Following her recent breakup with Mike Goodnough, actress and television personality Valerie Bertinelli offered some introspective relationship advice on social media. In a candid Instagram post, she discussed the importance of empathy and understanding in navigating conflict with a partner.

Bertinelli suggested that criticizing a partner can be counterproductive, especially when they are already feeling shame. Instead, she advocated for approaching disagreements with compassion and focusing on collaborative problem-solving. She encouraged her followers to express their feelings constructively, offering examples of how to rephrase accusations into requests for mutual understanding.

While acknowledging the difficulty of remaining calm in emotionally charged situations, Bertinelli highlighted the potential benefits of choosing empathy over anger. She believes that relieving a loved one from shame can create space for genuine apologies and reconciliation. However, she also self-deprecatingly questioned her own authority on the subject, referencing her two previous divorces and recent breakup.

Bertinelli and Goodnough ended their ten-month relationship in November. She had previously described Goodnough as "special" and unexpected, contrasting their relationship with her previous marriages to Tom Vitale and Eddie Van Halen.