WHEN DATING HURTS

This is part one of a three-part story.  Holly wasn’t looking for a boyfriend the evening she met Phil. Soon after they met, she felt they might have a future together. Well, they did have a future. A horrific one. Sometimes abuse survivors display levels of loyalty that go beyond our imagination. This is one of those stories. We find ourselves pulling for Holly to stop the madness and break away...

The two episodes in this story come with content warnings. You may find when listening to this story that the content is too intense for you. If that becomes the case, I strongly urge you: do not continue listening. The content and its descriptions tell of the intense emotional and physical abuse a husband put on his wife. I thought many times about following this story, but I promised myself year...

The two episodes in this story come with content warnings.  You may find when listening to this story that the content is too intense for you. If that becomes the case, I strongly urge you: do not continue listening. The content and its descriptions tell of the intense emotional and physical abuse a husband put on his wife. I thought many times about following this story, but I promised myself yea...

In 2015, I met with Carla Clanagan at many domestic-violence related events. Besides her limitless work in the domestic violence field, Carla was also the founder of "In His Eyes", an organization committed to helping women labeled as ex-offenders.  In 2017, Carla's daughter, Makenzie, was brutally attacked by an ex-boyfriend. She was fortunate to survive al that happened. After much rehabilitatio...

Jen's friend, Mary, is serving a 15-year sentence in a state prison. How could this happen??? Q: Was Mary guilty of her crime?   A: Yes, she was. Q: What was Mary's crime?  A: While intoxicated, she ran over and killed a man riding his bike. Q: Was Mary's abusive husband the real perpetrator of her crime.   A: Yes, I think he is.    In a multi-faceted interview, Jen talks about her friend, Mary, a...

Jen's friend, Mary, is serving a 15-year sentence in a state prison. How could this happen??? Q: Was Mary guilty of her crime?  A: Yes, she was.   Q: What was Mary's crime? A: While intoxicated, she ran over and killed a man riding his bike.   Q: Was Mary's abusive husband the real perpetrator of her crime.  A: Yes, I think he is.  In a multi-faceted interview, Jen talks about her friend, Mary, an...

Jen's friend, Mary, is serving a 15-year sentence in a state prison. How could this happen??? Q: Was Mary guilty of her crime? A: Yes, she was. Q: What was Mary's crime? A: While intoxicated, she ran over and killed a man riding his bike. Q: Was Mary's abusive husband the real perpetrator of her crime. A: Yes, I think he is. In a multi-faceted interview, Jen talks about her friend, Mary, and what...

Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, and graphic violence. We are most fortunate to have this two-part conversation with Lt. Mark Wynn. This is part two. Part quest for justice. Part journey towards healing. Decorated Nashville cop Mark Wynn wrestles with his own violent childhood while working to reform decades of domestic violence mishandling, cover-ups, and a...

Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, and graphic violence. We are most fortunate to have this two-part conversation with Lt. Mark Wynn. This is part one.  Part quest for justice. Part journey towards healing. Decorated Nashville cop Mark Wynn wrestles with his own violent childhood while working to reform decades of domestic violence mishandling, cover-ups, and...

This is part two of a two-part narrative. Let me say upfront that I totally admire this woman. This is a cautionary tale for parents and children. There is much to be learned as Cherice Bloom tells of years of abusive behavior while dating and being married to Cody (not his real name). Growing up, early family life offered little comfort. Cherice’s father’s job took him away from home most of the...

This is part one of a two-part narrative. Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, and graphic violence. Let me say upfront that I totally admire this woman. This is a cautionary tale for parents and children. There is much to be learned as Cherice Bloom tells of years of abusive behavior while dating and being married to Cody (not his real name). Growing up, early...

Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, and graphic violence. This is part two of a two-part narrative. What you hear on this WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast episode was created by artificial intelligence. It is not a real person's voice. The words spoken are a composite of beliefs and concepts expressed by dating and domestic abusers found within notes and interviews. T...

Content/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, and graphic violence. This is part one of a two-part narrative. What you hear on this WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast episode was created by artificial intelligence. It is not a real person's voice. The words spoken are a composite of beliefs and concepts expressed by dating and domestic abusers found within notes and interviews. T...

The WHEN DATING HURTS podcast has covered many facets of the domestic violence issue. But this one is new.  Abusers often have patterns of violence towards all members of a household including children and pets. It’s difficult enough for the abused to find shelter for themselves. For that reason, many survivors stay in abusive homes for fear of subjecting their pets to continued abuse if left behi...

Brenda's story has many twists and turns.  You will hear the insidious ways her abuser would not give up when she expressed no further interest in him. He was going to maintain control over her no matter what. Wrestling control over her life was all but impossible. This WHEN DATING HURTS episode will hold your attention while you learn the ways to break free from the iron grip of domestic violence...

Sebastian Soul has been a sought-after international dating coach for over a decade. He is also the host of two very different podcasts: the “Get Him Keep Him” podcast and the “Get Over Him” podcast.     In our two-part conversation, Sebastian and I took turns interviewing each other. The expectation was our final edited interview would appear on my podcast and one of his. I found Sebastian to be...

Sebastian Soul has been a sought-after international dating coach for over a decade. He is also the host of two very different podcasts: the “Get Him Keep Him” podcast and the “Get Over Him” podcast.   In our two-part conversation, Sebastian and I took turns interviewing each other. The expectation was our final edited interview would appear on my podcast and his. I found Sebastian to be deeply kn...

From time to time, I was interviewed on someone else's podcast. This is one of those occasions.  "I Need Blue", hosted by Jen Lee, shares real-life stories of people who have experienced traumatic situations. It's a podcast that supports survivors of violent crimes. It also gives thanks to law enforcement professionals who were there to save the day. Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURT...

Susan Saurman and I met in early 2021 when we traded emails soon after she read my book, WHEN DATING HURTS (Amazon). She told me about her upbringing—how it was in a home made terrifying by domestic violence perpetrated by her cruel tyrannical father.  In this WHEN DATING HURTS episode, hear Susan describe her life of abuse and tragedy. She describes her abusive upbringing, the paralyzing fear she...

Dear Listeners, I was fortunate get time with Dr. Colleen Lelli. In this interview, she talks about her book, "Trauma Sensitive Schools - The Importance of Instilling Grit, Determination, and Resilience", which explains what can actually be going on within a student's mind caused by ongoing disruptions away from school. You will find Dr. Lelli's observations eye-opening. You will see what I mean. ...

Emily McCoy facilitates the Financial Empowerment Program at Laurel House, the largest domestic violence agency in Montgomery County, PA. Laurel House serves individuals, families, and communities. Financial Abuse does not get enough attention. It is found in 99% of domestic violence cases. This interview with Emily covers the most common facets of financial abuse. She will discuss ways to prevent...

This is part two of two parts with Alexandra. Her story follows along the path of many dating abuse victims. There were ample warning signs presented, but she didn't recognize them for what they were. And she stayed on a path that could have been her destruction.   Taylor took advantage of Alexandra with every opportunity he created. When listening to this episode of the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast,...

This is part one of two parts with Alexandra.  Her story follows along the path of many dating abuse victims. There were ample warning signs presented, but she didn't recognize them for what they were. And she stayed on a path that could have been her destruction. Taylor took advantage of Alexandra with every opportunity he created. When listening to this episode of the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast,...

This is part three of three parts with Sarah. Sarah lives in Melbourne, Australia and yet her story could have emanated from anywhere. You will recognize the patterns. Nice woman meets guy and falls for him. He seems like what she was looking for but begins to show signs of potential trouble. She ignores signs and stays with him. It gets worse, but she works around the rough spots. We have heard i...

This is part two of three parts with Sarah.  Sarah lives in Melbourne, Australia and yet her story could have emanated from anywhere. You will recognize the patterns. Nice woman meets guy and falls for him. He seems like what she was looking for but begins to show signs of potential trouble. She ignores signs and stays with him. It gets worse, but she works around the rough spots.   We have heard...