The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond, MS, LMHC Sammy came home from the first week of 5th grade with a large project. His teacher asked the kids to do a presentation on which college they wanted to attend. They were asked to include their major, the reason for picking the school, the requirements for attending, the cost, and any other details that made the school unique. The whole assignment stressed Sammy out and he began to cry when he got home. His mom was furious. Sammy’s aspirations in life included trying to eat as many Oreos in one sitting as he could, mastering the next level of Fortnite, building a Lego structure taller than him, and beating his brother in their latest wrestling match. The idea that he should know or even care about what college he wanted to attend at this age was far from his comprehension. And right it should be. In an effort to keep up with other nations, the American school system has made some significant errors. They have focused on standardized ...

By: Christine Hammond LMHC Have you ever wondered what a therapist is thinking about while you talk about your relationship woes? While I can’t speak for all therapists, I do look for specific factors that can determine the success or failure in any relationship. When an area is revealed, such as a pattern of lying, it needs to be therapeutically addressed or the relationship will suffer. Successful relationships identify these factors and eradicate them as soon as possible. This list is my compilation of the many ways a person can destroy their relationships. Use it not for your partner, but as a self-checklist to see if you are behaving improperly. Then pick one topic at a time and work to fix it.    ______1.              Pride: an unwillingness to admit being wrong or apologize for mistakes. ______2.             Stubbornness: needing to be ...

By: Christine Hammond LMHC For many, high school graduation day rightly marks a transition from childhood to adulthood. No longer acting like a child, this new adult is properly equipped to embrace life and move forward with excitement and determination. Unfortunately, too many graduates fail to make this shift and thus drag out the transition well into their twenties. Not all of this is the graduate’s fault. Parents who don’t want their children to grow up frequently fail to teach the basics of life, refuse to allow them to fail, rescue too early, overindulge their wants, and coddle their child. Society, in turn, creates an atmosphere of plodding, declaring that there is plenty of time to grow up later. Now is the time to enjoy life and postpone responsibility. But this philosophy has its downfall. According to Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development, this transition period is a shift from the fifth stage, Role Identity vs. Role Confusion, to the ...