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, and stuck - unsure what to do about it all.

But that’s where a mentor can be incredibly helpful and even healing.

In this episode, we dive into the power of mentorship: why it’s essential if you grew up without one or both parents, how to find the right mentor, and how those relationships can heal what was broken.

If you’ve ever wished someone older and wiser could show you the way, or wondered how to stop repeating your family’s dysfunction, this episode is for you.

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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 with.

• A college student asks how to heal from his dad’s abandonment—and whether he should leave the door open for a relationship or finally close it.
• A man wonders how he can help young people from broken homes.
• And finally, a woman in her 20s opens up about concerns with her mom’s second marriage, and asks, “Who do I go to now for advice, now that I’m in a relationship myself?”

If you’ve ever felt alone or unsure what to do when faced with problems in your broken family… this episode is for you.

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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 start to believe that brokenness is normal.

That was Kaseena Birnbaum’s story. With six divorces between her parents and in-laws, she once assumed she’d rack up divorces too. But when her own marriage hit a breaking point, she chose a different path: radical honesty, mentorship, and personal responsibility.

Today, she and her husband are thriving—sober, faith-filled, and raising a strong family.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why children of divorce often fear marriage or expect dysfunction
• The subtle patterns that keep couples stuck in cycles of brokenness
• The turning points that transformed Kaseena’s marriage
• How humility, responsibility, and faith can rebuild trust and intimacy

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doomed to repeat my parents’ mistakes?”—this episode is for you.

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Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)

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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 fine, and the haunting thought: “Was it my fault?”

In this episode, Jim Havens shares his journey of growing up in a broken family, spiraling into destructive choices, and the night everything changed. That turning point led him to healing, faith, freedom, and eventually to becoming a husband, father of six, and Catholic radio host.

We talk about:

• Why “just move on” might be the most damaging advice you can get
• The moment Jim realized he wasn’t as “fine” as he thought
• What one lonely night revealed—and how it changed everything

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Was it my fault my parents split up?” or wondered if you can truly build the marriage you long for, this conversation is for you.

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Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)

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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!

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 addiction. It shattered her—but it also became the turning point for restoration. Heather now calls it both the worst day and the best day of her life.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why she didn’t leave, and the non-negotiable conditions she set to even consider staying
• Her advice for women facing the same gut-wrenching discovery, and for young people who just found out about a parent's addiction or affair
• Her biggest lesson for anyone from a dysfunctional family—and the practical steps she recommends to start healing

If you’ve ever found yourself wounded or betrayed, wondering if healing and restoration is possible, this episode is for you.

Listen to Abiding Together

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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 shows up.

If you come from a divorced or deeply dysfunctional family, you probably feel it too.

The question I kept asking: How do I avoid that? How do I not get divorced? And more importantly, how do I build a strong marriage?

That’s what we explore in this episode, plus:

• Are children of divorce actually doomed to fail at marriage—or is there real hope?
• 5 surprising predictors of whether your marriage will last—including one tip that lowers your divorce risk by 25%
• The truth behind the “soulmate” myth—and what actually makes couples happy
• Why staying single might not be the safe bet you think it is

If you’ve ever felt afraid of love or marriage, this episode is for you.

Buy Dr. Brad’s Book: Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization

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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 estrangement, why does it happen, and how can you rebuild an estranged relationship? In this episode, we discuss that and more:

• The subtle ways parents (and children) unknowingly push each other away
• Why grief is often buried beneath family conflict—and how to face it without getting stuck
• When reconnection is wise—and when staying estranged might actually be safer

If you’re dealing with an estranged relationship, this episode is for you.

Visit Kreed’s website, TheEstrangedHeart.com

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Get the Guide: 10 Tips to Help Someone Whose Parents Are Separating or Divorcing

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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 decade
• The hidden ways father hunger shows up in dating relationships, causing us to seek what we never received from the wrong people
• The lies he carried for years: “I am alone” and “I have to earn love”—and the truth he found to break that grip

If you experienced any sort of fatherlessness, this episode is for you.

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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 of three paths (and how only one leads to freedom)
• The 3 ways to find meaning in suffering and the obstacles that prevent it

If you’re suffering, perhaps because of your parents’ divorce or the breakdown of your family, this episode is for you.

Get Jack’s Course or FREE Class: RISE: Drawing Meaning from Suffering Through the Lens of St. John Paul II, Victor Frankl and Jesus

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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 in adulthood—and what it revealed
• Why her marriage should’ve failed statistically—and how she and her husband beat the odds
• And what her mom did right that every divorced parent needs to hear

If you've ever felt pressure to be perfect, feared repeating your parents’ marriage, or kept wounds hidden, this episode is for you.

Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid

Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault

Episode 84: Angry at God? Why People from Broken Families Struggle Extra in Their Relationship with Him | Sr. Miriam James Heidland 

Episode 39: The Anatomy of a Wound & How to Heal | Dr. Bob Schuchts, PhD

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