Q: I am working with a therapist who thinks that I am sleeping with too many people. I am in my mid-20s and dating and, yes, occasionally have one-night stands and do not have guilt about it. I believe she thinks I should. Do you think she is being too judgmental? Is this a good reason to switch therapists? She has helped me in other ways, for what it’s worth.

A: You’ll think this is a cop-out to end all cop-outs, but there’s no better person to talk to about this than your therapist. She may be letting her own biases influence her judgment, yes, but she may also be detecting a pattern that’s holding you back somehow.

There’s so much to be gained by telling her your reactions: It’s good practice in speaking up for yourself, it will help her realize you feel she’s off base and it will give you more details about her point of view to reflect upon and make something out of. You can decide after if you still want to stick with her, but the conversation itself can do so much good.

Q: My father has been in and out of my life because of problems with gambling, unemployment and infidelity with my mother. He has weaknesses, but I love him. My boyfriend, however, takes issue with him being around our 2-year-old daughter. He views him as “unstable” and a bad influence. We are fighting about this a lot.

A: My knee-jerk reaction is to say your boyfriend is out of line, overcautious, judgmental or all three. But then I reread your letter and I don’t feel I have a good idea of what your dad’s actually like.

What kind of presence does he play in your daughter’s life? My money’s still on him having a good heart and being a positive part of your family. Love goes a long way. But I think you have to really hear your boyfriend out about the specifics. Is your dad working on his gambling? If not, might that put you and your family in a difficult situation? Does he make an effort to treat you better than he did before? And perhaps most important, if his drop-in/drop-out pattern begins again, will you be able to pick up the pieces with a toddler in tow?

Andrea Bonior, a Washington-area clinical psychologist, writes a weekly relationships advice column in The Washington Post’s Express daily tabloid and is author of The Friendship Fix. For more information, see www.drandreabonior.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @drandreabonior.