The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Emily Long Taylor Swift said it perfectly in a song: “you got that James Dean daydream look in your eye…” when it comes to describing bad boys. Your friends have dated them, you’ve dated them, your mom, sister, cousin… every woman you encounter has experienced a “bad boy” at one point or another. How can you spot the “bad boys” and identify them? You can’t. They don’t walk around wearing signs of indication, dress a certain way or hang out in a particular area. They just are. When your friends or family date them you can normally spot them more quickly than Waldo in a Where’s Waldo book. But when you’re dating a “bad boy” everything isn’t so crystal clear.  Categories of “Bad Boys” When someone thinks of the bad boy image, their perception is all based on experience. Why? Shouldn’t a bad boy be obvious? Bad boys can earn their classification by their charm. They could be perfectly groomed in an Armani suit and know the exact words to say to a female to win her over....

By: Cara Griffin-Locker, IMH Why do good girls often flock to bad boys? Well, they are fun, adventurous, familiar and more often than not they need to be fixed.  What girl does not like a little project?  As women we tend to want to fix things and that may include the man in our life. How can a good girl avoid dating a bad boy? The answer lies in understanding herself as a woman, having expectations of what she wants in a man and being able to identify her value. A girl’s desire for the perfect man can lead to a fixation on finding a boyfriend. Having a boyfriend does not define you but your self-worth and spirituality do. Relationships experience intimacy when both parties can sacrifice for one other . By definition, a bad boy is unable to offer sacrificial love.  Women often fool themselves into thinking that they are immune to falling for a bad boy. The affection of a bad boy is always performance-based and challenge-driven. Here are four reasons why good gir...

By Brian Murray and Christine Hammond Sitting on the couch at home on a Friday night watching television when a jewelry commercial offering a Valentine’s Day special appears. Her.   I bet that even with this commercial he still will “forget” about Valentine’s Day.   I should know better than to expect anything from him because I just wind up getting my feelings hurt and disappointed.   Look at him, he’s not even making any signs that this ad is even on.   Boy do I love that necklace, not that he would get it for me.   Maybe I just have to buy it for myself.   “Would you like more chips dear?” Him.   Wow here we go again, another season of having to put up with these manipulators.   “Can you believe these people, every year they play on emotional heart strings.   What a crock!” Her .   I knew it.   He’s so complete devoid of any emotion that it just tears me apart.   It’s not really about emotiona...

  By Chris Hammond It is yet another counseling appointment for Sam who is 13 years old and is struggling in school, home, and everywhere he goes.   He has been diagnosed with ADHD and depression in the past but all of the medications have failed to work and his is getting worse, not better.   He is a bright boy who can do well at school but he frequently falls asleep while doing homework saying that it is too boring.   Socially he struggles with his peers as he seems disconnected, detached, and distracted.   You are beyond frustrated, having tried numerous therapies and medications convinced that something is wrong but unable to identify it.   Finally you begin to believe that he is just lazy. While laziness may play a factor in Sam’s teenage brain, there might be something else.   Frequently, lack of proper sleep can have waking symptoms of ADHD or even depression.   Without proper REM sleep, a still growing teenager will struggle...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH There he was at six years old running to welcome me home with open arms.   His warm embrace and excitement over greeting me filled my heart with overwhelming joy.   Our son dominated my greeting making sure that my husband did not get close and when he did, he immediately jumped in-between our embrace.   He spoke of all the things he did desperately seeking my approval and interrupted any conversation my husband and I attempted to have.   It was adorable and I loved every minute of it but was not right. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis and psychosexual development, coined the phrase Oedipus Complex to describe the sexual attraction a child has for their parent.   He believed that every child wants to have sex with their parent, usually the parent of the opposite sex, and this is why they naturally desire to please or get the attention of said parent.   While I do not agree with the sexual component, there...