Restored: Helping Children of Divorce

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 relationships. When love feels unstable or conditional early on, it shapes how you handle pressure later in life.You might:Overthink conversationsFreeze in high-pressure momentsFeel like you have to perform to be lovedOr believe everyone else is just naturally more confidentIn this episode, licensed psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant Dr. Nicole Gabana Chiesa breaks down what confidence actually is — and why it’s not personality.We explore:The subtle belief that makes confidence collapse when you failWhat’s happening in your brain when anxiety spikesWhy hyper-focusing on yourself increases insecurityHow to stop just listening to your thoughts — and start talking backAnd why confidence is built through imperfect reps, not feelingsIf your family didn’t model emotional stability, healthy conflict, or secure love… this episode gives you a roadmap.Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. And you can build it.Visit Dr. Nicole’s WebsiteBook a FREE Consult: (904) 624-1331 or paxperform@gmail.comGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Shownotes

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 idea, who it’s for, and how you can help shape it.It’s quick, and your feedback will directly impact whether this happens and what it looks like.Listen in, check out the page where you can join the waitlist: https://hi.switchy.io/sY0h

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 survival mode — forcing you to grow up too fast and quietly shaping how you date, marry, and handle responsibility.In this episode, pediatric cardiac ICU physician Liz shares her story of financial chaos, parentification, and how that hyper-responsibility followed her into adulthood and marriage.We cover:How money stress creates “parentified” kidsWhy responsibility can feel like survivalHow financial trauma affects relationshipsIf you grew up worrying about money, feel responsible for everyone, or struggle to rest — this episode is for you.Share Your StoryGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Shownotes

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 SparkFREE Video Series: Dating 101Visit SacredSpark.appGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Shownotes

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 masterAccess the Family Digital Wellness ActivityContact ChristenGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Shownotes

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 loveVisit CatholicWell.comGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Kristen Holmes: Modern Society's Biggest Sleep Problem REVEALED | TUH #125Shownotes

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 showGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultShownotes

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 DakotaGet Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Shownotes

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 ResourcesGet the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your FaultGet the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken FamilyEpisodes 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

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 againIf you’re tired of feeling anxious, reactive, or stuck because of your family’s dysfunction, this episode is for you.Visit RestorativeCatholic.comGet the Guide: 5 Tips to Navigate the Holidays in a Broken FamilyWatch the Documentary: KennyWatch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to AvoidShownotes