The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Megan Brewer, LMHC   Did you grow up in a home with psychological abuse? For as long as Jane could remember, she struggled with depression and anxiety. After carrying her struggles on her own for years, she decided to seek the help of a counselor. As Jane began to explore her feelings and the stories attached to them, she and her counselor started talking about the kind of home she remembered growing up in. “My home life was OK,” she said. “We were never physically abused or anything like that, and my parents provided for what we needed.” But as Jane continued to explore and unpack the relational dynamics of her childhood home, a different story began to emerge. While her father was involved in different areas of her life, she remembered being afraid of him most of the time. She remembered fragments of memories about how her dad used to treat her mom, and it never seemed right. It often felt confusing to think about. No one outside of the family seemed to really know abou...

By: Elizabeth McKeehan, IMH    Do you constantly feel anxious, fearful, or unsafe? How does your body react at the sight of or in verbal interactions with your spouse? Does your stomach churn, get upset, your neck or shoulders contract, your jaw clench? Have you broken out in hives? Are you eating? It is estimated that 1 in 4 women live in abusive relationships! October is domestic violence awareness month, let us look at how to spot it in its various forms. Domestic violence (DV) can be extremely insidious, and even crazy making. Its subtleties, gradual nature, and long-term harm are stunning.   It impartially rules no one out based on gender, race, age, religion, education, or economic status. According to a CDC survey, Americans experience physical violence with their intimate partner every minute. Domestic violence victims total 10 million per year.   This means you or someone you care about is being affected by it as you are reading this article. ...