The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond LMHC They appear at just the right time: a broken family torn apart by divorce or death in desperate need of emotional security and starved for normal amounts attention. Enter the narcissist, hidden by a veil of perfection, who immediately endears themselves to every family member (pets included) navigating the personality differences with ease. They are charming, caring, generous, kind, and seem to have it all together. They anticipate the needs of others and come willingly to the rescue without complaint. The broken family instantly falls in love and adores the narcissist for the lavish gifts and the net of protection they seem to provide. The narcissist feels the family’s admiration and is drawn in even further. For the narcissist, this family gets just how special they are and fully appreciates them for all they do. Finally, they have found what they were missing in their other relationships. The marriage often happens quickly with everyone ...

Brian M. Murray, MS   “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” ― Thomas A. Edison   Hope can be a powerful force. It drives the future with a sort of romanticized vision with excitement and enthusiasm. Whether it is with marriage, having children, an exciting career or a certain lifestyle, hope and dreams drive the motivation and inspiration to achieve that dream. Sometimes, however, those dreams get crushed. Reality steps in and begins to paint a bleak picture of that future and over time the anticipation begins to fade. The vision gets lost, the hope disappears, motivation wanes and life can feel stuck. It’s almost as if the color gets washed out of the dream and it loses its luster appearance and develops that sense of hopelessness. How does someone who is feeling in despair about their life bring hope back into the picture? Feeling like being in a hopeless situation does not necessarily mean they have to abandon hope itself...

Laura Hull, LMFT Coping Coach   I borrowed part of the title of this blog from a song made popular by a famous group in the early 1990’s.   It was a contagious little ditty, if not blunt and to the point.   Songwriters throughout modern history have made a lot of money writing songs about broken hearts and broken dreams.   Alas, broken dreams are a common experience; perhaps even a common thread in the human experience that binds us together like a stadium wave, with lit smartphone flame in hand.   At one point or another, we all have ideas that are born in the form of a dream.   We invest ourselves, if not physically (or financially) at the very least emotionally, in the making of those dreams coming true.   I am a big believer in dreaming big.   I am also a big believer in having a “dream big, plan B” and a “dream big, plan C”.   I will explain why later.   Before I dive into the meat of this article, ...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC It seems like yesterday when you held your child for the first time and stared in to their eyes with wonderment, awe, and intense love.   It was a magical, miraculous moment when all things seemed possible and they could become anything they wanted to be.   You poured optimism into them daily and began dreaming of the adult they would one day become and all the accomplishments they would achieve. But something happened.   Perhaps it was a medical condition that would forever alter the possibilities of becoming an Olympic athlete.   Or perhaps it was a behavioral issue that would preclude them from attending certain schools.   Or perhaps it was a developmental disorder that would significantly change their interaction with others.   Or maybe it was simply fear, anxiety, obsession, depression or an addiction that would leave a lasting imprint, forever revising your dreams. Whatever the cause, the dreams you first dr...

By Matt W Sandford Everyone, I think, has goals and dreams: a great job where you are respected and with travel opportunities; finding “the one” to spend your life with; becoming a Mom or Dad; starting your own business. But many of those dreams are not realized and sometimes the dream is found and then lost. I know this personally. My wife and I had reached our dream, but then in flash, it was gone. Many times it’s not just that a dream has to be put on hold or doesn’t materialize, but that “life” interferes in cruel ways through hardships of all kinds, like injury, chronic illness or disease, death of loved ones, financial loss, crime, or natural disaster. A dream can be broken slowly over time or could go up in smoke in a flash, but the loss of our dreams is like experiencing a kind of death. We seem wired to dream and make plans. When someone has no plan and has no interest in making plans for their life, most would believe that there is something wrong. Without drea...