Kintsugi Heroes
Lena Papadopoulos · 39 min
A teenager who survived suicidal depression lost her only safe confidant to suicide — and turned that devastating grief into a lifelong mission to create belonging for everyone.
If this story feels close to home
You don't have to be in crisis to call.
Lena Papadopoulos grew up between the United States and Greece, caught between two worlds and living in a volatile home marked by addiction and abuse. Depression and suicidal thoughts arrived in her early teens. At 13, in a summer art program, she met Ned, a few years older, who listened without flinching when she spoke about her darkest feelings. He became the first safe person who didn't turn away from her pain. Months after the program ended, Lena learned that Ned had taken his own life. She hadn't known he was struggling. The guilt was crushing. She felt self-centred, convinced she had missed something she should have seen. But slowly, that devastating loss reshaped her entire life. Lena made a decision: she would create spaces where people felt safe to be fully themselves, including the parts they had learned to hide. That mission has driven everything she has done since. She studied sociology and psychology, then intercultural education, always working to build belonging. In 2017, she left university work to start her own coaching business. Today, she helps people discover their unique gifts and trace their purpose back through their lived experiences, the challenges they have overcome, and the pain points that fuel their desire to help others. Lena still faces depression in cycles, every 4 to 5 years, rooted in grief about the childhood she didn't have. But a deep knowing keeps her tethered: that she is here for a reason, that her suffering has meaning, and that what she has endured is often the very thing that enables her to reach someone else.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au
Every story here belongs to the person who lived it. They said yes to sharing it, and we sat with it carefully before it went up. Nothing here is exaggerated and nothing is used without permission. Read how we handle these stories ↗
Kintsugi Heroes · Registered Australian not-for-profit · kintsugiheroes.com.au ↗