The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond LMHC It took several committee meetings for Jill to put together a thorough proposal for the management of a new department. She did the work under the presumption that her narcissistic boss would be open to suggestions and recommendations from the committee. But even given that liberty, Jill carefully still sought out opinions from those outside the committee and department to ensure that the most accurate information was gathered and properly processed. She had achieved unanimous agreement from the committee on how to precede, something that was unheard of in the past. Not wanting her boss to be caught off guard during the proposal meeting with the committee, she messaged a preview of their progress privately to her boss. Just before the meeting began, she was ecstatic at the opportunity to effect real change in the company. As they sat around the conference table, the boss quickly took control of the meeting and did not allow Jill or the commi

By: Christine Hammond LMHC Dysfunctional fathers are constantly in the news: those who abuse, abandon, neglect, or even kill their children. While it is a sensational headline, too much makes it look like all dads are bad. Unfortunately, not much attention is paid to excellent fathers. They rarely receive any attention at all and are frequently tossed in the dysfunctional section for some minor offense. The good fathers pay attention to the developmental stages of their children and mold their parenting to meet their child’s needs. They successfully navigate through joy and sadness as their child passes to another stage in life. Most importantly, these dads know how to care for their child without being too overprotective. It is a delicate balance and one worth striving to achieve. Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development serves as a parenting guideline. Please note that these stages will be discussed from a paternal perspective due to the nature of the

By: Christine Hammond LMHC The second Stacey walked into the office, she could feel the tension. Usually it took hours for the tension to mount but this morning, something was already amiss. As she turned on the lights for the floor, she checked the other offices for signs of life and finding none, she retreated to her desk. Out of nowhere her boss appeared with the intensity of lion. With no one there to witness the surprise attack, her boss ripped her to shreds like a tiger with its prey. Abusive behavior is not reserved for just the home. It can happen at work were the stakes of employment, position, benefits, and financial commitments prevent a person from leaving. Abuse is also not just physical. There are many other forms of abuse such as sexual, financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, and verbal. While some of the other forms of abuse are obvious, mental abuse by a narcissist can be difficult to spot. It’s even more difficult when the narcissist is a person’

By: Christine Hammond LMHC “Oh, what a tangled web we weave , when first we practice to deceive!” Sir Walter Scott wrote this famous line in his poem titled Marmion about the Battle of Flodden (1808). (Interestingly enough, it is often misattributed to William Shakespeare.) His poem recounts a love story that survives despite a web of deceptions, manipulations, mischaracterizations, lies, and betrayals by two scheming people. It is tragic how people have not changed very much today. Life would be easier if every person with evil or selfish intent was quickly identifiable. But, alas they are not. So the innocent get tangled up in a cobweb of deceit, find themselves in places they never thought they would go, feeling vulnerable and violated, and then left cleaning up the sticky mess of the web. The best way to avoid such a trap is to identify it early. When a person can see the cobweb in front of them, they can walk around it and not have to deal with the consequences of