WHEN DATING HURTS

My guest, Kaytee Gillis, is a psychotherapist, author, and consultant working with survivors of traumatic relationships—whether familial or romantic.  She is also a domestic abuse survivor herself. She will talk about this.  Her recent book, Invisible Bruises: How a Better Understanding of the Patterns of Domestic Violence Can Help Survivors Navigate the Legal System, sheds light on the ways that...

Bianca contacted me wanting to share a situation her daughter, Gracie, experienced in high school. It was not in any way a romantic relationship, but had all the markings of an unhealthy relationship with Liz, another high school student. Gracie was lured into this abusive relationship during the high water days of Covid, when students needed to stay at home. So, getting access to school friends w...

Maureen Murray is not a "counselor" per se. Her task with Laurel House Domestic Violence Agency in Montgomery County, PA is teaching in the community (mostly with the school populations) educating students about healthy relationships, dating violence, or domestic abuse depending on the audience. The education Maureen dispenses also brings her teams into universities, police stations, corporate off...

The prevailing stereotype about dating (and domestic) violence is that it mostly happens in the toughest parts of towns and cities. You know, the most depressed parts. And that’s not true at all. It can happen anywhere. My guest on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, Mikkel Becker, is a domestic and dating abuse survivor. She grew up in a perfect, loving nuclear family. Everything seemed absolutely rig...

I met Jen Lee two years ago when she and I launched our separate podcasts at around the same time. Both are heavily aimed at identifying and supporting survivors. Jen and I share podcast tips and have remained professional friends ever since. Residing in Virginia, her first marriage ended amicably (really). She wanted a relationship that matched her energy and zest for life. While having an after-...

Elizabeth Overstreet has been featured by ABC, CBS, NBC, The New York Times, and many other media outlets. She is a trusted love and relationship strategist. She says she, "Keeps things real". You will hear how she does it in this episode of the WHEN DATING HURTS podcast. Through her expert coaching and motivational speaking, Elizabeth is known for creating personalized, practical roadmaps to happ...

Lauren is about 30-years old. Hers is a cautionary tale that needs to be heard by everyone. In high school, Lauren fell in love with Max. She didn’t know what she was getting into. Abusive guys, like Max, become well-practiced at the manipulation and grooming of their targets. Lauren mistook his behavior as love. It was not. It was a classic example of dating abuse. Like many innocent young women,...

We met J R Waltemyer in the summer of 2019, and he remains a valuable contact for us at the Office of Victim Advocate (OVA) in Pennsylvania. OVA is the state agency with the authority and duty to advocate for the rights and needs of crime victims. OVA accomplishes their mission through victim services, which includes post-sentencing notifications of offender status and movements within the Departm...

"Rosy" is a listener from London, UK. She first came across our podcast when listening to an episode on the This Is Actually Happening podcast. It led to her listening to the WHEN DATING HURTS podcast and hearing interviews with abuse survivors. Rosy has spent most of her late 20's and early 30's recovering from the dating abuse she experienced. The WHEN DATING HURTS podcast has helped her in unde...

I was delighted when I was contacted by "The Only One in the Room" podcast. Hosts Laura and Scott have a series that has earned national attention.  Getting onto this podcast series takes having a story they feel is worth their precious time and attention. The story of our family's journey after my daughter's tragedy gained us this opportunity.  This is quite a comprehensive interview. You will le...

This episode is a repeat of the first one in the series. I wanted to remind listeners why we created this podcast. I lost my daughter in 2005 when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after she was breaking up with him. Something like that stays with you for a lifetime. It was 17 years ago and feels like yesterday. Since 2005, I wrote a book about what happened with Kristin and gave it the same na...

This time, I speak with Tony Lapp, the Executive Director at Courdea. Tony is also an experienced trainer, educator, writer, and therapist. Courdea is serving the Philadelphia area by providing a thorough treatment program for abusers and harmful partners (who are mainly men—but can also be women). Courdea offers training, consultation, group therapy, trauma-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral t...

On this special WHEN DATING HURTS episode, we include segments from some of our most remarkable moments in 2021. You will hear from survivors and domestic violence counselors whose insights help us better understand dating (and domestic) violence, how to detect it, how to cope, and ways to safely break free. It's worth your time if you know someone in or entering high school or college.   Soon, we...

Scott Johnson is the host of What Was That Like. His podcast is one of the most-followed podcasts in the country. It is quite an honor to be able to tell our daughter's story on Scott's powerful podcast. He is an excellent interviewer; you will hear it yourself here. For more information about the What Was That Like podcast, here's Scott's website: https://whatwasthatlike.com/.  Thank you for list...

In this episode, you can listen to three more chapters from the WHEN DATING HURTS audiobook. This audiobook joins the paperback and eBook versions on Amazon. You can also access this audiobook via Audible and iTunes.  THE WARNING SIGNS The first place to turn, if you are concerned about someone's relationship with a potential abuser, is the warning signs. These red flags will guide you about if so...

Elaine is a domestic abuse survivor. She met the man she would later marry in a senior chemistry class in high school. They dated on and off in college. They were married during her senior year. The entire time she was either dating or married to this man, there were ever-present warning signs indicating the unhealthiness of this partnership. In spite of the Treatment she received, Elaine pressed...

This is a short episode but it includes a couple of questions for you about dating violence. Plus, we added two more chapters from the WHEN DATING HURTS audiobook which will be released soon on Amazon and Audible. We are in final editing. I wish we could move faster. As we enter 2022, please think about putting a real emphasis on learning the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship. You can goo...

I was honored to appear on the Midday Show on WYPR which is hosted by Tom Hall. WYPR 88.1 FM is a local news station for NPR in Baltimore.  From WYPR's website: Tom's guest, is Bill Mitchell. For the past 16 years, he has been a passionate advocate for victims of domestic violence. He is the author of a book called When Dating Hurts: What We Learned About Dating Violence After Our Daughter’s Tragi...

The WHEN DATING HURTS audiobook will be coming out soon. We are in the final stages of editing.  On this podcast, you can listen to the first three chapters of WHEN DATING HURTS audiobook read by author Bill Mitchell. Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast, Bill Mitchell WhenDatingHurts.com NOTE: If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS...

"Ruth" hoped everything would go perfectly when she met her husband-to-be. It did not.  She found the weight of their relationship was squarely on her before, during, and after she was married. This was a marriage that eventually included three children—all boys. In Ruth, you will find a woman who gave it everything, but in her husband's view, she never gave enough. She never lost her desire to do...

"Gabby" was in an abusive dating relationship when she was in her sophomore year at college. Even though she had dated a man for only two months, his power and control techniques were turned on "full strength". Gabby's story is a cautionary tale on what can happen when we don't know the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship. She also sheds a bright light on dating apps; something parents and...

"CausePods" is a podcast series created to raise awareness for the people who create podcasts to better their community, society, and the world.  The host of "CausePods", Mathew Passy, interviewed me (Bill Mitchell) this time. I appreciated this interview so much, I asked if I could include it on the WHEN DATING HURTS series. Here it is.  Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast, B...

Kathryn Marsh and Melissa Hoppmeyer are prosecutors who specialize in child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence crimes. They are also the co-hosts of the thriving "No Grey Zone" podcast, now in season three. For October, which was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, "No Grey Zone" interviewed Bill Mitchell, author of the When Dating Hurts book and host of the When Dating Hurts podcast. Than...

Denise's experiences, both personal and professional, led her to obtain her Master of Science Degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. In 2018, Denise began a clinical internship with Laurel House then continued working with them as an individual, group and financial counselor. She has offered group counseling for young adults (ages 18-24) who have been...

I spoke with Nichelle Lynn-Hennigan who is a licensed professional counselor. She joined Laurel House five years ago as a master’s level clinical counseling intern. Today, she is a senior counselor. During her time with Laurel House, Nichelle has provided counseling services to the women and children in their shelter, and she covered their 24-hour hotline. Currently, Nichelle works out of three di...