Show notes
Trigger Notice & Support Reminder
This episode includes discussion of suicide, sexual assault, trauma, addiction, and cancer.If you or someone you love is struggling or in crisis, help is available.Call or text 988 in the U.S. or visit https://findahelpline.com for global resources.
What if forgiveness wasn’t about letting someone off the hook — but about finally setting yourself free? In this powerful conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Katherine Giovanni to talk about trauma, anger, and how forgiveness can be a deeply personal, life-changing act of self-healing.
Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.
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Mental Health Quote
“Forgiveness isn’t about them. It’s about getting your life — and your peace — back.”— Katherine Giovanni
Episode Description
Forgiveness gets thrown around a lot — but nobody really teaches us how to do it, or what to do when we don’t want to. In this deeply human and eye-opening episode, Katherine Giovanni joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to flip the script on forgiveness, trauma, and healing.
A three-time award-winning author, transformation mentor, and stage 3 breast cancer survivor, Katherine shares her powerful personal journey through childhood trauma, addiction, loss, and survival — and how forgiveness became the tool that helped her reclaim her life. Not as a pass for harmful behavior, but as a boundary-setting, self-preserving act of freedom.
Katherine introduces her practical, step-by-step forgiveness process, including her unique approach to forgiving not only people but also the energy around painful memories. Together, the trio explores why forgiveness is selfish (in the best way), why you don’t owe anyone a relationship, and why some things may never be forgivable — and that’s okay.
They also dive into forgiving yourself, releasing guilt and shame, and even unpack why our relationship with money often needs forgiveness, too. This conversation is raw, insightful, and unexpectedly empowering — especially for anyone who feels stuck replaying old wounds or carrying anger that’s quietly draining their joy.
If you’ve ever said, “I’ll never forgive them,” this episode might just change how you think about healing — and about yourself.
Keywords: Katherine Giovanni, forgiveness, emotional healing, trauma recovery, self-forgiveness, mental health podcast, letting go, emotional freedom, healing from abuse, guilt and shame, boundaries, cancer survivor, addiction recovery, forgiveness process
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. A stage 3 breast cancer survivor and transformation mentor, she helps people release guilt, shame, and emotional blocks through forgiveness, intuition, and self-awareness.
Connect with Katherine:Website: https://www.katharinegiovanni.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katharine.giovanniInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/katharinegiovanniYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PPtlSUPldGNl9mIRRtAmALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharinegiovanni/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kathgiovanniSubstack: https://katharinegiovanni.substack.com/
Key Takeaways
Forgiveness is not weakness — it’s a powerful act of self-protection.
You can forgive someone without allowing them back into your life.
Holding onto anger keeps you stuck in the past; forgiveness restores your freedom.
Forgiving the energy around a memory helps stop emotional triggers.
Self-forgiveness is often the hardest — and most important — healing step.
Healing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Actionable Items
Write a forgiveness list and start with the easiest people first — not the biggest wounds.
Practice forgiving the energy around painful memories, not just the people involved.
Check in with your body after forgiveness work and pace yourself gently.
References Mentioned
The Ultimate Path to Forgiveness by Katherine Giovanni
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — https://988lifeline.org
Global Crisis Resources — https://findahelpline.com
Important Chapters
00:03:00 – Why forgiveness is misunderstood and rarely taught
00:06:30 – The truth about forgiving without reconnecting
00:10:00 – Katherine’s step-by-step forgiveness process
00:14:30 – Forgiving trauma, abuse, and the “unforgivable.”
00:23:00 – Why forgiving yourself is often the hardest part
00:31:00 – Forgiving money and breaking old survival patterns
00:38:30 – Freedom, peace, and reclaiming your life
Closing CTA
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