by Christine Hammond on September 8, 2020
Mike found himself regularly confused by other people. Even though he was successful in his career, he struggled with personal connections. He had professional relationships, but they were very superficial and only existed within a work environment. When he tried to converse outside of business matters, he only ended up sounding awkward and unintelligent. The… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on July 20, 2020
The primary purpose of parenting is to raise fully functional adults who can take care of themselves and make a positive contribution to society. Generally speaking, this should be accomplished by the time the child reaches the age of eighteen. After this age, parents have less verbal influence, but can still be a positive role… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on July 19, 2020
Ideally, a child is given the freedom to explore and express their individuality so they can develop into a confident and well-balanced adult. This nurturing environment prioritizes the needs of the child over the parent without overindulgence. But this is not the case when one parent is a narcissist. Most children are unaware of their… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 7, 2020
Teenagers are notorious for their extreme emotional responses. The contrast between “I love you” and “I hate you,” which sometimes can happen within a few minutes, is enough to drive most parents crazy. To cope, many parents end up ignoring their own emotions in an attempt to manage their teen. Over time, this develops into… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on April 1, 2019
Ida realized her mother was a narcissist in her early 20’s. But what she didn’t expect was the developmental impact on her childhood. Normally, a child is given the freedom to explore and express their individuality so they can develop into a confident and well-balanced adult. This nurturing environment prioritizes the needs of the child… (more…)
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 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…)