In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, Christine Chappell interviews Darby Strickland about her book, Is It Abuse?: A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims. During the conversation, Darby explains why domestic abuse is easy to miss and easier to minimize and shares why abuse merits the biblical label of "oppression." Darby also addresses question such as:

• What damage does it do to label a situation as "abusive" when it isn't?
• How can people helpers become more sensitive to identifying physical abuse, especially when victims are typically hesitant to ask for help?
• How can we tell if what is taking place in the marriage bed qualifies as sexual abuse?
• What do people helpers need to keep in mind when helping a victim bring their story to the attention of the local church?
• What are some questions people helpers can use to better get to know the victim and to assess the emotional, spiritual, and physical damage they have sustained?

Darby Strickland counsels and teaches at CCEF. She is a contributor to Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused and author of two booklets, Domestic Abuse: Recognize, Respond, Rescue and Domestic Abuse: Help for the Sufferer. Darby has a Master of Divinity degree in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bio-psychology from the University of Chicago. She has been doing formal counseling for over a decade. In addition to serving as a missionary to Northern Ireland for two years, she has also supported the ministry of the church as a speaker at women’s retreats, bible study teacher, and support group leader. While focused on marriage and family counseling, Darby has a special interest in working with abused and developmentally delayed children. She and her husband, John, have three young children.

A production of the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship, the Hope + Help Podcast offers compassionate biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Listeners can expect to receive biblical wisdom as well as practical steps for facing suffering, struggling, and sin with courage and grace. Hosted by author/writer Christine M. Chappell. 

IS IT ABUSE?: A BIBLICAL GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING DOMESTIC ABUSE AND HELPING VICTIMS • For years, biblical counselor Darby Strickland has served women in oppressive marriages. Now she writes to anyone who wants to help, regardless of their level of experience. You will learn how to identify the toxic entitlement that drives abusive behavior and to better understand its impact on victims—including children who are raised in a home with domestic abuse. Ultimately, you will become equipped to provide wise and Christ-centered counsel and to empower and advocate for victims while navigating the complex dynamics of oppression in a marriage.

• Reflection questions throughout chapters guide helpers as they process the material.
• Detailed inventory questions allow helpers to screen for different kinds of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual, and financial.
• Case studies, exercises, and comprehensive worksheets, including a safety action plan, can be used to train helpers and assist victims.