We think your mother-in-law’s problem is that she still wants you to convert, and acting offended because you do not take communion is how she expresses it. It might help if her priest discusses this with her directly. Please make an appointment to talk to him. But it might also be useful for your husband to make it clear to his mother that conversion is not going to happen and she needs to back off.
Dear Annie: I am responding to the letter from “L.,” who asked what happens in counselling.
The only licensed individual who can prescribe medication is a psychiatrist who is an MD with a specialty in psychiatry. There has been legislation in the state of Florida to allow licensed psychologists the authority to write prescriptions, but that has not yet been passed into law.
Psychologists and psychoanalysts are the same thing, but psychoanalysts practice a very specific type of intervention. A licensed clinical social worker can use the title “psychotherapist,” as can any licensed psychologist. Any of these individuals can also call themselves counsellors. If you practise counselling, but do not have a degree or licence, you can call yourself a “life coach.”
Florida State University