ReStory Podcast

Not every wound comes from something dramatic, and sometimes the things we have learned to brush off can still shape us in lasting ways. Chris and Beth unpack the difference between Big T and little t trauma, exploring how what was missing, withheld, or left unaddressed in childhood can quietly become part of the story we carry. They talk about the cues our bodies can give us when an old story has been activated, from tension and a pit in the stomach to the urge to escape, distract, or shut down. And instead of comparing our stories to decide whose pain matters more, they invite us to look toward Eden as the measuring stick and become curious about the places in our stories that may still need restoration.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

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Sometimes the thing we most want to get rid of is actually pointing us toward something deeper that needs our attention. Chris and Beth explore what can happen when counseling moves beyond symptom relief and into the hidden places where shame, wounded innocence, and old survival patterns have been buried. Through the image of a cave, they talk about the younger parts of us that may have made choices that were not good, but were the best they knew how to make with what they had, and what it can look like to meet those parts with kindness instead of blame. And as they reflect on the “scarecrow” in our memories, they invite us to consider whether the places we have spent years avoiding might also be guarding something worth finding.

Mentioned in the podcast: Jason Uptown's Scarecrow.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

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The stories we remember become the stories we live out of, but what if the meaning we attached to those memories is not the whole story? Chris and Beth explore why memory is far more complicated than simply replaying a recording of what happened, and how our experiences, emotions, and interpretations can shape the stories we carry. They look at how two people can live through the same event and walk away with completely different stories, especially when our younger selves are trying to make sense of what they cannot fully understand. Rather than correcting those younger parts of us for getting the story “wrong,” the ReStory approach asks a deeper question: what did you need to believe in order to survive, and what might become possible when that story is met with kindness and a new perspective?

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
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Sometimes the most important part of our story is the part we almost skip over. Chris and Beth explore the difference between the content we share and the deeper context hiding between the lines, where a flicker of emotion, a passing comment, or a familiar belief can reveal something much more tender underneath. They talk about the “side trails” we often avoid, and how slowing down with curiosity and kindness can uncover the places where pain, shame, and old interpretations have shaped the way we see ourselves. Because beneath so many of the stories we tell is a deeper longing to be seen, found, and reminded that the things we have come to believe about ourselves are not necessarily the story God intended for us.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
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YouTube: ReStory Counseling

Kindness can be surprisingly difficult to receive, especially in the places where we have learned to believe we deserve rejection, shame, or distance. Chris and Beth explore what they mean by “disruptive kindness” and how bringing strength and tenderness into the places of our deepest wounds can begin to challenge the stories we have carried for years. They talk about the kindness of God, the way a counselor can embody that kindness, and how being met with a face that says “I see you” can interrupt shame and create space for something new. Because sometimes real change begins when someone stays with us in the very place where we expected to be pushed away, reminding us that there is more to our story than what evil has taught us to believe.

Our brother organization, Restoration Project, and sister organization, Fierce & Lovely, share our heart and ethos.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
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YouTube: ReStory Counseling

Sometimes the story we most need to revisit is not the one about what we did to survive, but the one about what we were trying to survive in the first place. Chris and Beth explore how trauma can take root in aloneness, and how the ReStory approach seeks to enter those painful places with another person rather than leaving us to face them alone. They unpack the difference between the “second story” shaped by shame and survival strategies and the “first story” of the glory, goodness, and image of God that was there before those patterns took hold. At the heart of it all is a picture of healing rooted in with-ness, where someone can enter our story with us and help us recover the part of our story that was never meant to be lost.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

We all carry stories about who we are, how we learned to survive, and why we relate to the world the way we do, but those stories may not be the whole story. Chris and Beth unpack the heart of the ReStory approach, exploring the difference between the “first story” of who God designed us to be and the “second story” shaped by pain, trauma, family history, and survival. They explain how ReStory goes beyond simply managing symptoms or changing behaviors by looking beneath the surface to understand where those patterns were formed and what they have been protecting. At its core, ReStory is an invitation to recover the story that was there before the pain became the ruling narrative and begin living from the person God designed us to be.

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

Sometimes a good thing can quietly become the thing that pulls our hearts away from the people we love most. Chris and Beth look back on a season when their shared desire to build something meaningful led them to say yes to almost everything, until they realized that ministry had started competing with their marriage, family, and even their sense of identity. They unpack what they call a “ministry mistress,” the resentment and distance that can grow when our hearts and calendars are continually turned toward something else, and the surprisingly nerdy rubric that helped them rethink their yeses and nos. Their story offers a thoughtful invitation to consider what we are building, what we are giving our best yes to, and whether the way we are spending our time is actually helping us choose the people and relationships we say matter most.
 
Ministry Resources from the Brunos:

• Roadmap to a Restorative Sabbatical
• Re|Wire: Moving from Sexual Addiction to True Godly Connection
• Thrive Marriage Lab
• Mothering Tween/Teen Girls
• Being an Intentional Father

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

What if part of staying healthy in ministry means learning that not everything needs to be explained, shared, or made visible to everyone else? Chris and Beth look back at an unexpected Starbucks story from their years in Turkey and how it helped them realize that “sanity is worth money,” especially when ministry creates a fishbowl where every financial and personal decision can feel open to scrutiny. They talk about the tension between being generous and intentional with money while also making room for the things that genuinely bring rest, renewal, and sanity, even when other people may not understand those choices. They also explore the discipline of living a private life in a documented world and why some of the spaces that help us stay healthy may be worth protecting rather than sharing.

Ministry Resources from the Brunos:

• Roadmap to a Restorative Sabbatical
• Re|Wire: Moving from Sexual Addiction to True Godly Connection
• Thrive Marriage Lab
• Mothering Tween/Teen Girls
• Being an Intentional Father

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling

Ministry can be deeply relational and still leave people feeling surprisingly alone. Chris and Beth unpack why pastors and ministry leaders can struggle with loneliness when nearly every relationship is connected to their work, and why having friendships outside their “food chain” can make such a difference. They explore the blurry lines of enmeshment, the importance of maintaining a sense of individuality, and how friendships outside ministry can create a place to be known simply as a person rather than a leader. Along the way, they offer a simple question worth sitting with: Who is a friend in your life who exists completely outside your food chain?

Ministry Resources from the Brunos:

• Roadmap to a Restorative Sabbatical
• Re|Wire: Moving from Sexual Addiction to True Godly Connection
• Thrive Marriage Lab
• Mothering Tween/Teen Girls
• Being an Intentional Father

Visit www.restory.life for more info!

Follow ReStory Counseling on our socials!
Instagram: @storyrestored
Facebook: ReStory Counseling
LinkedIn: ReStory Counseling
YouTube: ReStory Counseling