Forgiveness can be healing process that helps clients cope with interpersonal hurts. This information handout describes what forgiveness is, the steps it might entail, and how it is distinguished from other concepts, such as reconciliation.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Everyone experiences interpersonal hurts, such as acts of omission (e.g., being neglected) and acts of commission (e.g., intentional or unintentional harm). People respond to these transgressions in different ways, such as seeking justice or revenge, “letting go” of the offence, or choosing to forgive the wrongdoer. Research indicates that forgiveness is a helpful way to cope with offences, and it can be supported using forgiveness interventions. This handout provides an overview of forgiveness, describing its meaning, the steps involved, and how it differs from concepts like reconciliation.
Forgiveness can help clients move past emotional wounds.
Lingering feelings towards individuals who have caused offence.
Unforgiveness may play a role in some mood disorders.
Victims of abuse or neglect seeking to resolve their complex feelings.
Ask the client if they would like to learn about forgiveness.
Explain what forgiveness is and correct any misconceptions.
Explore whether forgiveness might be helpful.
Stress that the client is not obliged to forgive an offender.
Forgiveness has been defined in a variety of ways, such as, "a willingness to abandon one’s right to resentment, negative judgment, and indifferent behavior toward one who unjustly injured us, while fostering the undeserved qualities of compassion, generosity, and even love toward him or her (Enright, 1998). While some aspects of forgiveness are debated - such as whether one needs to feel positively toward the offender - these definitions generally emphasize the importance of letting go of resentment toward those who have caused harm (Legaree et al., 2007).
Research indicates that forgiveness has a positive impact on various aspects of well-being. For instance, a meta-analysis by Lee and Enright (2019) identified a positive relationship between forgiveness and physical health, while Rasmussen and colleagues (2019) report a significant correlation between forgiveness and mental health outcomes across multiple studies. However, it should be noted that forgiveness is just one way to cope with transgressions, and some individuals may not be able to or may not wish to forgive. Other coping strategies can include accepting the hurt, managing offense-related distress, or reducing feelings of unforgiveness. Additionally, some clients find benefits in choosing not to forgive (e.g., Jones Ross et al., 2007; Singh et al., 2022).
