Restored: Helping Children of Divorce

Restored
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  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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.

  1. FEB 24

    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 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 elseThe fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes (and how to move past it)How real discernment happens through in-person datingA NEW way to meet high quality, virtuous peopleIf 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

    46 min

  2. FEB 10

    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 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 modeHow doomscrolling can increase loneliness through comparison and emotional crashHow algorithms quietly shape your standards for love, friendship, and boundariesHow 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

    52 min

  3. JAN 27

    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. 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 offHow stress and trauma can rewire your brain, and how neuroplasticity means you can rewire it backSimple nervous system tools (like breathing) that calm you fastWhy 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

    57 min

  4. JAN 13

    “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-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

    41 min

  5. JAN 7

    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, 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 pastHow chronic stress disrupts sleep, gut health, hormones, and energyThe link between family dysfunction, inflammation, and burnoutWhy doing “more” can make stress and health issues worsePractical ways to calm your nervous system and restore your bodyIf 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

    1 hr

  6. 12/26/2025

    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 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#139: Dating or Marrying Someone from an Intact vs Broken Family | Paul & Maggie Kim#152: The 3 Ways to Find Meaning in Suffering | Jack Beers#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 GanceShownotes

    29 min

  7. 12/04/2025

    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 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 fightingHow trauma gets stored in the nervous systemFight, flight, freeze, and shutdown explainedWhy talk therapy is not enough for many children of divorceSomatic exercises you can start using todayHow 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

    1h 1m

  8. 11/21/2025

    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 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 thinkThe surprising dysfunction hidden in biblical storiesHow God works through pain instead of erasing itDavid’s family drama — and what it shows us about redemptionPractical steps to begin healing and avoid repeating the pastIf 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

    37 min
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About

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.

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