The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

  By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC At times we can all feel confused about life. We work and grind our way through along with the dissatisfaction of having fulfilling work and relationships. We fall into a job or a marriage without ever really understanding who we are or what we are getting involved with. Years go by and we live with resentment, frustration and anxiety about who we are and what we are doing. We change careers, end the marriages and yet we still feel empty and incomplete. What is going on? Searching for direction and knowing who we are, and where we are going can be difficult. This searching can be especially challenging after a major life event such as the death of a loved one, a lost marriage or job loss. Sometimes big changes can leave us feeling liberated, and other times it can feel like the world is coming to an end. At times these major life changes cause us to wonder about what we are really doing here. It begs the question of what is the meaning of all of th...

By: Megan Brewer, LMHC The first time I had surgery, I was well into my thirties. It wasn’t major—just removing a small abnormality inside my leg. The surgeon told me to expect 1–2 days to heal; then I could walk on it. He also said most people returned to work shortly thereafter. This was good news, because I didn’t want to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary away from my regularly scheduled week. Being kind to my body and giving it time and space to heal is something I have regularly wrestled to do. So, you can imagine my surprise and disappointment when after 1–2 days I still needed my sweet husband’s help to get around the house. I eventually borrowed crutches in order to move about without pain. Two weeks after the surgery, I was still unable to walk without pain and sat in my physical therapist’s office feeling frustrated—like my body had failed me somehow. She too was surprised to see my leg so swollen and so unusable, which helped me to feel a little more va...

By: Brian Murray, LMHC  If you are feeling stuck in life, your relationships, marriage, or career it may be time to do some existential work. Existentialism attempts to answer the bigger questions in life such as what is the meaning and purpose of my life? Trying to figure out who we are and where we are going are questions that have stood the test of time. From ancient philosophers to modern day thinkers, people are challenged daily to make choices of what kind of life they want to live. If the choices we make are not useful, we are challenged to examine ourselves. This examined life is to better understand our individual identity and how to live a life well lived. This is no easy task, and it can take decades, or a lifetime, to try and figure out our own personal puzzle. Existentialism in counseling is a philosophical approach that implies that we are free and therefore responsible for our actions and choices. We are the authors of our lives and we design the pathways w...