Restored: Helping Children of Divorce
Children of divorce are 2–3 times more likely to get divorced and are more likely to struggle with emotional problems, relationship issues, and bad habits. But those stats don’t get to write your story. If your parents’ divorce or family dysfunction left wounds you can’t always put into words, this show is for you.
The Restored Podcast shares real stories and expert tips to heal the trauma, navigate family challenges, and build the healthy relationships you’ve always wanted.
Ranked in the top 10% of all podcasts and #18 in the divorce category — the only one dedicated to children of divorce — listeners say it’s “more effective than 30 years of counseling.”
You’re not doomed to repeat your family’s past. You can break the cycle, and we’re here to help you do it.
Episodes
163 episodes
How to Heal Your Nervous System Impacted by Your Parents' Divorce | Sr. Mary Stephen
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 wi...
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1:00:53
The Bible’s Messiest Families & What They Reveal About Yours | Deacon Ryan Budd: #162
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...
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37:16
His Parents Divorce Led Him to Alcoholism: Here's How He Broke Free | Scott Weeman: #161
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...
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1:06:30
The Mentor Who Became the Father I Never Had | Brandon Allaman | 160
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, an...
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55:59
“Should I Ask My Divorced Parents for Relationship Advice?” Live Call In! | 159
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 wit...
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57:01
Breaking the Cycle of Divorce in Your Marriage | Kaseena Birnbaum | 158
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 s...
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51:31
#157: The Lie Every Child of Divorce Secretly Believes | Jim Havens
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 ...
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1:12:34
#156: “This Is Not the Marriage I Signed Up For” | Heather Khym
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 ad...
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54:31
#155: Am I Doomed to Repeat My Parents’ Divorce? | Dr. Brad Wilcox
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 s...
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47:32
#154: Should I Reconnect with My Estranged Parent? | Kreed Revere
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...
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1:16:18
#153: He Grew Up Without a Dad. Here’s What He Learned | Tommy
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 do...
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1:08:41
#152: The 3 Ways to Find Meaning in Suffering | Jack Beers
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 ...
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49:08
#151: Even Necessary Divorces Hurt | Brandy
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. Bu...
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1:07:34
#150: Attachment Theory: What It Is and Why It Matters | Kirsty Nolan
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 stylesWhat happens when you have...
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41:47
#149: He Was His Parents’ Therapist Until It Broke Him | Cole
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 ep...
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54:45
#148: Why You're Anxious, Tired, & Sick—and What to Do About It | Jackie Mulligan
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 prob...
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40:13
#147: From Athlete to Paralyzed: “It’s the Best Thing That’s Happened to Me” | AJ De La Rosa
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 happe...
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59:52
#146: 1/3 Less Marriages Today Are Making Us Lonely | JP De Gance
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 tha...
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45:15
#145: Mother Wounds, “Parts Work” Therapy, & Healing from a Broken Family | Dr. Gerry Crete
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. <...
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1:09:51
#144: The Secret to Not Repeating Your Family’s Dysfunction | Dr. Andrew Abela
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 acqu...
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48:09
#143: When Your Divorced Parent Dies: Grieving, Healing, & Closure | Ben
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 hi...
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1:11:16
#142: How to Break the Cycle of Your Broken Family
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 re...
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48:35
#141: Good Can Come from Broken Situations | Dylan
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 epi...
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58:21
#140: Hardest Part of the Divorce: Seeing My Siblings Struggle | Anthony
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 fo...
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1:28:58
#139: Dating or Marrying Someone from an Intact vs Broken Family | Paul & Maggie Kim
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 ...
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57:08