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 discuss: His dad’s spiral into mental illness, homelessness—and why Tommy hasn’t seen him in over a deca...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 9 min
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 diagnosis Jack received at 11—and how it rewired his entire future Why suffering always pushes you into one ...
Jul 01, 2025•49 min
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 wound even stayed buried for 20 years. In this episode, we explore: The shocking memory that resurfaced i...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 8 min
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 after a rupture If you’re curious about attachment styles or just want a healthy relationship, this ep...
Jun 04, 2025•42 min
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 after stepping away to heal Why even small decisions felt impossible—and how he learned to choose with c...
May 23, 2025•55 min
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, according to my guest. In this episode, we discuss: 9 often-overlooked pillars of health that could be sa...
May 07, 2025•40 min
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 that helped him cope and beat feeling like a perpetual victim What AJ said to the driver of the vehicl...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr
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, plus: How the lonelinest group of people at church aren’t the old Encouragement for young people from br...
Apr 13, 2025•45 min
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 help you heal emotional wounds and improve your relationships. The way our parts interact with our s...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 10 min
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 families One habit that could save your marriage before it starts and what virtues to look for in a potential sp...
Mar 11, 2025•48 min
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 unexpected tactic that’s helped him heal after his mom’s death The place of justice, mercy, and blame aft...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 11 min
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 SEEK25 conference where you’ll discover the two keys to breaking that cycle and learn actionable tips ...
Feb 13, 2025•49 min
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 challenges and blessing of a stepfamily How your value isn’t measured by your performance or exterior qu...
Jan 28, 2025•58 min
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 things ought to be” and a little about how a family ought to be. How he was automatically made the m...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 29 min
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 have you handled conflict and how has marriage brought you joy? How do you choose the right person wh...
Jan 06, 2025•57 min
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 you’re a longtime listener, this is the perfect episode to share with someone you know who needs to hear ...
Jan 02, 2025•31 min
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 how marriage has actually been healing for her. How she felt her father’s absence as a young person and...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min
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 a relationship is because of your brokenness or because the relationship isn’t right? What topics does...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 5 min
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 Question for Joey or our guests? Text us. We'll answer on the show as soon as we're able. You can be anonymous if you'd like!...
Nov 05, 2024•24 min
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 and barriers that complicate the holidays and tips to handle them A FREE resource to help you navigate...
Oct 25, 2024•51 min
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 is hurting us, especially young people How to build an intentional relationship with technology A nove...
Oct 11, 2024•43 min
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 heal? How do I overcome my extreme fear of marriage and intimacy? How can you reconcile and build a st...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 12 min
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 handle the guilt about moving forward in your life. Her struggles with communicating in relationships ...
Sep 11, 2024•56 min
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 result of the exercise for me and both of our thoughts on it Why your subconscious is ruling your life Li...
Aug 30, 2024•1 hr 19 min
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 to love well A resource for leaders, pastors, and seminarians Visit ChrismPriest.com Email Matt: ma...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min
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 Resources Domestic Violence Hotline Email Emma: injoyfulpraise@gmail.com Visit BlackstoneFilms.co S...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 34 min
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 standpoint Why one-size-fits-all doesn’t work with healing - it must be personal and custom 3 amazing st...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min
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 porn come from divorced or broken families? It’ll shock you What has helped you begin to heal your wou...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 41 min
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. Today, we’re joined by a married couple to discuss all of that, plus: The struggles they’ve faced with...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 3 min
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 coping mechanisms How his parents’ divorce has affected him differently in different chapters of his li...
Jun 04, 2024•59 min
