A Co Down grandmother who lost her home and became £70,000 in the red after her husband's illness has turned things around and is now earning £10,000 a month.
Read More: Young mum who died after Galway crash was 18 weeks pregnant as sister says: 'She was so well loved' "Women are also a big part of the business – we have women wanting to pay for their electric bill or days out with their children joining us all the time, just to have a bit of extra money or work full-time.But relationship matters were not always so stable for Cathy.
"It’s also quite a secretive environment because the abuser can seem a very genuinely nice person to everyone around. Cathy tearfully said: "The treatment affects your confidence and your ability to believe in yourself, and what you could do and what you can do, because you’re so used to being told other things about yourself."
The transition to a positive relationship with Ivan was not seamless, however, as Cathy still retained some trust issues because of her negative experiences from the past.