SPECIALTIES

Couples/Marital Issues, Divorce/Divorce Prevention, Empowering Women, Financial Stress, Grief, Loss, & Bereavement, Life Management, Stepfamilies

Credentials

CPC, MBA

About

My life, so far, has had 3 chapters. Chapter 1: Upon graduation from high school I became a medical technologist. After receiving my degree, I worked in abnormal hematology and then managed a medical practice for five years. I married, had a son and then divorced. Chapter 2: I went back to school, at night, to complete a degree in Accounting/Business which ultimately led to an MBA while raising my son and working 3 jobs. One full-time job and two part-time jobs. It seemed that corporate America was the place for me. I remarried a man who had 2 sons. Within a year of our marriage his sons came to live with us. My then husband and I started a manufacturing business in the Chicago area. It was very successful. Unfortunately, our marriage was not. My husband was a verbally abusive man who would leave a bloody path of people in his wake and turn around and look at all of us as if nothing had happened. Our 3 sons, as well as our employees, were all his victims. During our 22 year marriage however, I had the opportunity to learn what it was like to blend a family. The oldest boy had virtually been on his own at 15. When he came to live with us he was very angry. He didn't want to be told to be home at a certain time or to clean his room or that he had to be in school everyday. He certainly didn't want to hear it from me. Our second son is my biological child. He went from being a happy, well-adjusted boy to a middle child with an abusive step-father. He continued to excel in school and had a wonderful social life but he was not the same boy. Our youngest son spent most of his time with us, so moving into our home was not as life-changing for him as for his older brother. He was our mischievous child. He didn't have to look for trouble...it was on his pillow every morning. There were moments of happiness in our house. However, they were few and far between or ruined by a husband and father who abused alcohol and then abused us and everyone who was in our home at the time. In 2001 I filed for divorce. This was not an easy decision. The boys were grown and gone and I knew that divorcing my husband meant I would also be divorcing our wonderful business. However, I finally realized I was worth more than I was getting. Abuse no longer fit in my life. Chapter 3: Two years ago, I had the extraordinary experience of working with a Life Coach. When I would hang up the phone, in addition to feeling better, I also believed I would make a great Life Coach. I certainly had enough life experience. My blog, www.eileenpenta.com, chronicles most of my life experience.