Partnered with a Survivor Podcast
Hosted by Safe & Together Institute founder David Mandel, MA, LPC, and his partner and Safe & Together Institute co-owner Ruth Reymundo Mandel, who grew up in an institutional setting where she was subjected to family separation and abuse as a child, Partnered with a Survivor is a series of conversations. What started as intimate conversations between David and Ruth that ranged from personal to professional experiences around violence, relationships, abuse, and systemic and professional responses that harm, not help, has now become a global conversation about systems and culture change.
In many episodes, David and Ruth are joined by a global leader in different areas like child safety, men and masculinity, and, of course, partnering with survivors. Each episode is a deep dive into complex topics like how systems fail domestic abuse survivors and their children, societal views of masculinity and violence, and how intersectionalities such as cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, and unique vulnerabilities impact how we respond to abuse and violence. These far-ranging discussions offer an insider look into how we navigate the world together as professionals, as parents, and as partners. During these podcasts, David and Ruth challenge the notions that keep all of us from moving forward collectively as systems, as cultures, and as families into safety, nurturance, and healing. We hope you join us.
Note: Episodes contain sensitive topics and occasional mature language that may be difficult for some listeners.
Check Out All of Our Podcast Episodes
Season 6 Episode 14: Violent Crime & Religion: How Religious Teachings Are Used as Justification for Child Abuse
Religious teachings wield profound influence over family dynamics and human behaviors, sometimes enabling abuse under the guise of spiritual teachings and guidance. This raw and revealing conversation confronts the troubling legacy of religious parenting methodologies that promote violence, rights removal, and coercive control rather than nurturing safe, consensual connection.
Season 6 Episode 8: The Prevention-Response Nexus: Keeping Children Safe While Breaking Cycles of Abuse
Imagine a world where our most vulnerable babies are protected without automatically severing their connection to their family. That’s the vision Lauren Seager-Smith brings as Chief Executive of the For Baby’s Sake Trust, where they’re revolutionizing responses to domestic abuse during pregnancy and early childhood.
This conversation challenges us to think differently about protecting children. Can we create systems that hold those who use violence accountable while supporting their capacity to change? Can we recognize the profound connection between maternal and child welfare without placing impossible burdens on mothers? Most importantly, can we find the courage to invest in prevention, even when immediate crises demand our attention?
Join us for this thought-provoking discussion that reimagines what's possible when we truly commit to breaking cycles of harm and supporting healthy family connections from the very beginning of life.
Season 6 Episode 5: Coercive Control & Children 2025: Conference Insights from Melbourne
David and Ruth share highlights from the 2025 Safe & Together Asia Pacific Coercive Control & Children’s Conference in Melbourne, Australia. Listen in as they reflect on key moments and the impact of bringing together over 400 practitioners from across the region.
Season 6 Episode 2: Coercive Control and Children
In this episode, David and Ruth explore why coercive control must be at the center of how we understand the impact of domestic abuse on children. Moving beyond just focusing on physical violence or whether children “witnessed” abuse, they discuss how perpetrators’ patterns of behavior can devastate children’s well-being in multiple ways.
