Partnered with a Survivor Podcast
Partnered With a Survivor is a professionally focused podcast created and produced by Ruth Reymundo and hosted by the Safe & Together Institute. What began as intimate conversations between Ruth and David Mandel — Founder of the Safe Together Institute and creator of the Safe & Together Model — exploring personal and professional experiences around violence, relationships, abuse, and the systemic and professional responses that too often harm rather than help, has grown into a global conversation about systems and culture change.
Hosted by Ruth Reymundo and co-hosted by David Mandel, the podcast offers deep, professionally grounded discussions about how institutions respond to domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and child maltreatment. In many episodes, Ruth and David are joined by global leaders in areas such as child safety, men and masculinity, perpetrator accountability, fatherhood, and partnering with survivors.
Each episode takes a rigorous look at complex topics, including how systems fail adult and child survivors, how societal narratives about masculinity and violence shape professional practice, and how intersectional factors such as cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, racialised identities, LGBTQ+ experiences, immigration status, disability, and other vulnerabilities influence how we respond to abuse and violence.
The podcast offers an insider lens into how professionals navigate systems as practitioners, as parents, and as partners. Through candid dialogue and critical reflection, Ruth and David challenge the assumptions and structures that prevent meaningful accountability, safety, and healing. The goal is collective movement across systems, cultures, and families toward safety, nurturance, and sustained change.
Note: Episodes contain sensitive topics and occasional mature language that may be difficult for some listeners.
Check Out All of Our Podcast Episodes
Season 7 Episode 2: 7 Years of Partnership: Survivor Leadership, Systems Change & What Comes Next
In this special anniversary episode, David marks seven years since Ruth joined the Safe & Together Institute by stepping into the interviewer role. This is a founder-level conversation about vision, values, the hard work of scaling, and how systems actually change when lived experience is treated as critical professional expertise—not an add-on.
Season 6 Episode 23: Being Seen at 60: A Birthday Conversation About Vocation, Violence & Hope
Rain on the windows, a century-old clock in the kitchen, and a plate of bacon by the coffee set: David’s 60th birthday set the scene for a raw, open conversation about vocation, love, and the future of domestic violence–informed systems. We pause to reflect on 40 years of David’s practice and what it means to be truly witnessed. Then we get specific about how to build safer families by changing how professionals see, measure, and respond to harm.
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.