Restored: Helping Children of Divorce

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 epis...

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...

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)...

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 disc...

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 diagnos...

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 woun...

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 af...

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 aft...

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, acco...

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...

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, plu...

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...

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 famil...

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 unex...

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 S...

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 chal...

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...

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 h...

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...

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 h...

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...

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

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 a...

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 i...

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 h...