Working Life from Purpose and Not Emotions: “Hi Ma’am, You’ve Got a Flat Tire”
Seduced into Becoming an Innocent Prisoner of an Abusive Relationship
From Fear to Freedom: Triumphing Over Abuse & Difficult Relationships
(An excerpt from my upcoming book, From Fear to Freedom: Triumphing Over Abuse and Difficult Relationships) I had parked in a parking lot in downtown Ottawa. I sprang from the car, briefcase in hand, in a hurry to get to my class. A man with a cap on his head sat in…
In my early life, I had unknowingly been seduced into becoming a prisoner of an abusive relationship and had lost my physical, financial and emotional freedom in the process. And yes, I actually later returned to this man, just like many women do after being under the spell of a dark attraction. When I eventually rewon…
“As soon as my feet touched the ground, I snatched up the garbage bag and raced toward the road. I knew that every second counted.” –Jocelyne Durand
This scene is worthy of the best thrillers. I made the mistake of telling my partner, Terry that a friend at work had gone to Spain to study…
The Psychopath – A Chameleon with Sharp Teeth
My Inspiration for Working in the Field of Difficult Behaviors
What Actually Defines an Abrasive Leader?
The psychopath is empty inside. To fill this void, he needs a persona. Like the chameleon, he adopts the characteristics of his surroundings—including the look and feel of his prey. If he has the opportunity, his prey might be you. He will take the time to learn about you on the Internet, and try to…
My training as an expert in dealing with difficult behaviors was perhaps originally inspired early in my own childhood. At the age of two, I proudly sang a song for my mother that I had practiced for days. It was my sacred gift. But my mother had deep insecurities and my little presentation pushed her…
The expression “abrasive leader” is very important in the workplace. Often some of the most gifted individuals are extremely difficult to work with but because of their talent, companies want to keep them, if at all possible. The term abrasive leader “refers to any individual charged with authority, formal or informal, whose interpersonal style causes…
The Challenges of Difficult Relationships
The main problem in dealing with a toxic personality is being able to identify it. We go into denial, especially if it's someone close to us or on whom we depend: "Such a good person, she's always been like that, it's her character, you'll tell me"...