#109: How to Navigate Valentine’s Day

2026-02-10

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Valentine's Day can be a tender holiday for most women working to heal from sexual betrayal, namely, a painful reminder of what she doesn't have. In this episode, we discuss how to navigate this loaded holiday well, no matter where you are on the healing journey. What I would love for all women to do is reframe the holiday as an opportunity for her to truly take up her space, practice using her voice, and asking for (and figuring out) what she needs in order to make it a day that works for her. Jason chimed in and challenged men to see it as an opportunity ...

What I would love for all women to do is reframe the holiday as an opportunity for her to truly take up her space, practice using her voice, and asking for (and figuring out) what she needs in order to make it a day that works for her. Jason chimed in and challenged men to see it as an opportunity to show her that he will honor her needs and her wants.

So how do we do this exactly?

#1 - Check out page 19 in the Rescued workbook - for the "Four Questions" mentioned in the episode.

#2 - We talk about some of the things she might need Valentine's day to be, given it's such a loaded holiday:

an ordinary day with no discussion.
a galentine's day celebration.
a day to grieve: get angry, sad, feel the hurt.
a day to be known.

#3 - Allow there to be NO pressure on her. Hard stop. This is both for her (and him) to embrace.

Jason's practical strategies for guys:

#1 - No expectations for the day (take it from Jason, as he clearly had expectations from me, as you will hear in this episode, given his resentment!!!).

#2 - Hold off on surprises.

#3 - Grandiosity is not the answer.

#4 - Don't do something that reminds her of his past acting out.

#5 - Humble Ownership.

#6 - Initiate a conversation about the day. Front-load; expect the conversation could spiral. This is part of the process.

After we stopped recording, I regretted not sharing a couple of other things. Four days later, as I type these show notes, I can't remember what they were. But at the time, they were GOOD thoughts. Hope what we did share is helpful!

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