by Christine Hammond on February 1, 2019
As Monique recounted the abuse from her childhood, it became apparent that the abuse from her mother was not typical. While most abusers follow a pattern of tension building, incident, reconciliation, and calm, her mom did not. The tension-building phase was constant with no break or relief from the ensuing harm. The incidents came out… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on January 5, 2019
At a family gathering, Susie’s 2-year-old son was happily running around until her mother-in-law pulled out her cane and tripped him. Susie looked on in horror as the grandmother laughed while her son cried from the fall. Then the grandmother yelled at the boy for crying, calling him a crybaby. Susie swept up her son… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
“Yet another frustrating conversation with my son,” Halley remarked to her therapist. “He is so arrogant, demanding, and controlling. He refuses to see that the wrong in his actions and insists that everyone else is to blame for his situation. I’m so tired of fighting with him.” Halley’s 17-year-old son developed severely escalating lousy behavior… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
Amy’s anxiety was through the roof. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt at peace. Her mind raced obsessively with thoughts of worst-possible outcomes, reliving past hurts over and over, and fortune-telling what everyone around her was thinking. She found herself going to dark places of imagining what would happen if her husband died,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
There is hardly a day that doesn’t go by in my counseling practice where someone brings up the concept of parental alienation. The problem is that the term is frequently misused. For some, it is a catchphrase used to describe any and all poor parent/child relationships. After all, it is far easier to blame the… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
The moment Brian first really understood the term Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a light bulb went off in his brain. He spent most of his life thinking he was crazy, lazy, and stupid – three words his father often said about him to other family members and friends. His father also severely and harshly disciplined him,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
You have read the parenting books, implemented the ideas, and tried new techniques but nothing seems to work. The siblings of the difficult child benefited from intentional parenting, but not the one it was intended to help. In fact, that child is getting worse and the parent’s exhaustion level is through the roof. The child… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
The child and the narcissist seem like polar opposites. The narcissistic parent is typically insensitive and uncaring towards the needs of others. By contrast, their child seems overly compassionate, caring, and highly attuned (almost to the point of compulsion) to needs of others. The child fails to see anything wrong with their narcissistic parent and… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
From a developmental point of view, teenagers should act differently from their child-like selves. This is the time to try on new roles, explore various passions, be adventurous and expand their critical thinking skills. They naturally move away from parental influence and begin to value peer opinions in an effort to form their own perspective…. (more…)