ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who constantly crosses my boundaries by asking intrusive, personal questions about things like financial matters. How do I address this without making it confrontational? -- Crossing the Line

DEAR CROSSING THE LINE: Decide what you want to share with this friend and what is off limits. Take the time to think ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am going to study abroad in Spain next semester as a junior in college, and I am excited as I worked extremely hard to raise the money to be able to go. I come from a low-income background, so I had to either raise the money or abandon my dream of studying abroad. I have a friend who is also going and was able to raise enough ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a sophomore in college, and I have two other roommates. We live together in a dorm and have had our disagreements, but we have gotten over them. They recently told me that they are going to move out together, which caught me off-guard, and I'm left feeling surprised and somewhat abandoned. It feels so weird to me that they ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dating my boyfriend for a while, and he's asked me to move in with him. I'm excited about this next step in our relationship, but I'm hesitant about redecorating or making changes to his apartment. I want to respect his space, but there are several alterations I'd like to make to make it feel more like "ours." How can I...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a big work conference coming up, and I am worried about my public speaking skills. Normally, I am pretty calm in social situations and I get along with everybody well, but whenever it comes to presentations or big meetings, I get really anxious.

I just got promoted, so I had to prepare a speech at the last minute, and I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: With the holiday season approaching, I am struggling with how to deal with my family. I come from a strict household that allows little freedom. Many of the adults are blatantly disrespectful toward me, my siblings, my cousins and each other. It is hard for me not to speak up, but I do not want to come off as disrespectful. I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm having a dilemma with my best friend. Lately, I've been embarrassed by her increasingly rude behavior toward service workers. We recently went to a restaurant, and she was unbelievably disrespectful. She ordered her food, and when it came, she kept asking where her smoothie was. They said it should be on the way, but it wasn'...Read more

DEAR READERS: Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year for so many reasons. For many of us, the weather has changed, and there is a crispness in the air. It's time to cozy up in warm sweaters and blankets.

Being together with loved ones is paramount for families and friends at this time of year. Indeed, this weekend has long been heralded ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 25-year-old woman, and I work in finance at a bank. I'm struggling to manage a relationship with a co-worker. A colleague I once considered a friend has become increasingly competitive and seems to be undermining my work. We used to collaborate effectively and share great conversations. However, things have taken a sharp ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Many people have advised me to start a few hobbies again to get my motivation back. A few years back, I abhorred reading, but recently, I have found a love for it. I typically read during the summertime when I do not have other obligations. When I get into a book, it is hard for me to focus on anything else or go to sleep until I...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a very busy couple of weeks coming up. I have my last round of midterms, Thanksgiving break, finals, moving back home, Christmas, visiting family, then New Year's. I am looking forward to getting to see family and friends and going back home for a while, but I started thinking about how much work and travel I am going to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a perfectionist, and it's causing me a lot of stress. I recently accepted a job that proved to be overwhelming to me. I thought I would be good at it, but I had to stretch a lot, and it just seemed like I was not doing anything right. I ended up quitting after one week. I felt like such a failure. My boss didn't say that I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a close friend group in high school that consisted of one group of girls and another group of guys. I maintained good relationships with everyone during my freshman year of college. Last summer, one of my friends and her boyfriend of three years broke up. Her boyfriend did not inform the guys about their relationship ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been having issues with my motivation lately. I have low energy, and simple tasks take me way longer than they should. I get all my work done, but that typically is the full extent of what I do in a day. Due to this lack of energy, I have not been cooking or going to the grocery store as much as I should. This results in ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently married my wife, and her teenage son does not seem to like me at all. I believe it is because of the major changes my presence has brought into his life. His dad passed away a few years ago, and I know my arrival has disrupted the dynamics he had with his mom. I've tried to connect and bond with him, attempting to show...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 50-year-old American resident, and my parents, who are around 80, live in Ethiopia. My two siblings and I have all been out of the country since our college days, and I am starting to realize how sad it is that I haven't been able to see my parents face to face very much since I was 18. We are beginning to understand the ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am going into my senior year of college next year, and I'm getting scared to become an adult, especially in such an economically trying time. A lot of my friends come from wealth and will have their parents to fall back on when they graduate. They may get an allowance or have their rent paid by their parents, so they don't have...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am in a new relationship, and my boyfriend's mom doesn't like me. I asked my boyfriend if there was something I did for her to not like me, and he told me that she wanted him to get back with his ex. Hearing this really hurt my feelings because, from the moment she met me, she has never given me a chance. I truly love my ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Since August, I have committed myself to peace and happiness. Unfortunately, since doing this, every trial and trouble has been presented at my doorstep. What are the best ways to handle tribulations while trying to remain in a positive and serene place mentally and emotionally? Any advice will be helpful. -- Searching for ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a new parent of a 2-month-old. My husband and I don't have anyone in our state (Oregon) we are close with because we moved here a year ago for my husband's job. It's been hard because all of our family is back in Ohio, where we are originally from. We have no support system, and my husband has gone back to work, so it's just...Read more