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Posts Tagged ‘domestic violence’

Single On Valentine’s Day: One Woman’s Story of Tragedy, Triumph and Resilience

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

By Guest Blogger Helen Georgaklis

My name is Helen Georgaklis. I have been an entrepreneur for over 20 years. I have started up companies in the computer industry, to insurance, to retirement planning, to where I am today- an educator who works with children full-time teaching them how to become authors of their own stories. I have dedicated my entire career as a financial specialist to women, both young and old, in building their own financial wealth. I made a living managing their money, but my work was far more as a counselor than anything financial. This is my story.

I was born an Expo baby, 1967, to Greek parents; my father a Greek immigrant, my mother a first generation Greek born in Canada. I learned early on in life what survival meant, and have been doing just that since the tender age of 5. It’s from that point that I remember the very first beating I got from my father. I was physically abused as a child, to the age of 22, and had spent my adolescent life lying about the welts and bruises I had on a weekly basis right up until I got engaged to be married, but still living at home.

child abuse

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Verbal Abuse: The Abuse No One Talks About

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

By Guest Blogger Henriette Eiby Christensen 

Six years ago, I came out of a 12-year verbally abusive relationship not knowing what had happened.

First relief, then not understanding why I felt so bad, and kept feeling like the world would be a better place without me in it.

Then ANGER. No way was I going to let him continue to have that kind of power over me – I had to understand everything, not only for myself, but also for my three children. And so I started writing and observing.

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Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

CAUTION: IMAGE GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING

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A Single Mom’s Valentine’s Day. One Woman’s Story…

Monday, February 15th, 2010

By Guest Blogger Helen Georgaklis

My name is Helen Georgaklis. I have been a Financial Counselor for over 10 years. I run my own company full time while raising 2 children as a single mom both with little or no support at all. I have dedicated the past 6 years to helping women, both young and old in building their own financial wealth. My living is in managing their money, but my work is far more as a counselor than anything financial. This is my story.

I was born an Expo baby, 1967, to Greek parents; my father a Greek immigrant, my mother a first generation Greek born in Canada. I learned early on in life what survival meant, and have been doing just that since the tender age of 5. It’s from that point that I remember the very first beating I had from my father. I was physically abused as a child, to the age of 22, and had spent my adolescent life lying about the welts and bruises I had on a weekly basis right up until I got engaged to be married, but still living at home.

child abuse

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Financial Strain Taking a Toll On Your Relationship

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

I’ve received a ton of emails lately asking me to blog about the state of the economy, and how financial stress within marriages today are at a feverish pitch. Even one of the comments I received was, “The economy will get better, but will my marriage still be in tact when it does?” Ouch, sounds serious.

So let’s take a look at what’s going on. To get a good picture of what’s happening in America, I would like to share with you one of our reader’s comments from yesterday’s Blog. To give you a little recap, the subject matter was how to connect to a man, from a man’s perspective.  I received a lot of feedback, not all good, and you ladies had a lot to say on the matter. Here is a great comment from yesterday….

“I appreciate the insight of Man on the Fence. I am sure that he represents the feelings of many men, including my husband – who has said many times that I give all my love and attention to the kids and have nothing left over for him…well, guess what, Man on the Fence. In today’s world, many of us women are working women who contribute to the finances of the house in a very REAL and SIGNIFICANT way – and have real wear and tear from our days at work as well.

There may be women who worry about frivolous things, as you mention – but a lot of us – including myself – are out in the workforce – struggling with complex issues and businesses – and yet , the majority of the household management still falls on the woman.

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To Stay Or Leave – An Abusive Relationship

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Yesterday was a fun-filled day of parties for my family. We had my neighbor’s holiday party, followed by my son’s school holiday party. There were chocolates, candy, pinyatas and good festive fun. My hubby was on “Daddy duty” all day, because I had my yearly women’s luncheon for Breast Cancer Research: “Women of Action, Pink Lady Fund.” Each year, three outstanding women in our community are honored for their accomplishments and tireless dedication to their work and community, and for being “a women of action.” The highlight of the event, is always the guest speaker. The event is only a few years old, but over the past few years, we have seen the likes of Marianne Pearl (who was portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the movie A Mighty Heart), Margaret Trudeau (former wife of our former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who suffered with mental illness), and Jeannette Walls (author of the best-selling book, The Glass Castle).

Angeline Jolie in A Mighty Heart

Angeline Jolie in A Mighty Heart

Each year, the stories get better and better, and are exceptionally moving. This year was no different. I knew we were going to be hearing speaker Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Mommy Wars and Crazy Love. I had not read her books, and only briefly read her story. I knew that she had graduated from two ivy league schools (Harvard and Wharton). A smart, beautiful woman with a  career on the rise. Brought up in a financially comfortable and loving family. She had the world by the tail… that is, until she married a violently abusive man and entered into a life of hell for four years .

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