Restored: Helping Children of Divorce: Recent Episodes
Restored
When your parents separate or divorce, it hurts. You feel alone and uncertain of how to deal with it all. If you feel that way, the Restored podcast is for you. On it, we feature expert interviews and stories that offer practical advice on how to cope and heal after the trauma of your parents' divorce or separation, so you can feel whole again and become the person you were born to be.
Divorce is traumatic for children at every age—but parents can either deepen that wound or help their children heal.
In this conversation, licensed clinical social worker and psychoanalyst Erica Komisar explains why a “good divorce” requires parents to stop focusing on what feels fair to them and start prioritizing what their children actually need. She shares practical ways to create stability, reduce emotional damage, and protect children from being pulled into adult conflict.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why frequent transitions between homes can destabilize children
- How to tell children about a divorce without overwhelming them
- Why parents must avoid oversharing, badmouthing, and using children as messengers
- How a parent’s emotional regulation affects a child’s ability to cope
- Why flexibility, sacrifice, and stability matter more than rigid ideas of fairness
If you’re divorced, considering divorce, or trying to help your child adjust to a family breakup, this episode is for you.
Learn more about Erica Komisar, her books, and her work
Get the free guide, “7 Ways to Work Through the Pain of Your Parents’ Divorce”
Get the free guide, “10 Tips to Help Someone Whose Parents Are Separating or Divorcing”
If your parents are divorced and seeking a Catholic annulment, it can feel confusing — and even scary. What is an annulment? Is it just “Catholic divorce”? Does it erase your parents’ marriage? And the question many children of divorce are afraid to ask: Does this mean I’m illegitimate?
In this episode, I’m joined by Anthony St. Louis-Sanchez, JCL, Director of the Metropolitan Tribunal of Denver, to explain what annulments are, how the process works, and what they do — and do not — mean for the children of divorced parents.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What a Catholic annulment actually is
- Why an annulment is not the same thing as divorce
- Whether an annulment makes children “illegitimate”
- How the annulment process works
- How to cling to Christ when your family story feels confusing or painful
If you’re a child of divorce who has ever wondered what your parents’ annulment means about your family, your identity, or your worth — this episode is for you.
Free guide: 7 Ways to Work Through the Pain of Your Parents’ Divorce
Book: It’s Not Your Fault
Restored resources
Book Anthony recommended: When Is Marriage Null? by Paolo Bianchi
Shownotes
When your parents’ divorce or separation hurts deeply, it can raise painful questions about God: Where was He when my family fell apart? Why didn’t He stop it? And if faith matters so much, why didn’t it save my family?
In this episode, Joey talks with Dr. Daniel Meola, co-founder of Life-Giving Wounds, about suffering, anger, grief, spiritual bypassing, and the struggle many adult children of divorce face in their relationship with God.
They discuss:
- Why divorce can feel like abandonment by God
- What to do when faith was used to minimize your pain
- Why anger and grief aren’t signs of weak faith
- How to avoid getting stuck in victimhood or spiritual bypassing
- Why acknowledging your pain may be the first step toward healing
- How God can transform wounds into strength, love, and purpose
If you’re an adult child of divorce or separation who has ever asked, “God, where were You when my family fell apart?” this episode is for you.
Learn more about Life-Giving Wounds
Get the book Life-Giving Wounds: A Catholic Guide to Healing for Adult Children of Divorce or Separation
Get Joey’s free guide, 7 Ways to Work Through the Pain of Your Parents’ Divorce:
Get Joey’s book, It’s Not Your Fault
Subscribe to the Restored podcast:
Get the Book: Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart
Get the Book: Interior Freedom
Show notes
When your family breaks apart, especially through years of fighting, manipulation, or emotional chaos, you can learn to survive by staying busy, shutting down, or pretending it didn’t affect you.
But what happens when that pain starts showing up in your marriage, your parenting, your confidence, or the way you handle conflict?
In this episode, Billy shares how her parents’ long, painful divorce began after years of intense conflict, manipulation, and isolation. She opens up about coping through overachievement, the safe adults who helped her heal, and the boundaries she’s had to learn with an unsafe parent.
We discuss:
- Why Billy expected her parents to divorce, even as a child
- How she coped by becoming highly involved, successful, and busy
- The loneliness of growing up without safe adults nearby
- How one pastor’s wife helped her feel truly loved for the first time
- Why journaling helped her process, remember, and heal
- How her husband helped her learn to handle conflict without fear
- What boundaries with a parent can look like as an adult
- How Billy is building a healthy family, even though she didn’t come from one
If you’ve ever wondered how to honor your parents without letting them control you, or how to build something healthier than what you came from, this episode is for you.
Resources Mentioned:
Share Your Story with Restored:
https://restoredministry.com/story
7 Ways to Work Through the Pain of Your Parents’ Divorce or Separation: https://restoredministry.com/7ways
The Gottman Institute:
https://www.gottman.com/
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott:
https://amzn.to/3PPRy9J
The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute:
https://amzn.to/4aEsBVE
Show notes:
https://restoredministry.com/blog/177
When a parent cheats, it doesn’t just wound the marriage. It can wound the children too.
For many young people from broken families, infidelity creates a terrifying fear: What if I get cheated on too? Or worse, what if I become the one who cheats?
In this episode, Joey talks with marriage and family therapist Doug Hinderer about how affairs happen, why betrayal damages a child’s ability to trust, and how young people from broken families can avoid repeating their parents’ mistakes.
They discuss:
- Why affairs often begin long before anything physical happens
- How infidelity affects children, even years later
- Why love feels unsafe after betrayal
- The role of forgiveness in healing from a parent’s affair
- How to talk about the fear of infidelity in dating or marriage
- The three habits that help build a faithful, lasting marriage
- Why you are not doomed to repeat your parents’ story
If you’re afraid of being cheated on, afraid of becoming your parents, or unsure if lasting love is even possible after what you witnessed growing up, this episode is for you.
Restored Resources
It’s Not Your Fault | Restored Book
Happy Marriage for Life | Doug Hinderer
Marriage Unhindered | Relevant Radio
How to Forgive | International Forgiveness Institute
“Impossible” Marriages Redeemed: They Didn’t End the Story in the Middle | Leila Miller
“Impossible” Marriages Redeemed | Amazon
Doug Hinderer’s email
doug@relevantradio.com
Shownotes
When your family breaks apart, anger makes sense. But if it has nowhere to go, it can turn into bitterness, depression, addiction, relationship fear, and despair.
In this episode, Autumn shares how her parents’ divorce, her father’s infidelity, generational dysfunction, and sexual abuse shaped the way she saw men, love, marriage, God, and herself. She opens up about the rage she carried, her struggle with pornography addiction, suicidal thoughts, and the fear that she was doomed to repeat her parents’ mistakes.
But her story does not end there.
Autumn also shares how faith, writing, friendship, therapy, forgiveness, and a healthy marriage helped her heal and build a life that looks completely different from the brokenness she came from.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why anger after divorce is often a response to real loss and injustice
- How divorce can feel like a death, even when it was “necessary”
- Why fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes is so common
- How pornography addiction can be connected to deeper wounds
- What Autumn learned to look for in a spouse
- How she forgave her father without pretending the hurt didn’t happen
- Why your parents’ divorce is part of your story, but not your identity
If you’re from a broken family, angry about what happened, afraid of repeating your parents’ story, or wondering if healthy love is even possible for you, this episode is for you.
Share Your Story
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
What if the person you fall for isn’t just a choice, but a pattern?
Most people think love is about chemistry, attraction, or finding “the one.” But according to today’s guest, the heart alone is not enough.
If you come from a divorced or dysfunctional family, your wounds can shape who you trust, who you’re attracted to, and what feels “normal” in a relationship. Without realizing it, you might be drawn to someone familiar, not because they’re good for you, but because they feel like the past.
In this episode, we explore how to build love with both your heart and your head. We talk about repetition compulsion, red flags, rushing trust or physical intimacy, and how to tell whether someone is actually capable of healthy love.
My guest is Dr. John Van Epp, relationship expert, counselor, and author of How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why am I attracted to people who aren’t good for me?” or “How do I avoid repeating my parents’ marriage?” this episode is for you.
Get our book
Check other free resources:
How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk by Dr. John Van Epp:
Love Thinks
Head Meets Heart course:
Shownotes
In this episode, I mentor three people LIVE through the problems they’re facing in their broken families:
- One caller asks how to deal with a dad who avoids the reality of his divorce, and whether it’s his place to confront him or let that battle go.
- Another asks a question people are afraid to say out loud: Can I actually heal? And if so, how does healing really happen?
- And finally, a young woman opens up about starting her first relationship while watching her divorced parents repeat unhealthy patterns, and asks, “Who do I go to for relationship advice when my parents haven’t modeled a healthy relationship themselves?”
If you’ve ever felt torn, stuck, or unsure how to navigate the pain and dysfunction of your broken family, this episode is for you.
View details for Healing Retreat May 1-3 in Philly
Ask a question anonymously on the show
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Shownotes
At 14 or 15 years old, Celeste learned her parents’ marriage was unraveling.
Affairs.
Addiction.
Secrets.
Her siblings didn’t know.
But she did — because she was the oldest daughter.
And before long, she wasn’t just watching the marriage fall apart… she was managing it.
In this episode, Celeste shares what it was like to grow up as the “third parent” in a family where divorce was unthinkable — and what that responsibility did to her nervous system, her faith, and her ability to trust.
We talk about:
- Carrying secrets to protect the family’s image
- Panic attacks and anxiety that she didn’t know how to name
- The guilt of moving away and “leaving siblings in a burning building”
- Why even a “necessary” divorce still deeply wounds children
- And why dating now triggers intense anxiety
Celeste’s story is honest, raw, and hopeful. Because while you can survive being the third parent… At some point, you have to stop carrying everyone else.
If you were the responsible one…
If you feel guilty for wanting your own life…
If anxiety follows you into relationships…
Or if you’re afraid you’ll repeat your parents’ marriage…
This episode is for you.
Suicide Hotline: Call or Text 988 (English or Spanish)
Share Your Story
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
We’re hosting a rare healing retreat for young adults from divorced or dysfunctional families May 1-3 in Malvern, PA, just outside Philadelphia. View details or sign up at RestoredMinistry.com/philly.
Questions? Email JordanaM@restoredministry.com
Recommend a Therapist
You’re rare: you found a therapist who massively helped you heal and grow.
Most people from broken families never get that. They want help but don’t know who to trust, so they stay stuck.
We’re changing that by building a small, trusted list of exceptional therapists. In this short episode, you’ll hear how you can help.
You don’t need to volunteer or donate. Just spend a few minutes recommending your therapist so someone like you can finally get the help they deserve.
Recommend a therapist here!
If you grew up in a broken or divorced family, struggling with confidence isn’t random.
Research has consistently shown that children of divorce are more likely to experience lower self-esteem, higher anxiety, and greater insecurity in relationships. When love feels unstable or conditional early on, it shapes how you handle pressure later in life.
You might:
- Overthink conversations
- Freeze in high-pressure moments
- Feel like you have to perform to be loved
- Or believe everyone else is just naturally more confident
In this episode, licensed psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant Dr. Nicole Gabana Chiesa breaks down what confidence actually is — and why it’s not personality.
We explore:
- The subtle belief that makes confidence collapse when you fail
- What’s happening in your brain when anxiety spikes
- Why hyper-focusing on yourself increases insecurity
- How to stop just listening to your thoughts — and start talking back
- And why confidence is built through imperfect reps, not feelings
If your family didn’t model emotional stability, healthy conflict, or secure love… this episode gives you a roadmap.
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. And you can build it.
Visit Dr. Nicole’s Website
Book a FREE Consult: (904) 624-1331 or paxperform@gmail.com
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
If you grew up in a divorced or really dysfunctional family, this is for you.
I’m working on a new 6‑week program for people like us, but before we build anything, I want your honest input and advice. In this short episode, I’ll share the idea, who it’s for, and how you can help shape it.
It’s quick, and your feedback will directly impact whether this happens and what it looks like.
Listen in, check out the page where you can join the waitlist: https://hi.switchy.io/sY0h
What if your anxiety about money didn’t start in adulthood, but in your dysfunctional family during childhood?
Growing up with financial instability doesn’t just affect your bank account. It can train your nervous system to live in survival mode — forcing you to grow up too fast and quietly shaping how you date, marry, and handle responsibility.
In this episode, pediatric cardiac ICU physician Liz shares her story of financial chaos, parentification, and how that hyper-responsibility followed her into adulthood and marriage.
We cover:
- How money stress creates “parentified” kids
- Why responsibility can feel like survival
- How financial trauma affects relationships
If you grew up worrying about money, feel responsible for everyone, or struggle to rest — this episode is for you.
Share Your Story
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
Dating today feels exhausting. Confusing. And for people from divorced or dysfunctional families, it can feel even heavier — because one wrong choice doesn’t just mean heartbreak… it can feel like repeating your parents’ story.
In this episode, Joey sits down with Emily Wilson, Catholic author and co-founder of Sacred Spark, to talk about the most important factor in building a healthy marriage: choosing the right person — and why modern dating culture makes that decision harder than ever.
Emily shares what she’s learned from helping nearly 20 couples get married through her viral matchmaking posts, why you can’t “analyze” your way into certainty, and how real discernment only happens when you actually meet people in real life.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why choosing who you marry matters more than anything else
- The fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes (and how to move past it)
- How real discernment happens through in-person dating
- A NEW way to meet high quality, virtuous people
If you’re single, want marriage, but feel anxious, stuck, or afraid of choosing wrong — this episode is for you.
Download Sacred Spark
FREE Video Series: Dating 101
Visit SacredSpark.app
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
Most people think screen time is a harmless habit. But what if it’s quietly training your brain against healing?
In this conversation, Christen Routh explains why doomscrolling feels like relief but often leaves you more anxious, more numb, and more alone. We talk about the real danger of screens, not just what they show you, but what they replace: real friendship, real presence, real growth. And we get practical about what to do instead, without going off-grid.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why screen overuse can mimic an addiction cycle and keep you stuck in escape mode
- How doomscrolling can increase loneliness through comparison and emotional crash
- How algorithms quietly shape your standards for love, friendship, and boundaries
- How to build a tech plan that makes your phone a tool again, not your master
Access the Family Digital Wellness Activity
Contact Christen
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
Most people don’t have a knowledge problem when it comes to wellness. They have a consistency problem. You already know the basics, but when stress hits, you fall off and you start chasing the next hack, app, plan, podcast, or supplement.
In this episode, Brandon Hall (CatholicWell) explains why the real battle is willpower, how stress and trauma can train your brain to live on high alert, and why the most underrated wellness practice is going inward. Stillness, self-awareness, prayer, Scripture, and simple daily habits that actually stick.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- Why you keep starting strong, then falling off
- How stress and trauma can rewire your brain, and how neuroplasticity means you can rewire it back
- Simple nervous system tools (like breathing) that calm you fast
- Why wellbeing is not just self-care, it’s self-gift and love
Visit CatholicWell.com
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Kristen Holmes: Modern Society's Biggest Sleep Problem REVEALED | TUH #125
Shownotes
In this episode, I’ll mentor three people LIVE through real-life situations that people like us from broken families face:
- A separated mom with adult kids asks: How do I support my kids through the fallout without pushing them, guilt-tripping them, or putting them in the middle?
- A man, wounded by his parents’ divorce and his struggles with alcoholism, asks: Is it actually worth digging up the past to heal, and can writing really help?
- A young woman, whose parents’ divorce has dragged on for five years, has moved back in with her mom, who overshares a lot. She asks: How do I set boundaries with my mom and navigate my relationship with my dad?
Ask a question anonymously on the show
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Shownotes
You might be “over” your parents’ divorce.
But your body might not be.
If you grew up in a divorced or dysfunctional home, chronic stress can get stored in your nervous system — quietly shaping your sleep, energy, digestion, hormones, and mental health years later.
In this episode, I talk with Dakota Lane about how stress doesn’t just affect your emotions. It can literally rewire your body and keep you stuck in survival mode long after the chaos ends.
In this conversation, we cover:
- Why your body remembers what your mind moved past
- How chronic stress disrupts sleep, gut health, hormones, and energy
- The link between family dysfunction, inflammation, and burnout
- Why doing “more” can make stress and health issues worse
- Practical ways to calm your nervous system and restore your body
If you’re exhausted, anxious, on edge, or wondering why your body feels stuck — especially if you grew up in a broken family — this episode is for you.
Contact or Schedule a FREE Consult with Dakota
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes
If you come from a divorced or dysfunctional family, this show is for you. We mentor you through the pain and help you heal, so you can avoid repeating your family’s dysfunction and instead build strong, healthy relationships.
In this episode, you'll hear highlight clips from the podcast in 2025.
If you’re new to the podcast, welcome! This is the perfect way to sample the podcast and learn how it will help you. If you’re a longtime listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear it.
View Restored’s Resources
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Episodes featured:
-
151: Even Necessary Divorces Hurt | Brandy
-
155: Am I Doomed to Repeat My Parents’ Divorce? | Dr. Brad Wilcox
-
156: “This Is Not the Marriage I Signed Up For” | Heather Khym
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139: Dating or Marrying Someone from an Intact vs Broken Family | Paul & Maggie Kim
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152: The 3 Ways to Find Meaning in Suffering | Jack Beers
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144: The Secret to Not Repeating Your Family’s Dysfunction | Dr. Andrew Abela
-
146: 1/3 Less Marriages Today Are Making Us Lonely | JP De Gance
Shownotes
Growing up with divorced parents or a dysfunctional family does not just shape your childhood. It shapes your nervous system. Many young people from broken homes live with chronic anxiety, shutdown, emotional overwhelm, or conflict avoidance without ever knowing why.
In this episode, Sr. Mary Stephen explains how childhood chaos trains your brain and body to stay on high alert and how to finally regulate your emotions instead of feeling controlled by them. You will learn simple, practical tools to calm your nervous system, process stored trauma, build internal safety, and integrate all of this with your spiritual life.
In this episode:
- Why your body still reacts like your parents are fighting
- How trauma gets stored in the nervous system
- Fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown explained
- Why talk therapy is not enough for many children of divorce
- Somatic exercises you can start using today
- How to feel safe, grounded, and present again
If you’re tired of feeling anxious, reactive, or stuck because of your family’s dysfunction, this episode is for you.
Visit RestorativeCatholic.com
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
So many young people from divorced or dysfunctional families assume their story is unique — or worse, that they’re destined to repeat the same patterns. But the truth is, family brokenness is far more common than anyone talks about. And God has been dealing with messy family dynamics since the beginning of time.
In this episode, Deacon Ryan Budd, who served as Dr. Scott Hahn’s research assistant, reveals how the Bible is full of families just as complicated, chaotic, and wounded as ours. He explains why God doesn’t simply “fix” things instantly, how healing actually unfolds, and what Scripture shows us about breaking cycles and building something new.
We cover:
- Why broken families are more common than you think
- The surprising dysfunction hidden in biblical stories
- How God works through pain instead of erasing it
- David’s family drama — and what it shows us about redemption
- Practical steps to begin healing and avoid repeating the past
If you’ve ever feared that your future family is doomed by your past, or you’re searching for hope in the mess you come from, this episode is for you.
Buy the Book: Salvation Stories: Family, Failure, and God’s Saving Work in Scripture
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
What if your parents’ divorce, or the chaos you grew up in, didn’t just hurt you emotionally but actually wired you to seek relief through addiction?
This might explain why you feel unsafe for no reason, why you keep numbing out when life gets hard, or why you crave control but end up stuck in the same self-destructive cycles.
In this episode, we explore the deep connection between addiction and family dysfunction, especially how growing up in a chaotic or broken home can make substances, screens, or success feel like your only safe place.
My guest is Scott Weeman. He began drinking at 15. By 21, he was spiraling, binge drinking, hiding vodka bottles, waking up in jail, and living a double life.
Today, he’s an author and the founder of Catholic in Recovery, helping thousands find freedom from alcoholism, lust, and more.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this just who I am now?” or “Will I always feel stuck?” this episode is for you.
Visit CatholicinRecovery.com
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
When your parents divorce, you almost always miss out on the mentorship and guidance that parents are meant to give their children about life, relationships, and so much more.
Without that kind of guidance, you feel lost, alone, and stuck - unsure what to do about it all.
But that’s where a mentor can be incredibly helpful and even healing.
In this episode, we dive into the power of mentorship: why it’s essential if you grew up without one or both parents, how to find the right mentor, and how those relationships can heal what was broken.
If you’ve ever wished someone older and wiser could show you the way, or wondered how to stop repeating your family’s dysfunction, this episode is for you.
Visit Brandon’s website
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Listen to Episode #036: Healthy Relationships Are Impossible Without Boundaries
Listen to Episode #058: Forgiveness: The Secret to Healing and Freedom | Fr. John Burns
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book: Healing the Family Tree
Get the Book: Never Finished
Get the Book: Searching for and Maintaining Peace
Get the Book: How to Win Friends & Influence People
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
To serve you better, we’re trying something new.
In this episode, I’ll mentor three people live, right here on the show.
Each of them brings a raw, honest question—things most of us from broken families have wrestled with.
- A college student asks how to heal from his dad’s abandonment—and whether he should leave the door open for a relationship or finally close it.
- A man wonders how he can help young people from broken homes.
- And finally, a woman in her 20s opens up about concerns with her mom’s second marriage, and asks, “Who do I go to now for advice, now that I’m in a relationship myself?”
If you’ve ever felt alone or unsure what to do when faced with problems in your broken family… this episode is for you.
Ask a question anonymously on the show
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
What if divorce didn’t just break your childhood—it rewired how you see love and marriage?
Most people think divorce only affects the couple who splits. But the truth is, when you grow up watching marriage after marriage fall apart, you start to believe that brokenness is normal.
That was Kaseena Birnbaum’s story. With six divorces between her parents and in-laws, she once assumed she’d rack up divorces too. But when her own marriage hit a breaking point, she chose a different path: radical honesty, mentorship, and personal responsibility.
Today, she and her husband are thriving—sober, faith-filled, and raising a strong family.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why children of divorce often fear marriage or expect dysfunction
- The subtle patterns that keep couples stuck in cycles of brokenness
- The turning points that transformed Kaseena’s marriage
- How humility, responsibility, and faith can rebuild trust and intimacy
If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doomed to repeat my parents’ mistakes?”—this episode is for you.
Get Kaseena’s Course, F*** Divorce
Follow Kaseena: Instagram or TikTok
View Restored’s Resources
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
What if your parents’ divorce didn’t just split your family—but left you quietly carrying the blame?
Most people think the hardest part of divorce is the day it happens. But often it’s the confusion, the pressure to act like everything’s fine, and the haunting thought: “Was it my fault?”
In this episode, Jim Havens shares his journey of growing up in a broken family, spiraling into destructive choices, and the night everything changed. That turning point led him to healing, faith, freedom, and eventually to becoming a husband, father of six, and Catholic radio host.
We talk about:
- Why “just move on” might be the most damaging advice you can get
- The moment Jim realized he wasn’t as “fine” as he thought
- What one lonely night revealed—and how it changed everything
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Was it my fault my parents split up?” or wondered if you can truly build the marriage you long for, this conversation is for you.
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Visit Jim’s Website
Visit Catholic Family Men
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Read the Article: Is masturbation harmful? by Jason Evert
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Heather thought her family life was normal. But over time, she uncovered two buried traumas that quietly shaped her childhood—and required deep healing.
Years later, as a newlywed, another wound came to light: her husband’s secret porn addiction. It shattered her—but it also became the turning point for restoration. Heather now calls it both the worst day and the best day of her life.
In this episode, we dive into:
- Why she didn’t leave, and the non-negotiable conditions she set to even consider staying
- Her advice for women facing the same gut-wrenching discovery, and for young people who just found out about a parent's addiction or affair
- Her biggest lesson for anyone from a dysfunctional family—and the practical steps she recommends to start healing
If you’ve ever found yourself wounded or betrayed, wondering if healing and restoration is possible, this episode is for you.
Listen to Abiding Together
Visit Heather’s Website
Listen to Restore the Glory
Listen to the Healing Sexual Brokenness Series
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Am I doomed to repeat the mistakes I saw in my parents’ marriage? That question made me afraid of love—especially when I started dating. At times, it even made me not want to get married at all. And now, even as a married man, that fear still shows up.
If you come from a divorced or deeply dysfunctional family, you probably feel it too.
The question I kept asking: How do I avoid that? How do I not get divorced? And more importantly, how do I build a strong marriage?
That’s what we explore in this episode, plus:
- Are children of divorce actually doomed to fail at marriage—or is there real hope?
- 5 surprising predictors of whether your marriage will last—including one tip that lowers your divorce risk by 25%
- The truth behind the “soulmate” myth—and what actually makes couples happy
- Why staying single might not be the safe bet you think it is
If you’ve ever felt afraid of love or marriage, this episode is for you.
Buy Dr. Brad’s Book: Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization
View Restored’s Resources
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
For so many of us from divorced or dysfunctional families, the tension with our parents doesn’t just fade. It can grow into silence, distance, or even a total cutoff where we can become estranged from each other.
But what exactly is estrangement, why does it happen, and how can you rebuild an estranged relationship? In this episode, we discuss that and more:
- The subtle ways parents (and children) unknowingly push each other away
- Why grief is often buried beneath family conflict—and how to face it without getting stuck
- When reconnection is wise—and when staying estranged might actually be safer
If you’re dealing with an estranged relationship, this episode is for you.
Visit Kreed’s website, TheEstrangedHeart.com
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get the Guide: 10 Tips to Help Someone Whose Parents Are Separating or Divorcing
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
In many places, we’re facing an epidemic of fatherlessnes. Fatherlessness not only leaves an invisible mark but it also shapes how you view yourself, how you handle your emotions, and how you love in relationships. So are fatherless children doomed?
Not at all. In fact, Tommy shows how to compensate for what you didn’t receive from dad and how healing is within reach. In this episode, we also discuss:
- His dad’s spiral into mental illness, homelessness—and why Tommy hasn’t seen him in over a decade
- The hidden ways father hunger shows up in dating relationships, causing us to seek what we never received from the wrong people
- The lies he carried for years: “I am alone” and “I have to earn love”—and the truth he found to break that grip
If you experienced any sort of fatherlessness, this episode is for you.
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Share Your Story
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Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
So many of us from divorced or dysfunctional families never learned how to deal with pain and suffering in a healthy way. As a result, we usually either numb the pain or get stuck in bitterness.
But what if you could not only learn how to navigate pain in a healthy way, but actually draw meaning from your pain and emerge stronger? That’s what we discuss in this episode, plus:
- The shocking diagnosis Jack received at 11—and how it rewired his entire future
- Why suffering always pushes you into one of three paths (and how only one leads to freedom)
- The 3 ways to find meaning in suffering and the obstacles that prevent it
If you’re suffering, perhaps because of your parents’ divorce or the breakdown of your family, this episode is for you.
Get Jack’s Course or FREE Class: RISE: Drawing Meaning from Suffering Through the Lens of St. John Paul II, Victor Frankl and Jesus
Book a FREE Mentorship Session with Jack
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get Joey’s Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Jocko Willink "GOOD" (Viral Video)
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
When Brandy was only a few months old, her parents divorced due to her father’s alcoholism. From the outside, her story might seem like a “best case” scenario—she was raised by a courageous single mom and later a kind stepfather.
But underneath it all, she carried wounds no one could see. She believed perfection was the path to love. She feared becoming like the very people who hurt her. One wound even stayed buried for 20 years.
In this episode, we explore:
- The shocking memory that resurfaced in adulthood—and what it revealed
- Why her marriage should’ve failed statistically—and how she and her husband beat the odds
- And what her mom did right that every divorced parent needs to hear
If you've ever felt pressure to be perfect, feared repeating your parents’ marriage, or kept wounds hidden, this episode is for you.
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Episode 84: Angry at God? Why People from Broken Families Struggle Extra in Their Relationship with Him | Sr. Miriam James Heidland
Episode 39: The Anatomy of a Wound & How to Heal | Dr. Bob Schuchts, PhD
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
What is attachment theory? How does your attachment style impact your relationships? As an expert in attachment theory, Kirsty Nolan joins us to discuss all of that, plus:
- The four attachment styles
- What happens when you have a secure attachment early in childhood, but later experience a rupture because of trauma, like your parents’ divorce
- Tips on resolving conflict, specifically how to repair after a rupture
If you’re curious about attachment styles or just want a healthy relationship, this episode is for you.
Listen to Kirsty’s podcast, Attachment Theory in Action
Get help from Kirsty’s organization, Chaddock
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
What happens when you become your parents’ emotional confidant—their therapist—during a divorce? At first, it might feel like you’re helping. But eventually, it backfires and might even break you. That’s what happened to Cole.
In this episode, we explore:
- How he went through his parents’ separation twice—and how each one affected him differently
- How he’s slowly rebuilding family relationships after stepping away to heal
- Why even small decisions felt impossible—and how he learned to choose with confidence
If you’ve ever acted as your parents’ therapist—or felt crushed by their divorce or the chaos at home—this episode is for you.
Share Your Story
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Why you should define your fears instead of your goals | Tim Ferriss | TED
036: Healthy Relationships Are Impossible Without Boundaries
Celebrate Recovery Community
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
So many of us feel depleted and exhausted, yet we might not know why. This is especially true for those of us from divorced or broken families. Research shows that children of divorce typically have worse physical health and more emotional problems.
But thankfully, that doesn’t have to be your story. Going from depleted to healthy on every level is not only doable—but simpler than you think, according to my guest.
In this episode, we discuss:
- 9 often-overlooked pillars of health that could be sabotaging your wellness.
- The top 4 areas of health where most people need to start.
- Quick and simple tips you probably haven’t heard to feel and be your best.
If you’ve struggled with your health in any way or just desire to be healthier, this episode is for you.
Enroll in Reform Online
For 10% off, use code: RESTORED10 (valid until June 15, 2025) Comment end
Visit ReformWellness.co
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
AJ had a normal life as a college student-athlete. But one night, a violent car accident left AJ paralyzed from the waist down.
What started as 15 minutes of hell has transformed into what he calls “The best thing that’s happened to me.”
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The detailed story of the accident and the unexplainable emotions he experienced in the minutes after the accident
- The two things that helped him cope and beat feeling like a perpetual victim
- What AJ said to the driver of the vehicle and the miracles and transformations that have resulted from his injury
If you’ve endured trauma, a horrible injury, or you’re just going through an intense season of suffering, this episode is for you.
Follow AJ:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Email: Ajoftherose@gmail.com
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
At the root of our culture’s many problems is the breakdown of marriages and families. My guest shares sobering statistics, such as that “there are 31% less marriages annually now than in the year 2000” and there are “65% less marriages now than in the year 1970.”
He says this is hugely contributing to the loneliness crisis today. Thankfully, there is a cure, which we discuss in this episode, plus:
- How the lonelinest group of people at church aren’t the old
- Encouragement for young people from broken families who fear love and marriage
- What a healthy relationship looks like and how to build it, including the 5 stages of healthy relationships
If you’ve been affected by the breakdown of marriages and families, this episode is for you.
Buy JP’s Book: The Church's Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family in America
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Growing up, Dr. Gerry experienced deep turmoil at home. His father was abusive, and his parents’ marriage was full of conflict. When they eventually divorced, he felt like he lost both parents. Feeling alone, he became highly independent.
Thankfully, he found healing, and today he helps others heal as a therapist. In this episode, we discuss:
- How Internal Family Systems (IFS) and “parts work” can help you heal emotional wounds and improve your relationships.
- The way our parts interact with our significant other—and how to avoid choosing a spouse from a wounded part of you.
- What a mother wound is and how it affects you
- How movies like Inside Out, Encanto, and even Avengers’ movies illustrate “parts work” and the healing journey.
If you have perhaps sustained a mother wound or want to heal using Internal Family Systems, this episode is for you.
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide: The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Buy Dr. Gerry’s Book: Litanies of the Heart: Relieving Post-Traumatic Stress and Calming Anxiety through Healing Our Parts
View Dr. Gerry’s Team or schedule a FREE 15 min consult
Visit Souls & Hearts
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
So many of us from divorced or broken families fear repeating our parents' mistakes.
If you want to avoid that, one of the keys is building virtue.
But what is virtue? How do you build it? And what virtues might you acquire?
My guest today wrote Superhabits, an amazing new book on virtue. He answers those questions, plus:
- How to override the unconscious bad habits we inherited in our families
- One habit that could save your marriage before it starts and what virtues to look for in a potential spouse
- Why virtue, not just therapy, is the key to healing family wounds
If you’re struggling with bad habits or you want to build good habits, this episode is for you.
View Restored's Resources
Buy Book Super Habits by Dr. Andrew Abela
Grow Virtue app
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
After a relapse into alcoholism, Ben’s mom left him, his family, and the country for years when he was just 5 years old. When she returned, he struggled in his relationship with her but placed proper boundaries and found some resolution. But his mom’s death in Ben’s late 20s brought new pain.
In this episode, you’ll hear his wild story, plus:
- The resolution he experienced with his mom and an unexpected tactic that’s helped him heal after his mom’s death
- The place of justice, mercy, and blame after your parents’ divorce
- How he was skeptical of marriage and what taught him that a good family is possible
If you’re struggle in your relationship with mom or a parent died without you resolving things with them, this episode is for you.
View Restored’s Resources
Share Your Story
Get Dakota’s FREE guide: The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Email Ben: benjamin.pluta@focus.org
Support Ben
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Has your parents’ divorce or broken family brought pain into your life? Do you fear repeating the cycle of dysfunction or divorce?
You’re not alone—millions face these often unspoken struggles: hidden wounds, emotional problems, broken relationships, and destructive habits. Thankfully, you’re not destined to repeat your family’s dysfunction.
In this episode, you’ll hear a breakout talk from the SEEK25 conference where you’ll discover the two keys to breaking that cycle and learn actionable tips to build healthy relationships.
About the Speaker:
Endorsed by Jason Evert and Dr. Bob Schuchts, Joey Pontarelli has spoken across the U.S. and internationally.
He is the author of the book “It’s Not Your Fault” and hosts the podcast, “Restored: Helping Children of Divorce,” which has helped thousands of young people.
He has been a guest on EWTN’s TV and radio shows, Dr. Bob Schuchts’s “Restore the Glory” podcast, Jason Evert’s “Lust is Boring” podcast, and Relevant Radio’s “The Drew Mariani Show.”
Joey is married to Brigid, and they love life with their two kids, Lucy and John Paul.
Get the Resources
Book a Talk
Schedule a Meeting with Restored’s Team
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
At age 5, Dylan’s parents divorced. Visitation brought challenges, but he learned to appreciate the time it gave him with his dad, who really helped him grow. From that, he learned that good can come from broken situations.
In today’s episodes, we also discuss topics like:
- How we need father figures, ideally our dads, in order to become men, find our strength, and learn what to do with it
- The challenges and blessing of a stepfamily
- How your value isn’t measured by your performance or exterior qualities
If you’re from a blended family, you’ve questioned your value, you’ve felt unwanted, or you’re missing a father figure in your life, this episode is for you.
Visit Dylan’s website, RadicalLoveCommunity.com
Follow Dylan on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook
Buy the Book: God's Little Kiddo
View Restored’s Resources
Share Your Story
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
The hardest part of your parents’ divorce or family breakdown is seeing the people you love suffer.
That was true for my guest today who happens to be my older brother, Anthony: Watching our siblings struggle was the hardest part for him.
In this episode, you’ll hear us compare stories about our parents’ divorce from our perspectives as siblings, plus:
- How Anthony had a sense of, “This is not how things ought to be” and a little about how a family ought to be.
- How he was automatically made the man of the house when he shouldn’t have been and the effects of that.
- How healing is not a one-size-fits-all, the imperfections of certain types of therapy, and a new healing method that’s been effective for him.
- To parents listening: Tips on discussing your divorce with your children without oversharing.
If your parents are divorced or struggling in their marriage and watching your siblings suffer has been hard for you, this episode is especially for you.
Dakota Lane Fitness: Schedule a FREE Consult
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide: The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Share Your Story
View Restored’s Resources
To request Anthony’s email address, email podcast@restoredministry.com
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
So many of us from broken families end up dating or marrying someone from an intact family. But that presents challenges, which we discuss in this episode with an amazing married couple where one spouse comes from a broken family and the other is from an intact family. We also discuss questions like:
- What did you fear about marriage? Maggie opens up about her fear of someone cheating on her.
- How have you handled conflict and how has marriage brought you joy?
- How do you choose the right person who won’t change after the wedding?
If you’re from a broken family dating or marrying someone from an intact family, or vice versa, this episode is for you.
Get Paul J. Kim’s Course: A Catholic Guide to Adulting
Get 10% off with the code: RESTORED
Dakota Lane Fitness: Schedule a FREE Consult
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide: The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
View Restored’s Resource
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
If you come from a divorced or broken family, this show is for you. We help you heal your brokenness, navigate the challenges, and build healthy relationships, so you can break that cycle and build a better life. In this episode, you'll hear highlight clips from the podcast in 2024.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is the perfect way to sample our content and learn how it will help you. If you’re a longtime listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear it.
View Restored’s Resources
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Episodes featured:
-
115: The Antidote to a Life of Emptiness | Dr. Andrew & Sarah Swafford
-
120: Freedom You Never Tasted But Always Wanted | Jake Khym, MA
-
121: A Cure for Feeling Needy or Helpless | Margaret Vasquez
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123: What I Wish Never Happened, I Am The Most Grateful For | Jack Beers
-
126: Former Porn Actress: Over 90% of People in Porn are from Broken Families | Bree Solstad
-
130: An Exercise to Heal | Dr. Peter Malinoski
-
132: Why Your Wounds & Subconscious Are Ruling Your Life | Dr. Gregory Bottaro
-
136: Relationship Advice for Young People from Broken Families | Jackie & Bobby Angel
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
If you come from a divorced family, research says you’re more likely to get divorced. But does that mean you’re doomed to that fate? My guest today says a resounding no.
She and her husband, also a child of divorce, have built a 24-year-long happy marriage with 3 children. Her message for you? You can do the same. In this episode, we discuss:
- How she’s overcome her fear of getting divorced and how marriage has actually been healing for her.
- How she felt her father’s absence as a young person and how she ultimately forgave him.
- How to become more confident and resilient or gritty
If you’re afraid of getting divorced, you want to forgive your parents, or you want to become tougher, this episode is for you.
Share Your Story
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Contact Samantha: samantha.hall328@icloud.com
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
The biggest area of struggle for young people from divorced or broken families is in romantic relationships. Why so much struggle? In short, we were poorly trained in how to love, so we feel incompetent at it and fear repeating our parents’ mistakes.
So, how can you overcome that fear and relearn how to love? My guests answer that question and more:
- How do you discern whether a lack of peace in a relationship is because of your brokenness or because the relationship isn’t right?
- What topics does a couple need to discuss and agree upon before marriage?
- What’s been the most helpful advice you’ve used in handling conflict?
If you’re from a divorced or dysfunctional family and you want to break that cycle and build a beautiful marriage and family, this episode is for you.
Follow Jackie & Bobby
- Website: JackieandBobby.com
- Instagram: @jackiefrancois
- Instagram: @bobby.angel
- YouTube: Conversations with Jackie & Bobby
- Listen on Apple
- Listen on Spotify
- YouTube: Ascension Presents playlist: Jackie & Bobby
Mentorship with Bobby: Schedule a FREE phone consultation with Bobby
If you need it, tell Bobby you heard him here and ask for a discount for your first month!
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Whether holidays with your divorced or separated parents are new or you’ve done it numerous times, this episode is for you. In it, you’ll get 5 practical tips to better navigate the holidays in your broken family, so they’re less stressful and more enjoyable.
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
While the rest of the world is filled with holiday cheer, people like us from divorced or broken families usually feel very differently. While you can’t magically make the holidays happy and drama-free, what if there was a way to make them less stressful and more enjoyable?
That’s what we’ll discuss in this episode, plus:
- The challenges that come from navigating 3 Christmases
- Some typical fears and barriers that complicate the holidays and tips to handle them
- A FREE resource to help you navigate the holidays, so they’re less stressful and more enjoyable
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Technology certainly has benefits, but there are dangers as well. Sadly, our misuse of technology is causing us to be more depressed, more anxious, less happy, and less healthy than ever before.
Perhaps worst of all, it destroys our ability to heal, grow, and build healthy relationships. In this episode, we dive into that with my guest, Andrew Laubacher, plus:
- Alarming data on how misusing tech is hurting us, especially young people
- How to build an intentional relationship with technology
- A novel yet simple solution to help you find freedom from digital addiction
Visit Humanality.org
Support Humanality
30-Day Tech Detox Challenge via Hallow
Get the Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
Get the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Shownotes
Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!
Have a question for Joey or our guests? Text us.
Carl Jung once said, “Unless you make the subconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate.”
In this episode, Dr. Greg Bottaro explains why our untreated wounds and our subconscious rule our lives, often without us knowing it. We also discuss:
- How his parents’ divorce impacted him and how he found tremendous healing
- Dr. Bottaro answers your questions, such as:
- How do you heal?
- How do I overcome my extreme fear of marriage and intimacy?
- How can you reconcile and build a strong relationship with parents who’ve been blind for years to the harm their divorce caused for me and my siblings?
- And many more questions related to healing, relationships, your parents, helping others, and even your relationship with God.
- What exactly are abuse and narcissism?
- A NEW resource that’s an alternative to therapy.
Register for the CatholicPsych Open House
Schedule a FREE mentorship consultation (Get 10% off your first month of mentorship with the code: RESTORED24 )
Listen to Dr. Bottaro’s podcast, Being Human
Listen to 9 Ways to Pay for Counseling
Submit your question for the show
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
Have a question for Joey or our guests? Text us.
After 24 years of marriage, Jordana’s parents divorced. Overall, her experience of family felt tense, stressful, and unstable. Once she learned of her parents’ divorce, she went into problem-solver mode, taking on the role of mother for her siblings.
In this episode, you’ll hear us discuss all of that, plus:
- How filling a parent role isn’t ideal, but sometimes necessary for a season, and how to handle the guilt about moving forward in your life.
- Her struggles with communicating in relationships and with anxiety overall
- Why it’s so helpful to put your feelings into words, even though it seems too simple to help
View Restored’s Resources
Share Your Story
Shownotes
Have a question for Joey or our guests? Text us.
If you’re like me, you’ve experienced trauma or brokenness in your life which has led you to seek healing. One method of healing used in therapy is Internal Family Systems. But what exactly is it? And how can it help you?
My guest today, a psychologist and expert in Internal Family Systems, answers those questions, plus:
- A healing exercise that you can do alongside me during this episode
- The result of the exercise for me and both of our thoughts on it
- Why your subconscious is ruling your life
Listen to The Interior Integration for Catholics Podcast
Visit Dr. Peter’s Souls and Hearts
View Restored’s Resources
Shownotes
We talk a lot about being healthy and whole, but what exactly does it mean to be healthy and whole?
We dive into that topic in this episode with a man who’s been accomplished as a CEO but has also worked hard on himself as a husband and father, plus:
- Why honesty and vulnerability are essential for healing and growth, and how forgiveness has been very healing for him
- The 4 stages of growth required to love well
- A resource for leaders, pastors, and seminarians
Visit ChrismPriest.com
Email Matt: matt@chrismpriest.com
View Restored’s Resources
Visit BlackStoneFilms.co
Shownotes
Emma was 14 years old when her parents divorced, but the dysfunction at home had been happening for years. In this episode, she shares how the dysfunction, divorce, and abuse have affected her. We also discuss:
- How she overcame victim mentality
- How abuse differs from bad behavior
- What helped her heal and how her life is better now as a wife and mother
Share Your Story with Restored
View Restored’s Resources
Email Emma:
Visit BlackstoneFilms.co
Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics
Shownotes
A doctor of functional neurology joins us to explain a new, cutting edge healing science that’s used to heal dysfunction in our bodies and minds, and help us live and perform at our best. It’s already being used by professional athletes and even Navy SEALs.
We dive into what it is and how it can help you, plus:
- Why people from divorced families struggle more in relationships from a scientific standpoint
- Why one-size-fits-all doesn’t work with healing - it must be personal and custom
- 3 amazing stories of people who’ve benefited from functional neurology, including a boy who was confined to a wheelchair that was able to walk
Email Dr. Paul Link
View Restored’s Resources
Visit BlackstoneFilms.co
Shownotes
Bree Solstad went from being a top-selling porn actress to quitting her job and completely turning her life around. That transformation started because of a trip to Italy.
In this episode, she tells us about that and answers questions like:
- What led you to pornography in the first place?
- How did your broken family and abandonment from your father play into that?
- What percentage of performers in porn come from divorced or broken families? It’ll shock you
- What has helped you begin to heal your wounds?
- What would you say to people who believe that porn is harmful and not wrong?
Visit Bree’s Etsy shop, Ave Maria Every Day
Follow Bree on Twitter and Instagram
Listen to the Healing Sexual Brokenness series
For Men: Buy the Book: Forged: 33 Days Toward Freedom by Jason Evert and Matt Fradd
For Women: Join a Magdala Ministries group
Watch Sound of Freedom
Visit FightTheNewDrug.org
Visit BlackstoneFilms.co
For help with suicidal thoughts or behaviors, call or text 988, or go here.
Shownotes
For people like us from divorced and broken families, love and marriage can be extra scary. After my parents separated, I swore, “If this is where marriage leads, I want nothing to do with it.”
But thankfully, love and marriage aren’t doomed to fail. Marriage isn’t easy, but it can be beautiful and joyful. More importantly, it can help you grow into a better, stronger, and more virtuous person.
Today, we’re joined by a married couple to discuss all of that, plus:
- The struggles they’ve faced within their marriage, especially around unmet expectations and brokenness
- The joy and beauty that they’ve experienced in their marriage and family
- What topics you need to discuss before you get married
Listen to All Things Nueva: Apple, Spotify
Follow Michael & Rachel: Instagram, Facebook, Instagram
Get the Free Guide: 7 Tips to Build Healthy Relationships and a Divorce-Proof Marriage
Visit BlackstoneFilms.co
Shownotes
For many of us from divorced families, we unconsciously want our parents to resolve their problems and get back together. Even if that isn’t possible due to abuse or other extreme scenarios, we can’t help but want our family to be whole.
Today’s guest felt that desire for his parents and family. In this episode, we discuss that and more:
- How anger, overeating, and lots of activities became his coping mechanisms
- How his parents’ divorce has affected him differently in different chapters of his life
- How much should parents tell their kids about the divorce?
- What he’s done to heal and grow, and how his life is better now
Share Your Story
Visit BlackStoneFilms.co
View Restored’s Resources
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At a young age, Jack learned he had an incurable disease. That naturally brought lots of physical and emotional pain into his life. But through that suffering, the lessons he learned and the transformation he experienced led him to say, “The thing I wish most never happened, I am most grateful for.”
In this episode, we discuss what led to that transformation and more:
- The bitterness and loneliness he felt and how his life looks now
- Our tendency to “replay” the trauma we’ve endured and what to do if you feel stuck
- Why we need mentors in our lives to guide and challenge us, but also to help us see our blindspots
JackBeers.com
TheCatholicMentor.com
Schedule a FREE call with Jack
View Restored’s Resources
DakotaLaneFitness.com
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With so many marriages and families falling apart, the natural question is: What has caused all these broken marriages and families?
In this episode, Dr. John Bishop unveils the surprising root cause, plus:
- The crisis of masculinity facing our world right now
- The proper place of happiness within marriage
- An awesome digital hack to protect yourself and your relationships
MyForge.org
DakotaLaneFitness.com
Fight the new drug
View Restored’s Resources
Buy Jason Evert’s booklet, Pure Intimacy
Buy Jason Evert’s talk, Green Sex
Shownotes
So many people from broken families struggle with feeling helpless or needy. Our efforts to heal or grow might even feel fruitless like tires spinning in mud that never gain traction. We put in effort in learning, but transformation isn’t happening.
Whether that describes you or someone you know (like a friend, parent, or anyone else), this episode will help you! In it, you’ll learn:
- The simple solution to beat neediness and helplessness
- Why struggles are actually good for you
- The most important question you can ask to move beyond grief
Margaret’s Website
Dakota Lane Fitness
Buy Margaret’s Book: Fearless
Buy Margaret’s Book: More Than Words
Get Margaret’s Course: Broken to Whole
Shownotes
Two years into marriage, Jake found himself enslaved to a sexual addiction. He longed for freedom but felt very stuck. As a result, he lived a double life, hiding his unwanted behavior from his wife.
But one random day, it all came to light. At that moment, he thought his marriage was over. In this episode, he shares what happened next, plus:
- What kept his marriage from falling apart?
- How a wound of abandonment from his family drove his addiction
- 6 tips to break free from sexual compulsion or addiction
Go to Jake’s Website & Resources
Listen to our series, Healing Sexual Brokenness
Go to Dakota Lane Fitness
Shownotes
After her parents divorced, my guest felt abandoned and badly hoped it was all a dream that she could just wake up from. Dealing with all the brokenness that followed led her down a path of feeling stuck and thinking her brokenness defined her.
Thankfully, she realized that “‘broken’ is what happened to me, not who I am.” In this episode, we touch on that and more:
- How just having the pain of your parents’ divorce validated is incredibly helpful and often the first step of healing
- The many emotional problems she’s had to battle, including anxiety, depression, anger, self-hate, control, and loneliness
- The tendency in people like us to allow fear to hold us back and cause us to play it safe, but how healing can free us from fear
Share Your Story
View Restored’s Resources
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If you’re like me, you never saw conflict resolved peacefully in your family. As a result, you might feel a bit lost about how to resolve conflict in your life, especially in your relationships.
If that’s you, this episode will help. In it, a married couple joins to share tips they’ve learned on resolving conflict, plus:
- Why it’s important to let small things go, but how letting too much go can lead to resentment
- The four levels of learning any skill
- Advice to someone from an intact family who’s dating, engaged, or even married to someone from a broken family
Get FREE Guide: 7 Tips to Build Healthy Relationships & a Divorce-Proof Marriage
Visit Dakota Lane Fitness
Shownotes
So many divorces happen because one spouse follows their desires at the expense of their vows. That happened in the family of my guest today.
In this episode, we cover:
- How her family’s dysfunction led to struggles with gender and sexuality
- The beautiful transformation she’s experienced and even seen in her parents
- The biggest lie about getting divorced
- A new organization that’s fighting for children’s rights
Share Your Story
View Restored’s Resources
Follow Jenn’s Blog, Do Better Theology
Visit Them Before Us
Visit Dakota Lane Fitness
Shownotes
Today we’re sharing a podcast where I was interviewed by two therapists, Dr. Bob Schuchts and Jake Khym, on their podcast, Restore the Glory. Joey especially opens up about his struggles in his relationship with God, plus they discuss:
- When we don’t face our wounds, we typically try to outrun them.
- Since divorce is a wound of broken love, the antidote is authentic love.
- Why it’s so helpful to spend time with a couple who has a healthy marriage.
Donate to Restored
Meet with Joey for Restored’s Donor Pitch
Visit Dakota Lane Fitness
Listen to the Restore the Glory podcast
Visit JPII Healing Center
Shownotes
It’s said that Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Doesn’t that describe our culture? A culture that’s hooked on comfort and so void of meaning.
But thankfully, Dr. Andrew and Sarah Swafford have a solution to that problem. In this episode, we discuss:
- What holds us back from lives and relationships full of meaning?
- What’s needed to live a life of meaning and happiness?
- How do we navigate the dating scene today?
- How can you heal your brokenness?
If you’ve ever felt that ache of wanting more from life, don’t miss this episode.
Buy the Book: Gift & Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships
Donate to Restored
Meet with Joey for Restored’s Donor Pitch
Visit Dakota Lane Fitness
Shownotes
When your parents divorce, you almost always lose one or both parents physically or emotionally. But as our guest today says, we’re not meant to go through life without the mentorship of a father and a mother.
In this episode, Nicole Rodriguez shares the immense healing she’s experienced through parents who were not her own. We also discuss:
- How her parents’ divorce started with infidelity and led her to feeling abandoned and lonely
- The emotional numbness and skepticism toward emotion that she experienced
- How she felt doomed to repeat the cycle of dysfunction and divorce, but thankfully overcame that
Buy the Book: Undone: Freeing Your Feminine Heart from the Knots of Fear and Shame
Attend the Undone Women’s Conference
Share Your Story
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Trauma, such as your parents’ divorce or extreme family dysfunction, doesn’t only affect your emotions. It affects your body too. It quite literally has physical effects.
In this episode, Dr. Christopher Genn, a physical therapist and expert in applied kinesiology, explains how our bodies respond to trauma and how we can heal. Plus, we discuss:
- A new therapy to treat pain, trauma, and even rewire bad habits
- The story of a girl enduring her parents’ divorce who became physically debilitated
- How we often lie to ourselves about our families, parents, and past - and why that’s a barrier to healing
Schedule a Consult with Dr. Genn
Get the Course: Broken to Whole
Visit Dr. Genn’s Website
Shownotes
In this episode, you'll hear highlight clips from the podcast in 2023. This episode, and the entire podcast, will help you heal from the trauma of your parents’ divorce, separation, or broken marriage, so you can break the cycle.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is the perfect way to sample our content and learn how it will help you. If you’re a longtime listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear it.
Restored’s Website
Shownotes
There’s an extremely popular lie about how divorce affects the children. In this episode, we discuss that lie with my guest who is an only child from a divorced family, plus:
- The loneliness, addiction, and social problems that stemmed from his family’s breakdown
- The anger and even hatred he felt toward his parents and how he feels now
- A unique thing he and his wife did before they were married to strengthen their relationship
Get the Book or First Chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get the FREE Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Shownotes
If there were 10 things you can do to make therapy succeed (or fail), would you want to know them? I know I would.
In this episode, a therapist joins us to share those tips, plus:
- The goal of therapy and the temptation to idealize healing
- A tool for dealing with troubling thoughts
- The struggle to put words to your own emotions and experiences of brokenness
If you’ve ever been to therapy and it hasn’t gone well or you’re considering therapy but you’re unsure how to make it successful, this episode is for you.
Schedule a Free Consult at St. Raphael Counseling
Find a Restored Coach
How Restored Has Helped You?
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If you’re from a broken family, the holidays often bring more stress and challenges than joy. After my parents separated, I faced these challenges:
- A sad, pit-in-the-stomach reminder of my parents’ split and my family’s brokenness
- Pressure to choose between parents and balance time amid many events
- A misled desire to make everyone happy, especially my parents, often at my expense
- My emotions or other people being in control instead of me
- Feeling alone and uncertain of how to deal with it all
If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. In it, you’ll get 5 tips to navigate the challenges and hopefully, even begin enjoying the holidays again. Using them won’t make your holidays look like a Hallmark movie, but they will improve the experience by putting you in the driver’s seat.
Get the FREE Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken Family
Shownotes
If you’re from a broken family and you’ve struggled with OCD, relationships, overthinking, and filling a parent role for your siblings or parents, this episode is for you.
In it, Ashton shares how her parents’ divorce has affected her and her relationships. She also talks about what’s helped her heal and even offers some advice for you.
Take the podcast survey
How has Restored helped you?
Shownotes
When trauma occurs, it causes you to ask big questions. That’s where my guest found himself after being brutally attacked, almost to the point of death, by people he was trying to help.
In this episode, you’ll hear the story of the attack, plus he answers:
- Has forgiveness been difficult for you?
- Why forgive? What are the benefits? What happens if we don’t forgive?
- How do you forgive someone who has hurt you?
Take the podcast survey
Shownotes
When you’re struggling with unwanted sexual behavior, asking for help is terrifying. The struggle feels so shameful and admitting your weakness feels humiliating. As a result, most men stay stuck for years and years.
Thankfully, there’s a way out. Asking for help from the right people is the key to overcoming shame, humiliation, and unwanted behavior. Today, a coach specializing in helping men break free from unwanted sexual behavior joins the show to discuss:
- Is freedom even possible?
- Why do men deserve that freedom?
- A valuable for you or men you know struggling
- Stories of transformation in the lives of the men he’s coached
- Advice and encouragement for any man struggling right now
Apply for Freedom Coaching
Get FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
Listen to the Series: Healing Sexual Brokenness
Shownotes
If you’re a woman that struggles with unwanted sexual behavior, you are not alone. The myth of porn, or even lust, being a male problem is just that - a myth. More importantly, healing and freedom are within reach for you.
In this episode, brave author and speaker Rachael Killackey shares her struggles with unwanted sexual behavior and a valuable resource for women struggling, plus:
- The emotions that sexual struggles brought into her life
- How she found freedom and helps other women now, too
- How you should respond if you have a relapse
Buy Rachael’s Book: Love in Recovery: One Woman's Story of Breaking Free from Shame and Healing from Pornography AddictionJoin a Magdala group
Listen to the Magdala Podcast
Get FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
Listen to the Series: Healing Sexual Brokenness
Shownotes
Our world is very sexually broken. The examples are endless: Pornography use, sexual compulsions, addictions, hookup culture, paying for sex, infidelity, sex trafficking, and much more.
But how did our world become so sexually broken?
That’s the topic we tackle today with famous author and speaker Christopher West. If you’ve wrestled with sexual brokenness or noticed an ache inside that you that nothing seems to fill, this episode is for you.
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Buy Christopher West’s Books
Listen to the Ask Christopher Westpodcast
Get FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
Shownotes
What happens inside your brain and your body when you endure trauma?
Surprisingly, there’s actually a predictable way that your body and mind responds to trauma. In this episode, we break down each response with a trauma therapist. We also discuss:
- How her parents’ divorce impacted her
- Is healing trauma even possible? If so, what does it take to heal?
- How to apologize the right way
Share your story
Find a therapist
Shownotes
What if I told you that your sexual struggles could be predicted by your untreated trauma?
Today, we’re joined by author Jay Stringer who studied ~4,000 men and women who struggle with sexual compulsion or addiction, such porn, masturbation, affairs, buying sex, and much more.
In this episode, we breakdown his NEW study and more:
- How the sexual fantasies and porn searches of the study participants could be predicted by their untreated trauma
- Why we often repeat behavior that harmed us, such as sexual abuse or affairs, and how to avoid that
- How anger actually drives unwanted sexual behavior
- Why people from rigid or disengaged families are much more likely to struggle with sexual compulsion or addiction
- How in order to break free, you have to listen to your lust and understand why you struggle in the particular ways that you do
- Why typical lust management strategies like accountability software are not enough
Whether you struggle with sexual brokenness or know someone who does, this episode will help anyone find healing and lasting freedom from sexual brokenness.
Buy Jay’s Book: Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing
Get FREE Unwanted Chapters
Get FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
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When it comes to pornography, there are basically two types of people:
- Those who believe that porn is wrong and harmful.
- And those who do not.
But beyond the arguments, millions of people struggle with a pornography compulsion or addiction. They want to break free, but they feel stuck and hopeless. No matter what they try, it doesn’t work.
In this episode, popular speakers and authors Matt Fradd and Jason Evert join me to answer these tough questions:
- Is porn harmful and wrong? If so, why?
- What does it do your brain and your relationships?
- How do you actually break free from porn?
- What resources are out there to help you or someone you care about?
Buy the Book: Forged: 33 Days Toward Freedom by Jason Evert and Matt Fradd
Buy the Book: The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matt Fradd
Get the FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
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What’s brought the most pain and problems into your life? If your answer (or a top answer) is your parents’ divorce or the breakdown of your family, this podcast is for you.
In this episode, we talk about the specific pain and problems your parents’ divorce or family breakdown bring into your life. We also highlight resources to help you heal and build virtue, so you can feel whole again and break the cycle of dysfunction and divorce in your own life.
Take podcast survey (5-10 min)
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Millions of people right now are struggling with sexual compulsion and addiction. It’s a massive problem that doesn’t get the attention or resources it deserves.
Thankfully, in this episode, psychologist Dr. Bob Schuchts offers steps and a resource to heal your sexual brokenness. We also discuss:
- A story of profound healing and transformation
- Dr. Bob’s own past struggles in this area
- How sexual brokenness is often passed down in families through generations
Buy Dr. Bob’s Book: Be Restored
Get the FREE Mini-Course: Why You Feel Broken
Shownotes
If you’re a woman that struggles with unwanted sexual behavior, have you felt like you’re the only female that struggles? If so, that’s an absolute lie. In fact, one study found that ~75% of women 18-30 reported viewing porn at least once a month.
With more and more women struggling with porn and masturbation, speaker and author Kelsey Skoch joins the show to share steps you can take as a woman to find freedom. We also discuss:
- Kelsey’s past struggles, what helped her find freedom, and what her life is like now
- How unhealed trauma can contribute to unwanted sexual behavior, including the trauma of your parents’ divorce or broken family
- How some people claim these behaviors are good for women, but Kelsey shares how she’s only seen it damage women
Buy Kelsey’s book, Uncompromising Purity (Buy on Amazon)
Take the My Broken Family Assessment
Shownotes
Are you worried about someone you love or lead from a divorced or broken family? Do you want to help them, but feel unequipped and somewhat helpless?
In this episode, you’ll learn 3 tips to help them and a NEW resource on how to help someone from a divorced or broken family, so you can do and say the right things, avoid the wrong ones, and offer real help.
Get Real Help CourseShownotes
If you come from a broken family, did your parents’ divorce or family dysfunction bring emotional problems, bad habits, and relationship struggles into your life? As a result, do you feel unsure how to heal and afraid that you’ll repeat the cycle?
In this episode, we unveil a NEW and FREE resource to help you heal from the trauma of your parents’ divorce or broken family, so you can break the cycle and build a better life. In doing so, we discuss:
- What is trauma and how does it affect you?
- Why is your parents’ divorce or family dysfunction the most impactful type of trauma?
- How do you heal from it?
Get Broken to WholeCourse
Shownotes
You feel broken. You want to heal. But you’re unwilling to ask for help.
If that describes you, your ability to heal will be stifled. Nobody ever healed their broken leg without the help, knowledge, or experience of others. Healing only happens with the love and help of other people.
In this episode, we discuss that and more as my guest shares :
- How it took 20 years for her to pursue counseling, but how she found healing there
- Why is it so difficult to talk about our parents’ divorce or broken family and what can we do about that?
- Why taking risks feels extra scary for people like us and what to do if you feel that fear
Buy Tanya’s Book, Come Home Laughing
Join the Course Waitlist
Take the My Broken Family Assessment
Shownotes
How have you dealt with the trauma of your parents’ divorce or broken family?
After enduring her parents’ divorce, her mom’s alcoholism, her dad’s absence, and her stepmom’s abuse, today’s guest tried to outrun her trauma through busyness, accomplishments, and perfectionism.
Before long, she went from repressing her emotions and saying “I’m fine” to “I need help.” That began her healing, which we discuss, plus:
- How she doubted her ability to be a good wife and mother
- How she grew up faster than her peers from intact families, making it difficult to relate to them
- When are anxiety or depression drugs necessary and when are they used inappropriately?
Join the Course Waitlist
Take the My Broken Family Assessment
Share Your Story
Shownotes
Two things we’ve learned about divorce from scientific studies and stories of people like us:
- Almost always, divorce is traumatic and damaging for the children
- The effects are typically serious and long lasting
In this episode, you’ll hear a radio interview I did that elaborates on each point:
- How divorce is traumatic for the children
- The specific pain and problems it brings into our lives
- A resource that you can use to navigate through the pain and problems and even find healing
Get Free Chapters or Buy: It’s Not Your Fault
Join the Courses Waitlist
Shownotes
Is divorce good or bad for children? There’s tons of confusion around that question. In this episode, speaker and author Katy Faust offers answers with clarity and tons of research. She also touches on:
- How does divorce affect the children?
- Is divorce really worse than the death of a parent?
- What do children need that marriage provides?
- How do you navigate speaking about your parents in a respectful yet honest way?
- What’s your advice to parents considering divorce?
Buy Katy’s book: Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children's Rights MovementTake the assessment
Shownotes
Feeling hopeless, our guest prayed for her husband to die. Earlier in their marriage, she cheated on him. Thankfully, they turned things around and they now have a beautiful marriage.
In this episode, Dr. Christine Bacon vulnerably shares about her affair but especially about the restoration of her marriage. She even shares the formula she’s discovered for a happy marriage. She also offers advice and answers questions, such as:
- Why do people have affairs?
- Should parents tell their kids about the infidelity?
- What can a young person do to heal from their parent’s unfaithfulness?
Buy Dr. Bacon’s book,Super Couples: A Formula for Extreme Happiness in Marriage
Take the assessment
Shownotes
How is your parents’ divorce or your broken family affecting you today?
If your answer is “I don’t really know” or you don’t understand the depth of it, you’re not alone. That’s actually very common. But in the words of one therapist, “When it comes to experiencing healing, naming how you’ve been harmed is about 70% of the battle.”
In this episode, we unveil a new tool that will help you name and diagnose your brokenness, so you can heal it and build the life and relationships you desire.
Take the assessment
Shownotes
According to research, people like us from divorced or broken families are typically less physically healthy. If that describes you, or you simply want to become healthier, this episode will help.
Fitness and nutrition coach Dakota Lane shares how the abuse and dysfunction in his family impacted his relationships and how he’s found healing. He also offers advice on how to become fit and healthy by answering questions such as:
- How much water should you drink every day?
- How much should you sleep?
- Is exercise or nutrition more important?
- If you have very little time to work out, what can you do?
- How do you stay motivated and disciplined?
Hire Dakota or view his services
Find a coach, counselor, or spiritual director
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When William was in high school, his home was riddled with emotional pain and conflict. Eventually, his parents got divorced. That led to struggles in his relationships, especially with handling conflict and breaking up prematurely because he didn’t want to get hurt.
But the pain didn’t end there. After suffering from neglect and severe bullying, William was involved in a horrible accident that left him severely injured. In this episode, he shares what happened and how his pain now has purpose. He offers advice to anyone suffering too.
Visit William’s website or YouTube channel
Shownotes
If there was a technique used by Special Operators (Navy SEALs, Rangers, Special Forces, etc), firefighters, paramedics, and high performing athletes to stay calm during stressful situations, think clearly, make the right decisions, and avoid overwhelm, would you want to know it?
That’s what you’re going to learn in this episode from a firefighter and paramedic.
Find a counselor, coach, or spiritual director
Shownotes
In this episode, you'll hear six short highlight clips from the podcast in 2022. This episode, and the podcast as a whole, will help you heal and grow from the trauma of your parents’ divorce, separation, or broken marriage, so you can feel whole again and break the cycle of dysfunction and divorce in your own life.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is the perfect way to sample our content and learn how it will help you. If you’re a longtime listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear it.
Thanks for listening! We do it for you.
Restored’s Website
Shownotes
If you’re a woman with divorced or separated parents, have you struggled a lot in your relationships? If you’re married, has marriage felt extra difficult for you? If so, you’re not alone. That’s actually common as our guest today shares.
In this episode, we discuss the struggles that daughters of divorce face in marriage that daughters of intact families typically never have to deal with and more:
- How you’re not doomed to repeat your parents’ mistakes
- Stories of marriages in crisis that turned things around
- Tips for women from broken families on building a good and beautiful marriage
- Advice for any parents in really difficult marriages
- Women Made New, a new book on healing for women that features a chapter on marriage for daughters of divorce
BuyWomen Made New
Get Free Chapters or BuyIt’s Not Your Fault
Get the Free Guide: 7 Tips to Build a Thriving & Divorce-Proof Marriage
Shownotes
Have you rejected God? Do you really struggle in your relationship with him? If you’re from a broken family and that’s true, you’re not strange. In fact, it’s really common.
Why? From a young age, our parents represent God to us. If their example wasn’t good, it leaves us with a distorted image of God. As a result, we reject him or struggle extra in our relationship with him. We discuss that and more:
- How Sr. Miriam began drinking at age 12 and became an alcoholic as a D1 athlete
- 3 common barriers that prevent you from healing
- Tough questions like, “Why would God allow our families to fall apart?” and “Why doesn’t God make his love more obvious?”
Buy Sr. Miriam’s Book: Behold: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation
Buy Joey’s Book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain and Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce
Shownotes
If you’re from a broken family, you don’t need anyone to tell you how stressful, depressing, or just plain difficult the holidays can be. If you can relate, this episode is for you.
In it, we offer:
- 3 steps to plan the holidays, so you can reduce the drama and actually enjoy them
- Advice from a former trauma therapist on how to deal with your difficult emotions this time of the year, so they don’t control you and you don’t act out in unhealthy ways
- Resources to help you cope, heal, and grow from the trauma of your broken family
Apply for coaching with Margaret
Join Restored’s community
Shownotes
Imagine you have all the success, pleasure, money, and excitement you could want. But instead of being happy, you feel unhappy and empty. What would you do?
That was the story of our guest today. The wounds from his broken family were at the core of his need to live a life of extreme pleasure, excitement, and ultimately, unhappiness. But that all began to change when the 2016 US presidential election caused him to question everything. In time, he went from partying with billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to living a very different life.
In this episode, you’ll hear his story and also:
- How he didn’t even recognize that he was trying to fill an endless hole
- How the lack of an example in how to form healthy relationships inhibited is ability to do so and caused a lot of turmoil in his relationships
- How transforming himself led him to his beautiful soon-to-be bride and authentic happiness
Get the free chapters or buy the book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain and Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce
Shownotes
If you’re from a broken family, you’ve likely dealt with a lot of fear. For so many of us, that holds us back in life and relationships. At the core of that fear is usually the fact that we don’t feel safe.
In this episode, a psychologist joins us to discuss why so many people struggle to feel safe and how that affects their life and relationships. We also touch on:
- What exactly is healing? Dr. Showalter explains 3 aspects of healing.
- Is healing actually possible, or are we doomed to merely manage symptoms?
- What to do if you feel afraid or embarrassed about seeing a therapist
- A healing tool called the Safe and Sound Protocol
Sign up for Therapy or the Safe and Sound Protocol with Dr. Showalter
Share How Restored Has Helped You
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For so many of us, our parents’ divorce causes us to question everything — especially if it came out of the blue. We ask ourselves: What won’t fall apart? We may even go through life feeling like there’s a disaster around every corner and as a result, so often we play it safe in life.
We discuss that and more in this episode as my guest shares:
- How she blamed herself for the breakdown of her parents’ marriage
- How nobody was there for her
- How she struggled with low self-esteem, self-harm, and acting out sexually
- How she never had children because she feared she couldn’t be a good mom
Share your story
Shownotes
Art is healing. If you’re not an artistic person, that might seem odd. But it’s true. In this episode, we discuss why and how art can be healing and more:
- What type of art has been healing for our guests
- How art can help people from broken families
- A piece of religious art specifically for Catholic/Christian adult children of divorce
Dr. Daniel: Buy the artwork or sign up for the retreat
Mike: View his artwork
Shownotes
If you’re ashamed of your past because of mistakes or abuse, it’s natural to feel stuck. But you don’t have to stay stuck. Healing and freedom are possible for you.
Author and speaker Crystalina Evert vulnerably shares how her broken family and sexual abuse caused her to cope with drugs, drinking, and sleeping around. We also discuss:
- Tactics that have helped her heal
- A new book to help any woman, especially women who have suffered abuse
- Advice and encouragement to women who’ve suffered abus e or feel broken
Buy Crystalina’s Book or Get First Chapter Free
Get a Coach
Shownotes
A myth about children of divorce is that the impact of our parents’ divorce is temporary. That’s simply not true, which research proves. Sadly, the effects last long after the divorce itself.
Our guest today shares how his parents divorce has impacted him, even 20 years later in his own marriage. We discuss:
- How he felt lost when it came to dating and relationships, how breakups felt like a repeat of his parents’ divorce, and how he irrationally fears that his spouse is going to leave one day
- What it’s like to go through a divorce in a Mexican family
- What to do when you’re unsure how to articulate a feeling or experience you’ve endured, especially related to your broken family
- A story on having a difficult conversation with his mom, which offers good lessons for having a difficult conversation with your parents
Get the Book or Free Chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Meet with Joey for the Investor’s Pitch
Shownotes
Marriage isn’t easy. There are good times and challenging times. According to research, people like us from broken families typically struggle more in relationships and marriage. As a result, we’re more likely to need help.
In this episode, a couple that offers marriage coaching offers advice and shares the one thing missing most in marriages today. We also discuss:
- The most common struggles faced by the couples they coach
- Communication tips to help your relationship survive and thrive
- Tactics for handling conflict well
- Advice to couples in crisis, even on the brink of divorce
- A resource to help your marriage or another marriage that’s struggling
Get the Free Guide: 7 Tips to Build a Thriving and Divorce-Proof Marriage
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In this episode, we answer questions from listeners like you. Each question reveals a real life challenge faced by someone from a broken family. We offer answers and practical guidance.
The questions include:
- How do you deal with your parents divorce when it isn’t a clearly justifiable split?
- As divorced parents, how do we make up for all the mistakes we’ve made and help our kids heal?
- How do I openly talk about my parents divorce without hurting them in the way I view it?
- How do I build a better relationship with my dad when he isn’t emotionally there and has never talked to me about my parents separating/divorcing?
- How do I deal with my anger toward my parents?
Get your question answered on the podcast
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Often, people from broken families become very attuned to the needs of others, especially our parents and siblings. We become skilled at being what people want us to be. In the end, we often lose ourselves and our ability to articulate what we need and want.
In this episode, we discuss that problem as well as:
- How normal was strange and strange was normal for our guest growing up
- Why he became motivated to break the generational cycle of divorce in his family
- How he felt like burden in his relationships, which made him feel the need to earn love and constantly prevent it from ending any moment
Share your story
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Whether you’re single, dating, or engaged, your wedding day will be a beautiful experience. However, planning it is very consuming. As a result, it’s easy to prepare more for the wedding day than for a lifetime of marriage.
Marriage preparation is meant to refocus you and prepare you not only for your wedding day, but for your marriage. In this episode, we discuss marriage prep and:
- The main cause of dysfunction and divorce, according to my guests
- What can be done to better help people from broken families to build great marriages
- A sneaky thing that can sabotage anyone’s marriage
- An assessment to help you understand the reality of your relationship heading toward marriage
- Advice and encouragement for leaders of marriage prep
If you hope to be married one day or you lead marriage prep, this episode is for you.
Get the Marriage Guide and Talk
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If you or someone you know has struggled with an eating disorder, you know how painful that experience can be. It’s often an overlooked struggle that really deserves more attention and resources. But thankfully, some resources do exist to heal an eating disorder.
Today, a psychologist who specializes in treating eating disorders joins us. We discuss:
- The types, symptoms, and root causes of eating disorders
- Surprising statistics on the prevalence of eating disorders and how they can be lethal
- How genetics play a role in developing an eating disorder and why you can’t simply think your way out of it
- What a healthy relationship with food looks like
- Resources and advice you can use today to begin overcoming this struggle
If you struggle with an eating disorder or know someone who does, don’t miss this episode.
Buy Dr. Julia’s Books
Find a counselor
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Growing up too fast is a common experience for children of divorce. You’re often called upon to take on responsibilities that should never be yours. As a result, you may become a serious, mature person — even if you’re still a kid.
That’s what happened to our guest today, which he explains in this episode. In addition, we discuss:
- A surprising thing that helped him heal and begin to break the cycle of dysfunction and divorce in his own life
- How his parents are also children of divorce, which naturally played a role in how they repeat that cycle in their own marriage
- What marriage is meant to be and why a false idea of freedom greatly hinders your ability to build lasting love
After his parents’ divorced, Joey feared repeating the same mistakes in his own marriage. He wanted to know, “How do I not repeat my parents’ mistakes?” He wanted authentic love but had no idea how to build it. It set him on a quest for answers and a roadmap for love.
In this episode, you’ll hear a talk which offers a roadmap based on research, time tested couples, and the wisdom of Christianity. You’ll also learn:
- 4 signs that your relationship or marriage is headed off a cliff, according to researchers
- The biggest area of conflict in marriage and what to do about it
- Practical tips to make conflict healthy
- The one thing that makes conflict less scary and more manageable
- A resource for handling conflict better
If you want a build a healthy relationship and great marriage, this episode is for you.
Listen to the whole talk: 7 Tips to Build a Thriving & Divorce-Proof Marriage
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After his parents’ divorced, Joey feared repeating the same mistakes in his own marriage. He wanted to know, “How do I not repeat my parents’ mistakes?” He wanted authentic love but had no idea how to build it. It set him on a quest for answers and a roadmap for love.
In this episode, you’ll hear a talk that offers a roadmap for love based on research, time-tested couples, and the wisdom of Christianity. You’ll also learn:
- An ingredient that research shows is essential to build a healthy relationship and great marriage
- Answers to the questions:
- Can love actually last?
- When feelings fade in your relationship, does that mean the end is near?
- Is love worth the risk and possible hurt?
- A challenge to build love that lasts
If you want a build a healthy relationship and great marriage, this episode is for you.
Listen to the whole talk: 7 Tips to Build a Thriving & Divorce-Proof Marriage
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If you’re from a broken family, did your parents’ separation or divorce drag out for years? That was the story of our guest today.
In this episode, you’ll hear what happened in his family and how it affected him. We also discuss:
- How he learned from an early age that his needs weren’t going to be met, so he had to figure out things for himself
- How our parents seem to have grown during the separation and divorce, but as their kids, we can’t help but ask the question: Why couldn’t you grow together?
- An underrated healing tactic that will help you heal, grow, set better boundaries, have healthier relationships, and feel at peace
- An important skill you have to learn if you want to heal, grow, and feel whole again
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)
Share your story
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If you’re from a broken family, becoming independent and breaking the cycle can be extremely attractive. It certainly was for my guests, a married couple where both spouses from a broken family.
They share what happened in their families, how it’s affected them, their marriage, and even their kids. We also discuss:
- Why one of their mentors encouraged them to begin counseling as a dating couple
- The questions their kids have about their divorced grandparents
- How our parents often compete for our loyalty
- Why beating a victim mentality is so freeing
- One thing that helped them deal with the dysfunction in their families
If you come from a broken family and you’re headed toward marriage, this episode is for you.
Tell us how Restored has helped you
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When you’re 7 years old and your parents divorce out of the blue, it causes confusion and lots of questions. Unfortunately, the struggles for my guest didn’t stop there.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How her parents divorce has impacted her, even years later
- What to do when your divorced parents become ill and near the end of their lives, especially if you have a tense relationship with them
- An organization that exists to help families in crisis
Get help from the St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)
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If you’re from a broken family, you’ve likely experienced extra barriers in your relationship with God. In fact, you might not even believe in God because of what happened in your family. Wherever you’re at, we’re glad you’re here.
In this episode, you’ll hear how spiritual direction is a tool you can use to overcome those barriers, heal from the trauma you’ve endured, and become spiritually strong. We also discuss:
- Feeling guilty for wanting your parents to get divorced
- Specific challenges when relating to God, such as rejecting God as a way to protect yourself and the question “God, is this how you really treat people who love you?
- Temptation to suicide
- Personal fears, such as “Am I going to be like my abusive dad? Will my marriage end up like my parents’ marriage?
- How deepening your relationship with God helps you heal and feel whole again
If you’ve struggled in your relationship with God and felt far from him, this conversation is for you.
Join the coaching waitlist for a counselor or spiritual director
Check out Franciscan University’s School of Spiritual Direction
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One night, Maggie’s mother left her family without any explanation. Naturally, Maggie felt extremely abandoned. Following that night and her parents’ divorce, she hated her mom. All the pain led her to cope by using drugs, drinking, and sex.
Thankfully, her story transformed. In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How all that trauma led her to attempt killing herself
- How she opened up to her mom and dad about the way their broken marriage and divorce affected her
- Why she feared marriage, but after overcoming that fear, she now has a beautiful marriage and four awesome kids
Book a Restored speaking engagement
Buy Blessed Is She’s beautiful products
Share your story
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When your parents’ marriage and family break apart, it’s traumatic for you as their son or daughter.
That trauma is not only painful, but also has devastating effects on you that last for a long time. As a result, you need to heal. But how?
Our guest today, a trauma therapist, shares the antidote or opposite of trauma. We discuss:
- The 4 principles you need to live out to prevent and heal from trauma
- One thing you can today, right away, to heal and grow
- Why feeling worthless is a major problem that you need to address in order to feel whole again
If you want peace, freedom, and great relationships, this episode is for you.
Buy Margaret’s book: FEARLESS: Abundant Life through Infinite Love (affiliate link)
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)Shownotes
In this episode, you'll hear 7 short clips from the podcast in 2021.
This episode, and the podcast as a whole, will help you heal and grow from the trauma of your parents’ divorce, separation, or broken marriage, so you can feel whole again and thrive.
If you’re new to the podcast, this is the perfect way to sample our content and learn how it will help you. If you’re a veteran listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear it.
Thanks for listening! We do it for you.
Book a Restored talk
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When Alexandra was in 7th grade, her parents divorced. Almost immediately, she went to counseling, which led her to believe that the effects of her parents’ divorce were in her past. She thought she was healed.
But in college, poor decisions and failed relationships showed her that perhaps it wasn’t resolved like she thought. She woke up on her birthday feeling sad and stuck, asking the question: Am I going to be in this same spot for the rest of my life?
In this episode, she shares the rest of her story and more:
- How working on herself has now led her to a really beautiful, healthy relationship
- How a memento from her past made her realize how much her parents’ divorce was still affecting her
- The answer to “Do you hate your parents?”
Book a Restored talkShownotes
Since she was 2 or 3, Sydney’s parents have been divorced. It’s all she’s ever known. As a result, she spent most of her childhood living out of a suitcase between Mom and Dad’s house.
While Sydney has navigated her parents’ divorce fairly well, there have certainly been challenges. In this interview, we discuss those challenges and more:
- How Sydney has kept a good relationship with her parents and stepparents
- As someone from an intact home, her husband Dan talks about how the divorce has affected her and their relationship
- Real and raw talk about love and marriage, especially feeling at times like it is “too hard”
Email Joey@RestoredMinistry.com to schedule a meeting
Donate to Restored | Your special gift is doubled and your monthly gift is tripled during Dec 2021Shownotes
Are you from a broken family? If so, you know how challenging the holidays can be. Not only is it difficult to balance time between mom and dad, but we also have to deal with any family drama. Instead of enjoying the holidays, many of us just can’t wait till they’re over.
But there is good news: it doesn’t always have to be that way. In this episode, you’ll hear 9 tactics that you can use to navigate the holidays and hopefully, enjoy them again. It won’t make them perfect, but it will make them better.
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)
Forgiving someone that wounded you is difficult. Not only is forgiveness difficult, it is often over simplified and misunderstood.
That’s why we interviewed an expert on forgiveness, who happens to be a child of divorce. In this practical episode, we address:
- What exactly is forgiveness?
- How to forgive through the four stages of forgiveness
- Why forgiveness is good for you and unforgiveness is bad for you
- How does compensation or reparation factor into forgiveness?
- Practical advice to forgive someone who feels impossible to forgive
Buy Fr. John’s books: Adore: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation | Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce(affiliate link)Shownotes
Alcoholism is a major cause of dysfunction in so many families. That was certainly true for our guest’s family.
In this episode, she shares how alcoholism played a pivotal role in the breakdown of her parents’ marriage and family. We also discuss:
- Why she kept a packed bag that was always ready to go under her bed at college
- What she’d say to her parents if they were listening to this episode
- How she truly desires a good relationship with her parents, especially her estranged father
Share Your Story
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce(affiliate link)Shownotes
Dr. Andrew Swafford came from a dysfunctional family, even though his parents never got divorced. As a result, he questioned: “Can I be a good husband and father? Or am I destined to repeat the cycle of dysfunction?”
Thankfully, he overcame those doubts and built a beautiful marriage and family. In this conversation, he shares what helped him to do just that. Plus, we discuss:
- What is virtue and how do you build it?
- A three part framework to know if you’ve acquired a virtue
- The ultimate measure of a virtuous person
- Why virtue offers you happiness and freedom
- Practical tips you can use today to build virtue
Buy Dr. Swafford’s book: Spiritual Survival in the Modern World: Insights from C. S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)
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If your family is broken, you’ve probably felt like our guest today who badly wanted her family to be normal. It’s such a natural desire which goes painfully unsatisfied.
In this raw episode, we discuss:
- How an affair broke her family apart and how that’s impacted her
- How we often use excessive drinking to cope with our pain and what to do instead
- When moving away from your family could be the right thing for a time
Buy Joey’s book: It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce (affiliate link)
Share Your Story
Join Restored’s Community
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If you spoke to your friends the way you spoke to yourself, would those relationships become abusive? The words you tell yourself are often filled with lies, but you might not even realize it.
But those lies become your identity, which then dictates the quality and happiness of your life. Thankfully, our guest today can help you beat the lies and discover your real identity. In this episode, we discuss:
- Why it is so important to uncover the lies you believe about yourself
- How it’s simple yet difficult to replace those lies with the truth
- Two tactics and resources you can use today to change the way you talk to yourself and renew your identity
Buy Chris’s book:I AM: Rewrite Your Name—Reroute Your Life
Buy Joey’s book:It’s Not Your Fault: A Practical Guide to Navigating the Pain & Problems from Your Parents’ Divorce
ShownotesThe links above are Amazon affiliate links. Restored receives a commission for each purchase at no extra cost to you.
Many young people from broken families struggle to discern their relationships and calling in life because they feel so anxious and uncertain. The trauma of their broken family and the effects that stem from it often interfere with their ability to discern properly.
In this episode, we dive into that and more:
- Why a lack of peace isn’t an automatic indicator that a relationship or vocation isn’t meant to be
- How to discern if you feel anxious and uncertain
- How our desire for 100% certainty prevents us from living the life we were meant to live.
Plus, we offer a sneak preview of our brand new book, It’s Not Your Fault.
Get the FREE chapters from our new book, It’s Not Your Fault.
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A popular question we receive from young people from broken families is “How do I help my parents and navigate my relationship with them?”
In this episode, we offer advice and answer that question. We discuss:
- What to do when your parents try to enlist you in their war against each other
- How to respond if your parents are asking you to make or heavily influence big decisions for them
- Why you shouldn’t have to pretend everything is okay when Mom or Dad start dating someone else
Plus, we offer a sneak preview of our brand new book, It’s Not Your Fault.
Get the FREE chapters from our new book, It’s Not Your Fault.
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Music has always been a tool to cope with the pain and problems from my parents’ divorce. Two artists whose music helped me a lot are Jenny and Tyler, a married musical duo. Their music and marriage have especially convinced me that love can last.
In this episode, they share:
- Lessons they’ve learned after years in marriage that would’ve been helpful to know before they got married.
- Encouragement to anyone from a broken home who’s afraid of love and marriage.
- Advice to anyone who’s afraid of taking risks - as artists, they know a thing or two about taking risks
Listen to Jenny & Tyler
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For 40 years, Holli searched for help to heal from the trauma of her parents’ divorce, including 30 years of counseling. But nothing worked. She had all but lost hope when she found Restored. She claims this podcast has been more healing than 30 years of counseling.
Having struggled with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, she also shared how Restored has “literally saved my life.” If you’ve wondered how Restored can help you or someone you love or lead, this episode is for you. In it, we discuss:
- How her parents’ divorce came out of the blue, which research suggests may be most damaging
- How her dad’s quick remarriage hurt her as much or almost more than the divorce itself
- The sense of loss she felt when she stopped seeing her siblings due to the divorce
Plus, two huge announcements at the start of the show!
Let us know how Restored has helped you here.
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What would you do if you were 12 years old and you accidentally found out that your mom is cheating on your dad? That’s the exact situation that today’s guest faced as a little girl.
We discuss how she felt that her mom not only cheated on her dad, but on her and her siblings too. Plus, we get into:
- The ways in which her mom’s infidelity wounded her
- How that wound was reopened when two boyfriends cheated on her in high school and college
- The connection between her parents’ divorce and her desire for control in life and relationships
- How on the external, everyone thought she was fine since she excelled in sports and school, but she was really hurting inside
- One very common factor at the root of so many divorces and affairs
Share your story
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As a boy, Bart Schuchts thought his family was normal. But in reality, it was very broken. When he was five years old, his dad left after cheating on his mom. He remembers his mom crying herself to sleep at night. Seeing the devastation his dad left, he swore to never be like him.
But in college, his worst fear came true. Sleeping around and using women, he realized: “I am just like my father.” Thankfully, his story didn’t end there. In this episode, he shares:
- How he overcame his anger, lust, depression, despair, and self-hate
- The hurt he felt from opening up to the wrong people about his struggles
- How he learned to have compassion for his father and even forgive him
Join Restored’s community
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When your parents’ marriage breaks apart, it feels like an earthquake. The most basic foundation, your family, is shaken and shattered. It’s disorienting. It’s traumatic. As a result, we tend to go through life doubting anything can last.
But thankfully, we’re not doomed to skepticism our entire lives. We can heal and feel whole again, like our guest Sandy. In this episode, she shares:
- How she beat chronic depression
- How her choice to forgive her parents led to feeling free instead of stuck
- The sexual mistakes she made and the healing she’s found
Share your story
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What did you learn about parenting from your parents that you want to repeat with your kids? What do you not want to repeat?
The answers to those questions are extremely valuable in helping you become the best parent you can be. But sadly, most of us don’t dig deep enough. Today, we do by talking about:
- Our experiences as new parents with babies who haven’t been born yet
- Our fears about becoming parents
- Answer: Do we feel more confident about marriage or parenting?
- 6 things kids need from their parents and how to fill those needs
- Reflect on lessons learned from our parents, good and bad, and how we want to parent
Has Restored helped you? Let us know how.
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It’s no secret that we’re facing a huge crisis of fatherlessness. So many fathers have physically or emotionally abandoned their children, largely because nobody ever showed them how to be a great dad. This problem is at the root of so many issues in our world. So, what’s the solution?
In this episode, Justin Batt from Daddy Saturday offers advice and encouragement to current or future dads on how to raise good kids who become great adults. We discuss:
- How do we fix the fatherlessness crisis?
- Practical advice on how to become a great dad from a father who’s spent 14,000 hours and 500 intentional Saturdays with his kids
- Encouragement for any men out there who feel like they don’t have what it takes to be a great father, especially because you didn’t receive it from your dad growing up
Buy the Book: Daddy Saturday
Ask Joey
For most people, becoming a parent is beautiful but also scary and intimidating. But that is especially true for people from broken families. Often, we didn’t see a great example of parenthood, so we feel lost and unsure how to do it ourselves.
In this episode, we talk parenting with Mike and Alicia Hernon, the parents of 10 kids and leaders of a ministry for parents called The Messy Family Project. We discuss:
- How his parents’ divorce affected Mike as a husband and father
- Fears he had about becoming a father, how he overcame them, and how you can too
- Should you put your marriage first or your children first and why is that important?
- Lots of practical parenting tips, especially for new parents
- Encouragement if you feel like you don’t have what it takes to be a good parent because you never experienced it in your family
Listen to The Messy Family PodcastShownotes
If you’re from a broken family, you likely struggle extra in your relationship with God. There are so many barriers people like us have to overcome. One barrier is feeling abandoned by God.
In this episode, a Catholic priest who is a child of divorce joins us to discuss:
- How to overcome common barriers people like us face in our spiritual lives
- What to do if you feel abandoned by God
- How father and mother wounds impact our relationship with God
- What to do if you feel far from God and want nothing to do with him
Find a spiritual director
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As people from broken homes, we fear repeating the dysfunction we experienced in our families. But sometimes, we end up going down that path. Our guest today dealt with that in a very real way.
Years after her parents divorced, she found herself in the exact place she never wanted to be: Going through her own divorce, feeling so broken and empty. But thankfully, her story and her marriage’s story doesn’t end there. In this episode, you’ll hear how her marriage was rescued and more:
- What was happening in her head and heart as her marriage fell apart
- How she wrestled with depression, suicidal thoughts, and a bad relationship with her father
- How she felt like she was inadequate and didn’t deserve love
Share your story
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Statistically, children of divorce are less likely to attend college. Further, they’re less likely to receive financial support from their parents for college.
To pay for college, most young people apply for government aid by filling out the FAFSA. But if your parents are separated, divorced, or remarried, the process can seem confusing.
Today, we speak with two experts to offer guidance on:
- How to answer certain FAFSA questions depending on your parents’ marriage
- Myths to watch out for
- Practical tips that are difficult to find on Google
- A video and infographic that’ll make the process simple for you
Watch FAFSA video
View infographic
Buy the Book: Degree Free Degree [affiliate link]Shownotes
You want to go to counseling, but a massive barrier stands in the way: The price.
Therapy is not cheap. So, how are you going to pay for it? We tackle that question and more in this episode:
- 9 practical tips on how to pay for counseling
- How much does counseling actually cost?
- The info and next steps you need to pay for counseling, so you can heal and feel whole again
Find a counselor
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As a psychologist, author, and speaker, Dr. Bob Schuchts has dedicated his life to helping people heal their brokenness.
In this episode, he offers his expertise on healing, but he doesn’t stop there. He also shares how his parents’ broken marriage deeply affected him. It took years, but he did find healing - for himself and even his family. We delve into that and more:
- The anatomy of a wound
- How the healing process works
- 1 tip you can do today to heal
Register: Dr. Bob’s Healing Retreat
Buy the Book: Be Healed [affiliate link]
When our families break apart, most of us feel homeless. We lose our sense of safety and belonging. As a result, we go through life looking for the family we never had.
In this episode, Malcolm touches on those points while sharing his story. We also discuss:
- His struggles in his relationship with his parents
- How he’s healed his relationship with his dad
- The undeniable truth that hurt people hurt people
- What he did to cope with the pain and problems in his life in unhealthy ways
Share your storyShownotes
What is trauma? How does it affect a person? Today, licensed trauma therapist Margaret Vasquez answers those questions and more:
- Why your parents' divorce, separation, or broken marriage can be so traumatic
- The antidote to trauma, which will surprise you
- How trauma therapy works, why it is so effective, and the incredible result she's seen
Buy the book: More Than Words: The Freedom to Thrive after Trauma[affiliate link]
Shownotes
Most people from broken homes struggle with boundaries. Usually, we were never taught how to set and enforce proper boundaries within our families. We’ve seen this again and again.
Why is that damaging? Because you can’t have healthy relationships without proper boundaries. Period.
In this episode, we cover:
- What are boundaries?
- The four types of boundary problems
- Six of the ten laws of boundaries
Buy the Book: Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life [affiliate link]
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Emily knew her parents might divorce, but nothing could’ve prepared her for it. It made her feel alone. It made her feel like nobody understood. Feeling insecure, she sought security by trying to control things, especially her relationships.
In this episode, Emily shares her story and more:
- How she kicked healing down the road since she knew it would be painful
- The #1 thing that has helped her heal her broken idea of love and marriage
- How to handle anger toward your parents in a healthy way while honoring them
Join Restored's Community
Share Your Story
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We know. “Best” and “2020” don’t belong in the same sentence… what a year.
To celebrate the good, here are 10 of the best highlights from the Restored Podcast in 2020.
Donate to Restored: https://restoredministry.com/donate
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/34
Is divorce damaging for the children? There’s a lot of misinformation around that question.
In this episode, we dispel the myths by breaking down a study. That study summarizes the results of 67 studies about children of divorce. Don’t worry, we make it simple. By listening, you’ll hear:
- The insane number of children of divorce in the world (hint: It is mindblowing)
- Statistics and talking points to use in conversations about divorce
- Understand the negative effects that most children of divorce suffer
Donate to RestoredShownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/33
The holidays are especially challenging for anyone with separated or divorced parents. So many of us dread this time of the year. We often feel alone and uncertain of how to deal with it all.
To offer practical guidance, some of our audience submitted voice memos to answer this question: What’s one tip you’d give to teens or young adults from divorced or separated families on navigating the holidays?
This episode contains that advice. By listening and implementing the tips, our hope is that you’ll reduce the drama and enjoy the holidays again.
Join Restored’s online community
- Go here
- Fill out the form
- We’ll add you to the group
Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/32
Seeing her parents divorce, Carlie wrestled with this question: If it didn’t work out for my parents, how can I make someone stay with me?
That led her to crave the approval of others and became whoever she needed to be to make them stay. But deep down, she desired more. She wanted to belong in an authentic way.
By listening, you’ll hear:
- How Carlie fills that desire for belonging
- How children of divorce typically ignore their own needs
- What happened when Carlie hit rock bottom in college - and how she’s so thankful she did
- Advice to any woman in an unhealthy relationship
Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/31
How do you heal a broken marriage? We tackle that topic with two experts, Greg and Julie Alexander.
They’ve helped over 5,000 seriously struggling couples in the past 20 years. Their success rate? 98%.
By listening, you’ll hear:
- How Greg & Julie healed their marriage after both cheated on each other
- What they offer struggling couples
- Specific advice, such as: What’s the first step to rescue a broken marriage? How can a couple heal from infidelity? What should you say to help a friend who is struggling in their marriage?
Buy the book: Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and Can Save Yours, Too!)[affiliate link]Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/30
Struggling spouses often feel like they have two options: Stay married and be miserable or get divorced and be happy. Thankfully, there’s a third option: Healing your marriage.
Leila Miller shares stories of hope from her new book, “Impossible” Marriages Redeemed: They Didn’t End the Story in the Middle. It features 50 stories of broken marriages that have been healed and more.
By listening, here’s what you’ll walk away with:
- Common things that breakdown a marriage and common things that heal a marriage
- What to do with suffering in your marriage
- Extreme cases where separation may be necessary
- What’s at stake in a culture where divorce becomes rampant
- Resources and practical advice to heal a broken marriage for struggling spouses or anyone who loves or leads them
Ask Joey: Get your question answered on the Restored Podcast!
Buy the book: "Impossible" Marriages Redeemed: They Didn't End the Story in the Middle[affiliate link]Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/29
If you want to build a great marriage, follow the advice of couples who’ve done it. Learn from them.
Like last episode, that's exactly what we do in this episode with the most beautiful married couple Joey knows, Joe and Maria Keller. They offer a roadmap for marriage and hope for those of us from broken families who often feel lost in building love that lasts. By listening, you’ll also hear:
- What destroys a marriage and how to avoid those things
- Habits and advice on money, faith, and communication
- How Joe and Maria handled the pain of losing a child
Watch the video of Baby James Keller's story
Life-Giving Wounds virtual retreat: Sign up by Oct 6!
Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/28
If you want to build a great marriage, follow the advice of couples who’ve done it. Spend time with them and learn from their example and wisdom.
That's exactly what we do in this episode with the most beautiful married couple Joey knows, Joe and Maria Keller. They offer a roadmap and inspiration for those of us from broken families who often feel lost in building love that lasts:
- How to handle personality differences and conflict
- The #1 thing you can do for your kids and friends as a married couple
- The most important ingredients to build a great marriage
FREE: Sign up for the Restore Culture Virtual Workshops [affiliate link].
Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/27
One day, Sarah got really discouraged and frustrated. Why? Because of people saying bad things about their spouses and bashing marriage itself. So she wrote her thoughts and feelings on a Facebook post. She was surprised even 20 people shared it.
But before she knew it, it went viral. In no time, it had over 40,000 shares.
She was blown away. Soon, the post reached over 80,000 shares, more than 30,000 likes, and over 7,000 comments. Obviously, it struck a chord.
In this episode, you’ll hear Sarah and Joey discuss the viral post, why there’s so much negativity around marriage, and what we can do instead - despite the overwhelming popularity of divorce. Sarah also responds to those of us who say, “with so many marriages ending in divorce, it simply isn’t worth the effort.
Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/26
It’s easy to feel discouraged or lost in searching for love. Perhaps you’ve even given up on love altogether, thinking it’s not possible for you. If that’s you - or you just want to know how to build real love and avoid divorce - listen to this episode.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Practical advice on finding and building authentic love - whether you’re single, dating, engaged or married
- The two ways that men and women are attracted to each other and where each can lead
- Signs to watch out for to know if your love is authentic or a counterfeit
- The answer to the question “What role do emotions play in love, especially in choosing a spouse?”
- One of the most important ingredients to build authentic love in marriage
Buy the book: Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love[affiliate link]Shownotes: RestoredMinistry.com/25
If you come from a broken home, planning a wedding and getting married throws some unique challenges at you. Joey shares what he and his wife, Brigid, wish someone told them about engagement, the wedding, and the first year of marriage.
By listening, you’ll hear this and more:
- Challenges you’ll face planning your wedding if you’re from a broken family or you’re marrying someone who is - and how to deal with them
- Wedding day anxiety and what to do about it
- Things to keep in mind about your parents for your wedding day
- How to handle disappointments, frustrations, and conflict in your first year of marriage
- One of the major pitfalls most newlyweds fall into
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/24
Getting engaged and married is exciting! But it can also be overwhelming, especially if you come from a broken home. Joey and his wife, Brigid, share their story and what they wish someone told them about engagement, the wedding, and the first year of marriage.
By listening, you’ll hear this and more:
- Brigid talks about dating and marrying someone from a broken home - plus advice for people like her
- How to keep building your friendship in a romantic relationship
- A tactic to avoid allowing the wedding to dominant your relationship
- How to handle money - one of the top reasons for divorce
- Common money traps couples fall into
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/23
If you could go back in time and have a conversation with the younger version of you, what would you say?
So often, those of us from broken homes are never asked how we feel about it all. Nobody asks how it has affected us. Never having a chance to speak, we bottle it up inside.
In this episode, you’ll learn a powerful yet simple exercise that’ll give you the chance to speak to the little version of yourself. If you give it a shot:
- It may bring up a lot of raw emotions
- It’ll bring healing and relief
- It may even open parts of your heart that you’ve closed for years
- Best of all, it’s simple and doesn’t take long at all
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/22
Most couples experience love fading at some point, usually after the wedding. They long for love that lasts, but they doubt it is possible. And even if it were, they don't know how to build it.
The 5 Love Languages are a simple and effective tool for building real love. They're so simple, they're often overlooked. In this episode, you'll hear how the 5 Love Languages help you:
- Make your significant other feel loved
- Build deeper intimacy
- Create a more satisfying relationship
- Start using the 5 Love Languages today
Buy the book: The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts [affiliate link]
Take 5 Love Languages quiz (Free!)
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/21
Navigating the single years can be challenging and lonely. In this episode, we hit on some of the unique struggles we face during a season of singleness. Our guest, Sarah Swafford, offers advice on dealing with those struggles and preparing for the love we all long for.
By listening, you'll walk away with:
- How to deal with the loneliness of singleness
- How to overcome the fear and shame of not being chosen
- We even go beyond singleness into identity, self-worth, and the reality of marriage
- How Sarah’s husband didn’t let his broken home dictate his future
- Answer questions from Restored’s community
Buy Sarah's book here: Emotional Virtue
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/20
Ladies, if you've ever felt discouraged and alone in your search for love, this episode is for you. Jason Evert offers advice from the book he and his wife wrote titled How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul.By listening, you'll get:
- The type of guys to avoid
- How the "Love Test" helps you figure out if a man really loves you
- One thing you can do to reduce the chance of divorce in your own marriage
- How to break up with a guy, even if you're afraid
- Encouragement if you've made mistakes and how to heal from them
Buy here: How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soulmate
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/19
Men are rarely given advice on how to pursue a woman. In fact, they're usually just told what not to do.
In this episode, author and speaker Jason Evert gives practical advice based on his new book The Dating Blueprint:
- Answers from 1,000 women about how they want to be pursued
- The #1 vice women want men to overcome before dating them
- How to break up with a woman
- How to know if "she's the one"
- How to guard your love and make it strong
Buy The Dating Blueprint: What She Wants You to Know About Dating But Will Never Tell You- Buy on Chastity.com
- Buy on Amazon.com [affiliate link]
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/18
I felt torn. On one hand, I craved love. On the other, I feared it. Why? Because I didn’t think love could last. I feared my relationship would end the way my parents’ marriage did.
Thankfully, that fear no longer controls me. It took time and intentional effort to overcome it. But by doing so, I felt free to pursue my wife and begin building our marriage.
In this episode, you’ll get:
- A better understanding of yourself and why you fear love
- Real life relationship stories and lessons from Miranda and me
- 6 tips to conquer your fear and find authentic love
Contact Joey: Joey@RestoredMinistry.com
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/17
Erin’s parents separated when she was 16 after a big fight. It was really painful for her. However, everyone acted like it wasn’t a big deal. And so, she felt like something was wrong with her for feeling so hurt.
In the years that followed, she struggled with depression, loneliness, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. In this episode, you’ll hear how she overcome those things and found healing. She also shares some practical wisdom for coping, healing, and thriving.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/16
Who knows the most about staying calm during chaotic situations? A combat experienced Navy SEAL.
In this episode, you'll get the advice of Navy SEAL Mike Sarraille on staying calm during a crisis like the Coronavirus.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/15
The Coronavirus is causing a lot of panic. There's so much fear, anxiety, and uncertainty going around. So, how do we deal with all of that during a crisis? Dr. Julia Sadusky shows us how.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/14
Most of us with separated or divorced parents are afraid of getting divorced or repeating our parents’ mistakes.
We want to avoid the bad behavior we saw in our families and our parents’ marriages, but we don’t know how to do that.
If you can relate, listen to this episode. Dr. Julia Sadusky answers to these questions and more:
- Why do we repeat the bad behavior we saw in our families growing up?
- Why does someone from a dysfunctional family often become bored with “normal” in life and relationships?
- How can we avoid repeating those bad behaviors and break the cycle of divorce?
Also, a special note for any parents listening in this episode.
Shownotes | https://restoredministry.com/13
Joey made a mistake during the episode and said "12" instead of "13". Sorry!
Counseling is a tool for healing. But how does it work? And will it actually help me?
We answer those questions and much more in this episode:
- How many sessions do you need to start feeling better?
- The #1 factor that determines whether counseling works or not
- How to find the right counselor for you
- Questions to ask a counselor before you commit
- How to make the most of it
Shownotes | https://restoredministry.com/12
Jen thought her parents’ divorce didn’t affect her - until her brokenness surfaced at 26 on a medical mission in Honduras. Still, she didn’t make the connection between her struggles and her parents’ breakup right away.
In this episode, you’ll hear her story, her struggles, and how she has healed. She also shares advice and words of encouragement for anyone in a similar situation - especially anyone who is single but wants to be married.
Shownotes | https://restoredministry.com/11
Did you know that children of divorce are actually more prone to experience loneliness?
If you or someone you know struggles with loneliness, this episode is for you. You'll hear 5 common sense tips that you can start today to overcome loneliness.
Shownotes | https://restoredministry.com/10
How did you find out that your parents were divorcing? Today’s guest, Dr. Daniel Meola, actually found out before his mom. Then as an 11 year old boy, he called her to break the news.
You’ll hear about the impact the divorce has had on him over the years and what he’s doing to help other adult children of divorce to heal.
Shownotes | https://restoredministry.com/9
What’s been the hardest part of your life? For Miranda, it has been navigating her parents’ divorce.
If you read her article “Dear Divorce” you already know how clearly and beautifully she articulates the pain and the struggles she’s faced. But this episode isn’t just about the pain and struggles.
We talk about her #1 method of healing, the awareness she’s developed about herself, and the fact that nobody can heal alone. We all need help.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/8
Part 3 of 3. When your parents separate or divorce, it hurts. It brings a lot of pain, problems, and struggles into your life. But what are some of those common struggles? That's the topic of today's show.
We discuss 9 common struggles that children of divorce typically face based on a survey of 350 adult children of divorce.
Throughout the conversation, we offer practical advice on how to deal with those struggles. In addition, this episode will help you understand yourself if your parents are separated or divorced. If you love or lead anyone from a broken family, it will also help you understand and love or lead them better.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/7
Part 2 of 3. When your parents separate or divorce, it hurts. It brings a lot of pain, problems, and struggles into your life. But what are some of those common struggles? That's the topic of today's show.
We discuss 9 common struggles that children of divorce typically face based on a survey of 350 adult children of divorce.
Throughout the conversation, we offer practical advice on how to deal with those struggles. In addition, this episode will help you understand yourself if your parents are separated or divorced. If you love or lead anyone from a broken family, it will also help you understand and love or lead them better.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/6
Part 1 of 3. When your parents separate or divorce, it hurts. It brings a lot of pain, problems, and struggles into your life. But what are some of those common struggles? That's the topic of today's show.
We discuss 9 common struggles that children of divorce typically face based on a survey of 350 adult children of divorce.
Throughout the conversation, we offer practical advice on how to deal with those struggles. In addition, this episode will help you understand yourself if your parents are separated or divorced. If you love or lead anyone from a broken family, it will also help you understand and love or lead them better.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/5
The holidays are a challenging time for most children of divorced or separated parents. Most of us feel alone, lost, and uncertain of how to navigate the holidays with our broken families.
Instead of experiencing the joy of the holidays, we often feel overwhelmed, frustrated, embarrassed, and sad.
If you can relate, we made this episode for you. In it, we give 7 tips on how to navigate the holidays so you can enjoy them and hopefully, avoid all the drama.
The advice is from a survey of older children of divorce combined with Joey's advice on the topic.
If you love or lead someone with divorced or separated parents, share this episode with them.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/4
003 - Beth’s parents divorced when she was very young. However, she still remembers the cardboard boxes and feeling confused about her dad leaving.
Over the years, she saw her parents’ divorce impact her in various ways. She recalls looking for external approval, feeling lost, and the challenge of constantly navigating between two homes. She also shares what she has done to heal and how her life is better now because of it.
By listening to Beth’s story, you’ll find that no matter how broken you feel or messy life becomes, there’s always hope. She also shares some practical tips on how you can heal too.
At the end of the show, we introduce a free online tool for you to use at RestoredMinistry.com/story
If you love or lead someone with divorced or separated parents, this episode will help you to better understand them and how to help them.
Shownotes | RestoredMinistry.com/3
002 - When your parents separate or divorce, it hurts and you feel alone. You feel like nobody can understand what you are going through.
At Restored, we know how that feels. But we want you to know this: You’re actually not alone.
To prove that, we talk with speaker and author Leila Miller about her book Primal Loss, which features 70 stories from children of divorce. We uncover the shocking ways divorce has affected them, even years later as adults, and some practical advice to deal with it.
If you love or lead someone with divorced or separated parents, Leila offers some practical advice for you too.
To access the shownotes, go here:
https://restoredministry.com/2
001 - Are your parents divorced? Are they separated? Has that brought a lot of pain and problems into your life? Do you feel alone and unsure of how to deal with it all?
If you answered yes, the Restored podcast is for you. In this intro episode, we'll talk about how your parents' divorce is affecting you, what you can do about it, and how the Restored podcast exists to help you cope, heal, and feel whole again.
Also, if you love or lead someone with divorced or separated parents, the Restored podcast is also for you. We want to help you, help them.
To access the shownotes, go here:
https://restoredministry.com/1