The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Dwight Bain, LMHC Fear is a normal part of childhood – learning how to manage it is an important part of growing up. Everyone feels fear. From six years old to sixty people worry and feel afraid. There are classic symptoms all children face, ( listed below),  which are indicators of the levels of anxiety a child may be facing. And did you know fear is such a common theme that the Bible has over 300 verses dedicated to facing fear and not staying afraid? Emotional maturity takes place when a child learns to face their fears by managing these negative emotions through talking, praying, writing them out in words, drawings or other expressive arts. The more a child can learn to  ‘replace’  their fears with facts or faith, the more confidence she will gain, and when she can learn the power of deep truth, like,  “ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear... for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you”.(Deuteronomy 31:6 ...

By: Matt W. Sandford, LMHC “Grow up!” people will say, usually when you are doing something that annoys them. But I wonder how skilled you are at actually identifying immaturity? I wonder this because of the frequency in which I encounter folks who have gotten into a relationship with someone and they can’t understand why the other person does what they do, or why they have the conflicts they do, or why the relationship is so on and off, or why they can’t seem to work some things out. And so I started to wonder if some ‘immaturity-spotting skills’ would be worthwhile. Let me offer a general concept and then flesh it out. Keep in mind, there are many ways to view maturity and this is just one perspective. Generally, we can find immaturity living on the edges of the continuum of some characteristic, meaning either too little or too much of something. Maturity is often developed through learning a balanced perspective.  This is not a comprehensive list, but rather intended to get...

By Chris Hammond Technically, no one can “make” you angry unless you give them that right.   While it may seem as though the actions of another person are “making you angry”, in actuality it is your set of experiences, emotions, beliefs, and ideals that cause you to get angry.   For instance, one person may become angry at being cut off while driving while another person may not even notice the action.   The difference between the two people is one person took the action as a personal offense while the other person did not.   The person cutting you off did not “make” you angry; rather you became angry because of how you perceived their action. So while another person can’t “make” you angry, you can “make” your kid angry.   Why the double standard?   Because your kid is a child and you are an adult.   With maturity comes the ability to temper or control your responses which is the idea of having “self-control”.   But for a child, they ...

By: Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC, CSOTS The biggest question I face as I write this article is, “how do I tactfully address such a sensitive, yet pertinent, topic?” There is no easy answer to this question and yet the ramifications of a controlling and overprotective style of parenting on the emotional growth of young men absolutely must be addressed. There are many reasons that mothers emotionally smother their sons: 1. Fear of their sons being hurt 2. Fear that their sons might encounter failure 3. Internal guilt in the mother 4. A strong desire to protect their sons from the world’s evil 5. Overcompensation for an absent or uninvolved father 6. A controlling personality, in general. Many of these reasons (and others that are unmentioned) are founded in good intentions and based on the love mothers have for their boys. 9 out of 10 mothers do not smother their sons because they have evil intentions or because they are abusive in nature. Most mothers are overprotective simply because…....

The Way to Spiritual Maturity By Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC, CSOTS Why do we prefer slavery in Egypt over following God in the wilderness? In more practical terms, why do we tend to gravitate back to former sins or unhealthy situations rather than draw near to God through the hard times of life? Why do we try to take control of life by digging our own cisterns (broken ones) instead of submitting to God and letting Him lead us through life? Why do we resist God’s way of purifying us through pain and hardship and turmoil? Instead, we often choose to do our own thing which actually delays our maturity and STILL leaves us feeling empty, lonely and beaten down. I cannot speak for the Christians abroad as God has not taken me onto the mission field at this point. However, I have lived my entire life in and around the American Church. I grew up, the son of a preacher and elder. I preached my first sermon around the age of five. I attended five years of Bible College and, later, anoth...