⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses domestic violence, emotional and financial abuse, and the impact of abuse on children. Please listen with care, and reach out for support if you need it.

📖 Grab Becoming Athena by Elena Symeonidis: https://elenasymeonidis.myshopify.com

What happens when a single mum turns painful lived experience into a fictional book designed to help other women find their voice? Elena Symeonidis shares the deeply personal story behind Becoming Athena, and why telling it was both terrifying and necessary.

Elena runs a hairdressing and makeup business while raising her nearly nine-year-old daughter, and she's now stepping into a new chapter as an author. But Becoming Athena is more than a book project. It's a vulnerable, carefully guarded way of turning real life into fiction without exposing the people who shaped it.

You'll hear how Elena uses Athena as a voice for parts of her own story, why she left some details open to interpretation, and how writing let her protect others while still telling the truth. She opens up about shame, guilt, accountability, and the emotional risk of speaking up after trauma.

We also talk about why this matters: sharing your story can help someone else feel less alone. If you've ever struggled to use your voice, carried something heavy in silence, or wondered whether honesty can create real change, this conversation will hit home.

Still Standing. Still Speaking. is built on that idea: healing starts when people stop hiding and start talking. Elena's story is a powerful reminder that even when life is messy, speaking up can change everything.

This episode is for anyone who needs encouragement to reclaim their voice, tell their story, or begin again.

📖 GET YOUR COPY OF BECOMING ATHENA Order Elena's book here: https://elenasymeonidis.myshopify.com

🆘 SUPPORT (Australia) 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (domestic, family and sexual violence) Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 In an emergency, call 000.

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#StillStandingStillSpeaking #BecomingAthena #DomesticViolenceAwareness #FinancialAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #SingleMum #SurvivorStories #FindYourVoice #AustralianPodcast

In this episode of Still Standing. Still Speaking., I sit down with my first-ever male guest, Peter Davidson, who hasn’t seen his sons Aiden and Mason in five years due to parental alienation.

Peter shares how coercive control and manipulation of the family court system slowly erased him from his children’s lives — and how he’s stayed positive through it all, using a Ferrari helmet from his years working in motorsport as a daily reminder to keep moving forward.

We talk about the loneliness of living in a city full of memories, the false allegations that followed the separation, and why parental alienation doesn’t just affect parents — it affects grandparents, aunties, uncles, and every child caught in the middle.

This conversation is a reminder that parental alienation happens to fathers too, and every child deserves a relationship with both parents.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode discusses parental alienation, coercive control, and estrangement from children.

🎙️ A note on audio: there are a few spots in this episode with some crosstalk and inconsistent sound levels. We’ve done our best to keep it clear, but thanks for bearing with us — Peter’s story is worth it.

Timestamps: 0:00 – Welcome & introducing Peter Davidson 0:58 – Peter’s story: married 15 years, hasn’t seen his sons in 5 years 1:42 – Living in a city full of reminders of his kids 2:39 – The Ferrari helmet and what it represents 3:01 – Aiden’s story: preemie, medical issues, first international Ferrari kid 4:24 – Plans to advocate on parental alienation 5:16 – Why the system needs to change 6:24 – What Peter wants his sons to know 8:24 – Manipulation, coercive control & false allegations 9:07 – How alienation affected the boys’ mindset 10:49 – Exposing the lies behind the allegations 11:18 – Peter’s message to Aiden and Mason 13:32 – Closing thoughts

📌 If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. Share your story, follow along, and help us push for parental alienation to be recognised as child abuse in Australia.