Dear Coleen

MY WIFE and I are in our late twenties. We’ve been together for almost five years and married for two. We have no kids yet, but I’m hoping that will be on the agenda very soon.

My wife is the best thing that has ever happened to me – she is gorgeous and I know she will be a great mum. In fact, sometimes I wonder how I managed to bag myself such a gem.

However, she’s been dealing with a lot of insecurities which are slowly taking a toll on our relationship.

I constantly find myself feeling that no matter what I do, it’s never enough to make her feel good about herself.

Just last night we got into an argument because she wasn’t satisfied with the way I reacted to some pictures she’d had taken of herself – even though I said that she was beautiful.

She was raped at school when she was 12 and never told anybody but me.

I’ve always been supportive of her. I’ve suggested several times that she gets professional help and that she shares it with her parents. But she’s always been against it. I’ve been tempted to tell her mum but I’m worried she’ll never forgive me for breaking her confidence.

Her parents recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary, and I keep thinking we’ll never last that long if she doesn’t deal with her past.

I just don’t know how to handle it.