Restored: Helping Children of Divorce

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...

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 resul...

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...

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...

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 sta...

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 p...

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.  T...

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 co...

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 lonelines...

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 DakotaLaneFitne...

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...

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 woun...

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 you...

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 l...

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 chil...

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 sp...

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 me...

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 le...

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...

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 episo...

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...

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 h...

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 ot...

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? Shownote...

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 h...