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
178 episodes
Her Dad Cheated, Her Family Broke, But She Broke the Cycle | Autumn: #175
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 infid...
How To Avoid Falling In Love With A Jerk | Dr. John Van Epp: #174
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 divor...
When Not to Listen to Your Parents About Love | 3 Callers from Broken Families #173
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...
You’re the Third Parent: How to Break Free Without Hurting Your Siblings | Celeste: #172
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 jus...
You’re Invited: A Healing Retreat May 1-3 in Philadelphia
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...
Recommend Your Therapist to Our Community
Recommend a TherapistYou’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, s...
Low Confidence? Here’s How to Build It | Dr. Nicole Gabana Chiesa: #171
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 re...
Your Advice Needed: A NEW Solution for People from Broken Families
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...
Money Stress in a Broken Family Forces You to Grow Up | Liz: #170
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 surviv...
Dating is a Mess: A NEW Way to Meet High Quality, Virtuous People | Emily Wilson Hussem: #169
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 ep...
Your Phone Might Be Blocking Your Healing (Here’s the Plan) | Christen Routh: #168
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 num...
Why You’re Not Healthier: The Real Fix Nobody Talks About | Brandon Hall: #167
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.
“My Mom Overshares and Relies on Me Too Much. What Do I Do?” | Live Call In: #166
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...
How to Heal the Physical Cost of Your Parents’ Divorce | Dakota Lane: #165
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, hormone...
Best of 2025 | Restored Podcast Highlights: #164
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 th...
How to Heal Your Nervous System Impacted by Your Parents' Divorce | Sr. Mary Stephen: #163
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...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
#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 ...
#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...
#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...
#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...