Forgiveness

Interpersonal hurts are a common focus of individual, couple, and family counseling. Clients may have suffered mistreatment at the hands of friends, family members, classmates, business associates, or strangers, leaving painful emotional and relationship wounds. Although there are various techniques designed to help ameliorate current emotional and relationship problems, many clients are burdened by unresolved bitterness and anger from past offenses. Forgiveness is the process of letting go of resentment and negative feelings, and forgiveness can be a powerful intervention to help clients heal from emotional and interpersonal pain and resolve ongoing conflicts. Therapists working with clients to resolve interpersonal conflicts and heal from past and current mistreatment may benefit from understanding the process of forgiveness and techniques that facilitate forgiveness. Although there is a ...