The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By Christine Hammond, LMHC The news is out. Your Pastor did something completely out of character. Perhaps they had a physical or emotional affair, stole money or misappropriated funds, secretly abused a family member, or hid an addiction. Whatever it was, it has devastated the church, shocked the community and perhaps destroyed their family. Understandably, you will experience conflicting emotions and racing thoughts as you process what has happened. This is a normal response as you begin to grieve over the loss of your Pastor. Here are some of the possible reactions that might occur. “My Pastor couldn’t have done that.” Usually the first initial response is to disbelieve that your Pastor could have done anything like this. After all, who wants to believe that any Pastor is capable of such a thing? Nothing makes sense. The person you know and trust doesn’t match with the accusations. So, you refuse to acknowledge the evidence. This is why denial is a powerful defense mec...

By Deedra Hunter, LMHC As a mental health counselor for over 30 years I have watched clients let go of their childhood traumas and achieve great success. I was reminded of this recently as I heard someone talk about feeling fearful about something they heard on the national news which caused them to throw their tomatoes away. Let me explain. I was at a luncheon last week when the topic of tomatoes came up due to the recent salmonella scare. A woman at my table said she had just thrown away all the new, beautiful, juicy, red, ripe tomatoes she had just bought at our local farmers market.. When I asked why she looked at me as if I had been off the planet for awhile and said "haven't you heard about all the tomatoes being poisoned? It's so scary". "I know that Florida grown tomatoes are safe for us to eat" I responded. "No they're not" she insisted. "Yes they are" I insisted back. After many minutes spent reassuring her I had researc...

“Et Tu, Brute?” These are the words of Caesar after he realizes his best friend and confidante was a party to his assassination, as written in Shakespeare’s well-known tragedy. Translated, this phrase means, “You too, Brutus?” Wow! Only three short words but one can feel the genuine surprise and heartfelt pain that only surfaces when a person is betrayed by someone they believed they could trust. If there are situations that cause more pain than this, they are few. It is the husband who comes home early from work to discover his bride in the arms of another. It is the fluttering pain felt in the pit of the stomach when you stand alone, surrounded by laughing peers, and notice that your best friend is joining in with the laughter. It’s sharing your heart with someone you love only to have that person grossly mishandle it and allow it (or cause it) to shatter into pieces. It is betrayal. And its effects on us are devastating and potentially lethal to our hearts. If we are betrayed severe...