Articles for therapists

  By Liane J. Leedom, M.D. Imagine loving someone, having children with that person, and then realizing that you've gotten yourself involved in an abusive relationship. Imagine suspecting that your partner, the mother or father of your children, has a personality disorder and then hearing that personality disorders are highly genetic. If you're a therapist, imagine this person is your client. What do you do? I believe we can and should intervene in the lives of children who are at risk of developing externalizing disorders, such as ADHD, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and substance use disorders. If we do, we may be able to prevent these children from …

Helping children overcome genetic risk for externalizing disordersRead More

Many Lovefraud readers have loved  someone, had children with that person, and then realized that you've gotten yourself involved in an abusive relationship. You suspect that your partner, the mother or father of your children, has a personality disorder and then you hear that personality disorders are highly genetic. What do you do? And if you're a therapist, how do you help a client in this situation? Dr. Liane Leedom presents a four-part webinar series called Overcoming Children's Genetic Risk for Externalizing Disorders. It is designed for mental health professionals and offers continuing education credits, but parents can benefit from the information as well. The webinar e …

Specific parenting strategies may help children at risk for developing personality disordersRead More

Maybe you are one of many Lovefraud readers in a court battle with a sociopath divorce, child custody, or other litigation. Maybe, when you need to tell the court what you experienced you freeze, unable to speak, or even think. You could be suffering from a psychiatric injury, such as PTSD. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are diagnosed, you are entitled to accommodations to allow you equal access to the judicial system. Accommodations may include breaks if you become symptomatic, permission to tape record proceedings, and more. Do you know about this? Does your therapist know? Dr. Karin Huffer, author of the Legal Abuse Syndrome, presents a Lovefraud …

How therapists can help support traumatized clients who face sociopaths in courtRead More

One of the worst things about sociopathy is that it is highly genetic. That means everyone who has children with a sociopath must face a hard truth: Their children are also at risk of becoming sociopaths. But genetics are not carved in stone, and just because children are at risk does not mean they are doomed to develop personality disorders. Lovefraud Continuing Education offers a series of four webinars designed to teach mental health professionals how to help clients who have children at risk for externalizing disorders. (Externalizing disorders are mental disorders characterized by negative behaviors directed towards a person's external environment, such as towards other …

How to help children who are at risk of becoming sociopathsRead More

"Crazy-making" that's how people describe involvements with those who have narcissistic or antisocial personality disorders, psychopathy, and even borderline personality disorder. After enduring deception, manipulation, bald-faced lies and gaslighting, people who are in these relationships often feel like they're losing their minds. What they need most is someone who believes their stories and can tell them what is going on. So they go for counseling. Unfortunately, many times they discover that the therapist really doesn't understand what they are talking about. Over the years, I've heard this from countless people who have been targeted by exploiters. In fact, I've heard …

Mental health professionals: Here’s the training you never received about antisocial personality disorder, narcissism and psychopathyRead More