Lifting the lid on family secrets with lawyer, mediator and No Place to Lie author Helen Garlick #91

“People have crossed the road to avoid speaking to me in the past and I can’t blame them.”Today my guest is Helen Garlick – fellow author, divorcee, YouTube presenter and cocker spaniel owner! Until recently Helen was a family lawyer and mediator and has written six issues of The Which? Guide to Divorce, but she recently stepped back from all that to write her memoir, No Place to Lie. The book is a brutally honest memoir about the secrets that shrouded her family, namely her brother David’s suicide on St David's day in 1981, and a secret her mother took to her grave – one Helen only found out about in a note written on the back of an envelope found in her mother's belongings.In the book, written in lockdown, Helen very eloquently unpicks and articulates what is often a really complex relationship with parents – in Helen’s case her relationship with her mother and her grandmother and grandmother-in-law. ‘It wasn’t an easy relationship with my mother,” Helen explains. “She was just different, that’s what she wrote on her envelope. She could make people trip over, just by looking at them.” We also speak about:The tender subject of maternal narcissism and the language of emotions.Helen’s coronavirus vaccine experience with Hugh Bonneville.Sobriety, the concept of ‘being present’ and surrounding yourself with a sober tribe.‘Blended’ families and the need for new vocabulary to describe the various roles within themAttitudes towards suicide, Zero Suicide Alliance and the true cost of suicide. In 2023, Helen is walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats with her husband Tim to raise money for the Samaritans and other charities dedicated to suicide prevention. To find out more, follow Helen on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to her You Tube Channel, Hello! It’s Better to Talk. About The Nicole Bremner Podcast: Nicole Bremner is an investor, speaker, writer, and podcaster. After a successful decade building a multi-million property portfolio in London, Nicole was forced by a number of external obstacles to stop, take stock and figure out what really matters in life.  Following a period of healing and reflection, she discovered that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and, so very often, setback is followed by real success. On The Nicole Bremner Podcast, she speaks to others who have triumphed in the face of adversity and explores the lessons they have learned along the way. To find out who’s coming up next on The Nicole Bremner Podcast, follow Nicole on Instagram @nsbremner and facebook or subscribe to her YouTube channel. You can also support the show here. DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. The view and opinions of the guest speakers do not represent that of the host. Always do your own research. Support the showDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. The view and opinions of the guest speakers do not represent that of the host. Always do your own research.