The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC, Certified Coach & Critical Incident Recovery Expert The pressures young people face when stepping into the workforce today are greater than ever. From navigating an evolving economy to competing in a digital-first job market, the path to career success is far from straightforward. Many teens and young adults mistakenly expect "reality TV" levels of instant success, only to feel disillusioned when reality hits. As parents, you play a vital role in guiding your child through this critical stage by helping them build resilience, identify strengths, and develop a clear, actionable plan. Why Start Early? Building a career-ready mindset begins long before the first job application. The habits and skills children develop during their elementary and middle school years can shape their future success. Here's how you can support them: Encourage Exploration : In 2025, career opportunities are more diverse than ever, from AI development t...

B y: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC, Certified Coach & Critical Incident Recovery Expert Finding Your Fit in 2025 There’s immense power in having a clear roadmap to understand your ideal career. Imagine how valuable it would be to have a detailed map that combines your unique life experiences, education, and skill set. When you align your personal strengths, interests, and motivations with your career journey, you set yourself up for professional success while fostering personal growth. This approach is invaluable for both those starting out and seasoned professionals, as it saves time, resources, and energy while guiding you toward a fulfilling career. In today’s fast-paced, hybrid-work environment, the stakes are higher than ever. Research consistently shows that most of us will spend more hours working than on any other single activity in our lives. That’s why it’s critical to know where you fit in your career. Feeling adrift or unfulfilled can lead to stress, burnout, and missed opport...

By: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC, Certified Coach & Critical Incident Recovery Expert Facing Depression in 2024: Understanding, Coping, and Reaching Out The holiday season often highlights joy and connection, but for many, it magnifies feelings of loss, sadness, and isolation. Unfortunately, depression doesn’t take a holiday break. In fact, for many, it’s even more pronounced as the world around them celebrates. If you’ve noticed yourself or someone close struggling this time of year, know this: you’re not alone.  Recent job uncertainty, family estrangements, and the rise of mental health struggles have made it clear that depression doesn’t discriminate. 2024 statistics continue to show troubling signs of increased depression, with experts estimating that nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. will experience a mental health disorder this year, and 1 in 6 teens will face depression before they turn 18.  Depression remains one of the most common mental health challenges,...

By: Megan Brewer, LMHC During the holiday season, many people find themselves looking forward with eager anticipation to the traditions and celebrations that make this time of year so special. The cool fall breezes, crisp mornings and festive decorations swirl around us and build our excitement as we look hopefully towards the special times and meals with those we love.  But while many are excitedly looking forward to this season, there are some who are anticipating it with dread because the thought of spending this holiday season without someone they have lost feels unbearable. What used to feel like welcomed anticipation has turned into deep sadne ss and trepidation about what it will be like to go through this season without the person they lost. If this is how you are feeling this holiday season, give yourself the space you need to grieve as you move through it. Here are some ideas to honor the person you lost during the holiday season and to help you on your journey through gr...

By: Megan Brewer, LMHC Gratitude: More Than Just a Seasonal Emotion Every holiday season, we start seeing an outpouring of posts, pictures, and advertisements about gratitude. Words beautifully scripted in calligraphy across warm fall landscapes beckon us to search for those warm feelings and happy memories. I don’t know about you, but when I encounter these reminders, it often feels like whatever is going on in my life or in the world needs to be tucked away so I can start searching for the gratitude I’m supposed to be feeling. I don’t think we do this intentionally; it's just something that happens inside of us. It's as if, to be truly grateful, we must do so at the exclusion of any other emotions that might seem opposed to it. What's more, we're led to believe that gratitude is supposed to be equivalent to a warm, feel-good experience we can wrap ourselves in, making it feel true. But real gratitude isn’t like that. It’s powerful and transformative. It changes us fro...

Psychological Coping Strategies from Dwight Bain  “ If you can talk through it – you can get through it. ” “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King  NORMAL REACTIONS TO CRISIS TRAUMA –  Any event outside the usual realm of human experience that is markedly distressing, (which creates horror, helplessness or terror.) Such traumatic stressors usually involve the perceived threat to one’s physical integrity or to the physical integrity of someone in proximity. This is the very intense psychological reaction to feeling highly threatened, which is normal. Children experience Traumatic Stress differently based on age and maturity level as this recovery guide will outline as a tool for parents.  SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS  –  Traumatic stress overwhelms coping with mechanisms leaving students feeling out of control and helpless. Continual exposure to trauma create the normal react...