Happy Thursday! We hope this week has treated you kindly, or at the very least, you've been kind to yourself through it. This week's episode drops at 3 AM ET, and honestly, it's one of those conversations that made us stop, breathe, and completely rethink something we thought we understood.
Forgiveness. That word alone probably just made you tense up a little, didn't it? Maybe you thought of someone who hurt you. Maybe you felt that familiar pressure to "let it go" without anyone ever teaching you how. Or maybe you've been carrying guilt because there are people you absolutely refuse to forgive, and you've been told that makes you wrong.
What if we told you that everything you've been taught about forgiveness might be missing the most important piece? What if forgiveness wasn't about them at all, but about finally getting them out of your head?
This week, Katherine Giovanni, a three-time award-winning author, breast cancer survivor, and transformation mentor, sits down with us to completely reframe what forgiveness actually means, and more importantly, how to actually do it.
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π₯ SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO A PREVIOUS GUEST
π Michael Cortina, LCSW, LCAC
We want to give a huge shout-out to Michael Cortina, who appeared on our podcast and is now giving a webinar sponsored by PESI, one of the largest and most well-known providers of mental health education.
In the webinar, Michael will cover:
Practical tools you can integrate immediately - Brain-based reset phrases, body-based techniques, and neuroscience-informed strategies you can use the very next day.
A fresh lens for working with trauma, without re-traumatizing - Especially helpful for clients who haven't made progress with traditional approaches.
Live demonstrations + real examples - You'll see the techniques in action and get guided experiential practice.
The webinar is taking place February 16, 2026 and you have the option to sign up for the live online webinar or for the recorded replay to watch another time.
This week's worksheet helps you explore your own relationship with forgiveness, what you've been carrying, and what might be ready to be released. It's not about forcing yourself to forgive anyone. It's about understanding what forgiveness could give back to you.
ποΈ Episode Spotlight
Katherine Giovanni doesn't sugarcoat it. Forgiveness isn't about being a good person. It's not about giving anyone a pass. And it's definitely not about weakness. Forgiveness, as Katherine teaches it, is selfish, and that's exactly why it works.
For years, we've been told we need to forgive, but no one ever taught us how. Katherine changes that with her revolutionary seven-point system, a practical, step-by-step process you can do from the privacy of your own home. No phone calls. No forced reconciliation. Just a clear path to finally releasing what's been taking up space in your head.
Katherine's story gives weight to every word she shares. She's a three-time award-winning author, a stage 3 breast cancer survivor, and someone who has walked through unimaginable loss. When her mother died from breast cancer just three years after finally getting sober, Katherine's world shattered. That loss became the catalyst for both her forgiveness journey and her own sobriety, proving that what she teaches isn't theory. It's survival.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever been told they need to forgive and felt paralyzed because they didn't know how. It's for anyone carrying something so heavy they forgot what it felt like to breathe without it. And it's for anyone who needs permission to stop punishing themselves for protecting themselves.
At the heart of this conversation is a truth most of us have never been given permission to believe: forgiveness is not for them. It's for you.
Katherine Giovanni dismantles the toxic myths we've been taught about forgiveness, that it means reconciliation, that it requires contact, that it's a sign of weakness, or worse, that it's giving someone a pass for the harm they caused. None of that is true. Forgiveness, as Katherine teaches it, is selfish in the most necessary way. It's about freeing yourself from the people, places, and things that are living rent-free in your head.
This episode reframes forgiveness as an act of self-preservation, not moral obligation. Katherine's seven-point system isn't about being a good person. It's about survival. It's about learning to walk through the grocery store without spiraling because you caught a scent that reminded you of someone who hurt you. It's about reclaiming your nervous system, your peace, and your life.
Katherine also names something most people carry in silence, the belief that if you can't forgive everyone, you've failed. She gives us permission to leave the "number 10 unforgivables" right where they are. You don't have to forgive those people. But there are hundreds of smaller wounds, the ones we don't even realize we're carrying, and learning to forgive those is what builds the muscle. It's what teaches your body that letting go is possible.
This conversation makes space for both truths: that some things feel unforgivable, and that holding onto everything is slowly killing you. Katherine reminds us that forgiveness doesn't erase what happened. It doesn't mean it was okay. It means you're choosing to stop letting it control you.
π« A quote that stuck with us
"Forgiveness is selfish. You do it for you. The formal definition of forgiveness for me is just this: I want you out of my head." β Katherine Giovanni
ποΈ Real Talk from Us
"When Katherine said forgiveness is selfish, I felt something shift. I've been carrying guilt for years because there are people I refuse to forgive, and I thought that made me broken. Hearing her say you don't have to forgive the unforgivables? That gave me permission to stop punishing myself for protecting myself." β G-Rex
"The part that hit me hardest was when Katherine talked about forgiving the energy around people, not just the people themselves. I never thought about it that way. It's not just the person who hurt me. It's the shame, the fear, the anger, all of it. And until I forgive that too, I'm still carrying it." β Dirty Skittles
π Reflection Prompts to Sit With
Who are you still carrying in your head, even when you don't want to be?
What would it feel like to forgive someone without ever having to speak to them again?
Where in your life are you confusing forgiveness with giving someone permission to hurt you again?
What would change if you believed forgiveness was something you did for yourself, not for anyone else?
π± Gentle Reminder
Forgiveness doesn't mean it was okay. It doesn't mean you're weak. And it doesn't mean you have to let anyone back into your life. Forgiveness means you're finally choosing yourself. You're choosing peace over proving a point. And you're choosing to stop letting someone who hurt you continue to live in your head.
π Meet Our Guest: Katherine Giovanni
Katherine Giovanni is a three-time award-winning best-selling author, speaker, and one of the original founders of the independent concierge industry. She's the author of more than a dozen books, including her latest, The Ultimate Path to Forgiveness: Unlocking Your Power.
Katherine's journey is one of extraordinary resilience. She's a stage 3 breast cancer survivor who overcame a traumatic childhood, and those experiences now fuel her mission to help others heal. Through her work as a Transformation Mentor and Intuitive, Katherine empowers people to release guilt, shame, and emotional blocks, guiding them toward lasting freedom and self-awareness.
Today, she's here to share powerful insights, deeply human stories, and transformative tools, especially around the power of forgiveness, that just might shift the way you think about healing and about yourself.
β¨ You don't have to forgive everyone, start with the easy ones and build the muscle
β¨ Forgiveness doesn't mean reconciliation, you can have boundaries and still find peace
β¨ You can forgive dead people because it's about your closure, not theirs
β¨ Forgive the energy around the person, the shame, guilt, fear, and anger attached to the wound
β¨ The seven-point system gives you a practical roadmap to actually do the work
π οΈ Actionable Steps You Can Take Right Now
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1οΈβ£ Write down everyone you think you need to forgive, from childhood to yesterday
2οΈβ£ Rate each person from 1 to 10 (10 is unforgivable, 1 is easy)
3οΈβ£ Start with the easy ones to build the muscle before touching the big stuff
4οΈβ£ Imagine the person in front of you and say what you need to say
5οΈβ£ Place your hand on your heart and say out loud: "I completely forgive [name] and the energy around [name]"
6οΈβ£ Notice what shifts in your body when triggers soften and you stop thinking about them
π¬ We Want to Hear From You
We want to hear from you. What's one thing from this conversation that landed differently for you? What's one person, place, or thing you might be ready to forgive, not for them, but for you?
Reply to this email or tag us on Instagram at @grex_and_dirtyskittles. We read every single message, and your story matters.
π§ Subscribe, Rate & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. Your support helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations, and it reminds us why we do this work.
Forgiveness isn't easy. It's not pretty. And it's definitely not fast. But it is possible. And more than that, it's worth it.
Katherine reminded us this week that forgiveness isn't about letting anyone off the hook. It's about unhooking yourself. It's about choosing peace over resentment, freedom over control, and yourself over the people who hurt you.
If you've been carrying something heavy, we see you. If you've been told you need to forgive and you didn't know how, we hope this episode gave you a roadmap. And if you're not ready yet? That's okay too. Forgiveness is a marathon, not a sprint. Start where you are. Start with the easy ones. And trust that every small release is bringing you closer to the life you deserve.
We're so grateful you're here.
With love and respect,
G-Rex & Dirty Skittlesβ βChanging the way we talk about mental health, one real convo at a time.
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G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
It's ok to be not ok, just make sure you're talking to someone
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