Suffering is something that affects everyone. For many, it can be a stumbling block to faith in God and the catalyst to an unhappy life. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, it can be the catalyst to something greater: union with Christ.

Dr. Bob Schuchts, founder and president of the John Paul II Healing Center in Tallahassee, Florida, seeks to answer these difficult questions in Real Suffering: Finding Hope and Healing in the Trials of Life.

Drawing on decades of experience as a marriage and family therapist, as well as on his own personal crosses, Dr. Schuchts examines the complex nature of suffering. Dissecting physical pain, emotional loss, and spiritual guilt, he shows the underlying purpose of our sorrows and helps us see how they can be a means of drawing closer to God.

Whether you are in the midst of your own trials or accompanying someone you love who is in pain, Dr. Schuchts will help you see that Christ is always present in the heart of your agony.