It’s no secret that we’re facing a huge crisis of fatherlessness. So many fathers have physically or emotionally abandoned their children, largely because nobody ever showed them how to be a great dad. This problem is at the root of so many issues in our world. So, what’s the solution?

In this episode, Justin Batt from Daddy Saturday offers advice and encouragement to current or future dads on how to raise good kids who become great adults. We discuss:

• How do we fix the fatherlessness crisis?
• Practical advice on how to become a great dad from a father who’s spent 14,000 hours and 500 intentional Saturdays with his kids
• Encouragement for any men out there who feel like they don’t have what it takes to be a great father, especially because you didn’t receive it from your dad growing up

Buy the Book: Daddy Saturday

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For most people, becoming a parent is beautiful but also scary and intimidating. But that is especially true for people from broken families. Often, we didn’t see a great example of parenthood, so we feel lost and unsure how to do it ourselves.

In this episode, we talk parenting with Mike and Alicia Hernon, the parents of 10 kids and leaders of a ministry for parents called The Messy Family Project. We discuss:

• How his parents’ divorce affected Mike as a husband and father
• Fears he had about becoming a father, how he overcame them, and how you can too
• Should you put your marriage first or your children first and why is that important?
• Lots of practical parenting tips, especially for new parents
• Encouragement if you feel like you don’t have what it takes to be a good parent because you never experienced it in your family 

Listen to The Messy Family Podcast

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If you’re from a broken family, you likely struggle extra in your relationship with God. There are so many barriers people like us have to overcome. One barrier is feeling abandoned by God.

In this episode, a Catholic priest who is a child of divorce joins us to discuss:

• How to overcome common barriers people like us face in our spiritual lives
• What to do if you feel abandoned by God
• How father and mother wounds impact our relationship with God
• What to do if you feel far from God and want nothing to do with him

Find a spiritual director

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As people from broken homes, we fear repeating the dysfunction we experienced in our families. But sometimes, we end up going down that path. Our guest today dealt with that in a very real way. 

Years after her parents divorced, she found herself in the exact place she never wanted to be: Going through her own divorce, feeling so broken and empty. But thankfully, her story and her marriage’s story doesn’t end there. In this episode, you’ll hear how her marriage was rescued and more:

• What was happening in her head and heart as her marriage fell apart
• How she wrestled with depression, suicidal thoughts, and a bad relationship with her father
• How she felt like she was inadequate and didn’t deserve love

Share your story

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Statistically, children of divorce are less likely to attend college. Further, they’re less likely to receive financial support from their parents for college. 

To pay for college, most young people apply for government aid by filling out the FAFSA. But if your parents are separated, divorced, or remarried, the process can seem confusing. 

Today, we speak with two experts to offer guidance on:

• How to answer certain FAFSA questions depending on your parents’ marriage
• Myths to watch out for 
• Practical tips that are difficult to find on Google
• A video and infographic that’ll make the process simple for you

Watch FAFSA video

View infographic

Buy the Book: Degree Free Degree [affiliate link]

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You want to go to counseling, but a massive barrier stands in the way: The price. 

Therapy is not cheap. So, how are you going to pay for it? We tackle that question and more in this episode:

• 9 practical tips on how to pay for counseling
• How much does counseling actually cost?
• The info and next steps you need to pay for counseling, so you can heal and feel whole again

Find a counselor

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As a psychologist, author, and speaker, Dr. Bob Schuchts has dedicated his life to helping people heal their brokenness. 

In this episode, he offers his expertise on healing, but he doesn’t stop there. He also shares how his parents’ broken marriage deeply affected him. It took years, but he did find healing - for himself and even his family. We delve into that and more:

• The anatomy of a wound
• How the healing process works
• 1 tip you can do today to heal

Register: Dr. Bob’s Healing Retreat

Buy the Book: Be Healed [affiliate link]

When our families break apart, most of us feel homeless. We lose our sense of safety and belonging. As a result, we go through life looking for the family we never had. 

In this episode, Malcolm touches on those points while sharing his story. We also discuss:

• His struggles in his relationship with his parents
• How he’s healed his relationship with his dad
• The undeniable truth that hurt people hurt people
• What he did to cope with the pain and problems in his life in unhealthy ways

Share your story

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What is trauma? How does it affect a person? Today, licensed trauma therapist Margaret Vasquez answers those questions and more:

• Why your parents' divorce, separation, or broken marriage can be so traumatic
• The antidote to trauma, which will surprise you
• How trauma therapy works, why it is so effective, and the incredible result she's seen

Buy the book: More Than Words: The Freedom to Thrive after Trauma [affiliate link]

Shownotes 

Most people from broken homes struggle with boundaries. Usually, we were never taught how to set and enforce proper boundaries within our families. We’ve seen this again and again. 

Why is that damaging? Because you can’t have healthy relationships without proper boundaries. Period.

In this episode, we cover:

• What are boundaries?
• The four types of boundary problems
• Six of the ten laws of boundaries

Buy the Book: Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life [affiliate link]

Shownotes