by Christine Hammond on June 5, 2019
“I hate him, with every fiber of my being, I hate him,” Marie said as she looked back on her day. “But while I hate him for this moment, I won’t let the hate linger because I’m not going to give him that power over me.” After years of silence, her bio dad sent a… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
At first glance, a sociopath may be difficult to identify at work. They generally don’t draw attention because they have no internal need to socialize or interact with co-workers unless there is something to be gained from the experience. When they choose to intermingle, they present as charming, intelligent, balanced, sexy, and yet seemingly harmless…. (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
It is apparent that something is out of sorts. At first, the person who was extremely charming, almost too good to be real has now become intimidating, demanding, and even threatening. The pathological lying over trivial matters, even when caught, can no longer be ignored. They are unreliable, unrelenting, irresponsible, disruptive, outrageous, traumatizing, insincere, unrepentant,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
One of the more useful techniques to develop is a basic understanding of discerning liars. While no too look the same, there are some general identification features. Some of which are utilized on lie detector tests. However, with every rule there is an exception. This methodology is not useful when dealing with pathological liars such… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
“Anyone compelled to choose will find far greater security in being feared than in being loved.” This famous quote from Prince Machiavelli is one of the guiding principles of Machiavellians. Machiavellianism is a personality construct and not a personality disorder like narcissism or anti-social (sociopath and psychopath). It is a way of looking at the… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
No matter what the profession, if a boss has this personality combination, they are terrifying. The Dark Tetrad is composed of four parts: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism. Sadism is the addition to the Dark Triad which has narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. For either condition, this means a person possesses the characteristics of all of… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on August 25, 2017
Remember when then President Bill Clinton defended his improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky by saying, “it depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is”? That classic line sounds almost ridiculous as there is only one meaning to the word is. It stands to reason that other simple words such as ‘yes’ and ‘no’ would likewise… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on August 24, 2017
Monica came into her counseling session crying. The position at work that she worked so hard to obtain was now in jeopardy. She couldn’t understand how this happened so quickly. One day she seemed to be everyone’s favorite new employee and the next day she was an outcast. But as she began to recount her… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on June 13, 2017
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” Sir Walter Scott wrote this famous line in his poem titled Marmion about the Battle of Flodden (1808). (Interestingly enough, it is often misattributed to William Shakespeare.) His poem recounts a love story that survives despite a web of deceptions, manipulations, mischaracterizations,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on June 10, 2017
The other day, a client came in describing his wife’s behavior as Borderline Personality Disorder. He had numerous examples of how perfectly she fit the profile and how he had been traumatized by her behavior. For example, she was fearful of his abandonment and in desperation would rage anytime he mentioned separation. Yet every time… (more…)