The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond LMHC Alex was desperate to move forward after her divorce was finalized. She was so tired of every conversation with her close friends and family beginning with the phrase, “So how’s the divorce coming along?” She wanted to talk about her, not her as a divorcee, but the person underneath the cloak of a bad marriage and a nasty divorce. Her dreams, likes and dislikes, ambitions, and passions were as forgotten during the divorce as they were in the marriage. She felt swallowed up in her marriage by a dominant personality and then lost in the storm of her divorce. Tired of being tossed around by everyone else’s beliefs for her and about her, Alex wanted to claim her life back for herself. But how does she begin? She tried to talk to her friends but they just focused on activities they liked to so. She needed to discover what she enjoyed on her own and then fold her relationships into that and not the other way around. Here are 30 ideas Alex use...

By Nate Webster IMH         “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” – Melody Beattie             The New Year is a time when many people start thinking about change. It’s a time where we turn over new leaves, imagine our better selves and try our best to set some goals that will make us better people. One area that many people try and change is their time management. Whether it's how they spend their time, not having enough time, or not knowing what to do with their time, time is undoubtedly an important even if fickle part of our life. “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” - Andy Warhol             If you are younger, your battle with time will be much different than someone who is ol...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC One of the most difficult therapeutic processes is confronting the forgotten oaths/promises/resolutions a person has unconsciously internalized which continue to cause harm. Oaths are made to never forget the pain of a broken heart. Promises are forged of not turning into a dysfunctional parent. Resolutions are created out of childhood trauma. Then ironically, as if one broken desire is not enough, society encourages the pattern to restart every year. In Roman mythology, the god Janus (believed to be the root of January) is known for transitions from old into new. People would make promises to the god at the start of the year. This is the origin of the New Year’s tradition. But just because something has been done for centuries, does not mean it needs to continue into the future. According to the University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology (2016) research, 45% of Americans will make a New Year’s resolution but only 8% will achieve i...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC How much different would life be if exhaustion wasn’t a factor? It is normal to be physically overwhelmed from long hours at work, ungrateful children, overload of electronic stimulus, and tiresome relatives. But some exhaustion is much deeper. It stems from unmet needs, expectations, ambitions, and hopes. It is compounded by tragedies, disappointments, rejections, and harsh realities. And it encompasses nearly every aspect of life without prejudice. So this year, instead of adding one more thing to an overburdened schedule, how about eliminating exhaustion?  To make this task even more manageable, try focusing on just one item per month. Most habits are set within 30 days so incorporating a new concept each month can make this year considerably better. 1.        January: Plan. Start off the year on a good note by calendared all major events for the year. There are several very good on-line calendars and apps th...