The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By Chris Hammond Yes, no and maybe.   Remember the Hulk?   A normal looking man who turn into a green monster in a matter of seconds.   As a man he seems kind, understanding, logical, sympathetic, and systematic but given the right opportunity, he becomes unreasonable, angry, aggressive, spontaneous, and violent.   In a very simplistic way, this illustration clearly describes what happens to a violent shooter.   Yes, there are personality profiles, addictions, disorders, environments, and relationships that all contribute to the likelihood that a person will become a shooter but the bottom line is there is still a willingness to become the monster that lurks deep inside. Who does this happen to?   Be honest for a second and recall your last monster like appearance.   Were you ranting and raving about something meaningless, were you throwing something across the room, were you crying uncontrollably, or were you wishing harm on someone? ...

By: Laura Hull, LMFT     Newtown .   Aurora .   Columbine.   Benghazi . New York City .   The mere mention of these places and the events associated with them provoke a visceral response in many.   Columbine was almost a generation ago, yet it is a memory that awakens when senseless school violence becomes national news.   Ten years of time was erased and fresh pain surfaced for many when the decade anniversary of 9/11 was commemorated a few years ago.   There are some events that are just so horrific; it is nearly impossible to comprehend on so many levels.   Newtown was supposed to be safe.   Six-year-old children are not supposed to die.     From the shock and horror that emerged following the murder of twenty first grade students and six adult school employees, came the questions in the minds of so many, “How did this happen?”   And more to the point “Why did this happen”?   The police and i...

  By: Chris Hammond, MS, IMH For most people, remembering 9/11/01 is about remembering where they were when they first heard the news.   It is easy to recall it since it was such a shocking day filled with tragedy after tragedy and while most felt numb that day, recall of the event now includes emotions of great sadness, grief, despair, and anger.   The many days of confusion that followed 9/11/01 are more of fog compared to the moment in which you first heard the news.   That moment is imbedded into your memory as if it was yesterday, stirring up a mixture of both old and new emotions.   With each passing year, the memory refuses to fade as new memories are implanted into your head; instead it remains a solidly fixed and sober event. But remembering 9/11/01 should not be so selfish.   It should not be about remembering where you were or who you were with or how you felt.   The people who committed the acts of terrorism on 9/11/01 were t...

Freedom in a Post 9-11 world.   By: Brian M Murray, IMH             The automatic door swung open and the soldier walked into the shopping store only to observe what appears to be an accident. There was a lady on her knees and bending over crying and a crowd was beginning to gather around her to figure out what was wrong. Did she fall? Was she hurt? What is wrong? The soldier moved down the aisles looking back as he watched others come to her aid. Grabbing a few items he came for, he headed for the checkout and noticed the scene had not changed. The soldier taking into consideration his emergency training approached the crowd seeing if there was something he could do. He was a stranger in another country and knew there would be a language barrier should he offer assistance. “What is the matter?” asked the soldier. Someone turned around and said, “This is the first time she has ventured into the west since the Berl...