Restored: Helping Children of Divorce

Recommend a Therapist
You’re rare: you found a therapist who massively helped you heal and grow.
Most people from broken families never get that. They want help but don’t know who to trust, so they stay stuck.
We’re changing that by building a small, trusted list of exceptional therapists. In this short episode, you’ll hear how you can help.
You don’t need to volunteer or donate. Just spend a few minutes recommending your therapist so someone like you can finally get the help they deserve.
Recommend a therapist here!

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 conversations
Freeze in high-pressure moments
Feel like you have to perform to be loved
Or believe everyone else is just naturally more confident
In 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 fail
What’s happening in your brain when anxiety spikes
Why hyper-focusing on yourself increases insecurity
How to stop just listening to your thoughts — and start talking back
And why confidence is built through imperfect reps, not feelings
If 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 Website
Book a FREE Consult: (904) 624-1331 or [email protected]
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch 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” kids
Why responsibility can feel like survival
How financial trauma affects relationships
If you grew up worrying about money, feel responsible for everyone, or struggle to rest — this episode is for you.

Share Your Story
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch 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 else
The fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes (and how to move past it)
How real discernment happens through in-person dating
A NEW way to meet high quality, virtuous people
If you’re single, want marriage, but feel anxious, stuck, or afraid of choosing wrong — this episode is for you.

Download Sacred Spark
FREE Video Series: Dating 101
Visit SacredSpark.app
Get the Book or FREE chapters: It’s Not Your Fault
Get Dakota’s FREE Guide, The Biggest Fitness Mistakes to Avoid
Watch the Documentary: Kenny
Watch the Trailer: Kenny (3:31 min)
Shownotes