Forgiveness Therapy Reflection

Interaction My initial response to the concept of forgiveness therapy for abuse survivors was that it seemed counter-intuitive, as it can be perceived to excuse the abusive behavior and invalidate the suffering of the victim. However, this impression fails to acknowledge the therapeutic definition of forgiveness as used in therapy, a release of resentment (Reed & Enright, 2006). Upon review of this definition of forgiveness therapy, I concluded that it was in line with other therapeutic ideals that encourage release of negative thought patterns and encourage the construction of positive thought patterns and behaviors. Overall, I felt that the study was an effective foray into studying the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy, which was well defined, with extensive attention given to related empirical research on the topic. Methods for selecting pairs of subjects for comparison were logical. The battery of assessment tools was extensive and provided a well-rounded picture of the overall well-being of the subjects throughout the study. Although the attentiveness of the authors in the areas of prior research and methodology is thorough, …show more content…
In the article’s conclusion, the study is described as the first that studies the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy in this area, and extensive further study is recommended. This is an appropriate context for the article: a first step that is meant to be followed with many more for a better understanding of the application and effectiveness of forgiveness therapy. Based on the description, related research, and initial promise of forgiveness therapy, I would consider studying it further to integrate into my own future practice. However, I would also be interested in finding more information on anger validation, as I do not feel that it was adequately defined and assessed in this