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Forgiveness in Mind, Body, and Spirit: Healing Emotional Wounds and Health. Loren Toussaint, Ph.D. Luther College Top Ladies of Distinction June 18, 2013. Defining Forgiveness. Releasing or letting go of negative affect, beliefs, or behaviors toward an offender
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Forgiveness in Mind, Body, and Spirit: Healing Emotional Wounds and Health Loren Toussaint, Ph.D. Luther College Top Ladies of Distinction June 18, 2013
Defining Forgiveness Releasing or letting go of negative affect, beliefs, or behaviors toward an offender Development of positive affect, beliefs, or behaviors toward an offender
Dimensions of Forgiveness • Targets – Self, Others, and God • Methods – Offering, Feeling, and Seeking • State/Trait – Feeling or disposition Toussaint & Webb (2005)
Our Working Definition • Trait forgiveness involves a tendency to offer, feel, or seek changes from negative to positive cognitions, behaviors, and affect pertaining to offenders that include oneself, others, and God. • State forgiveness involves a process of offering, feeling, or seeking a change from negative to positive cognitions, behaviors, and affect pertaining to specific offenses that are perceived to be perpetrated by oneself, others, or God. Toussaint & Webb (2005)
Forgiveness IS NOT What Forgiveness IS and IS NOT Forgiveness IS peace for you and not the offender taking back your power being responsible for how you feel about your healing a trainable skill regaining emotional control a choice a difficult thing reconciliation forgoing justice forgetting something painful condoning unkindness excusing poor behavior denying or minimizing your hurt giving up having feelings about the person who hurt you
Additional Issues • Decisional vs. emotional • Social & cultural influences • Intrapersonal • Interpersonal • Religious influences
Benefits of Forgiveness • Interpersonal relationships • Social support • Health • Mental • Physical • Happiness • Better mood • Satisfaction with life
General Populations Benefits of forgiveness
Forgiveness and Mental Health Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, & anger
Forgiveness and Mental Health Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, & anger
Forgiveness and Heart Disease Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, anger, & depression
Forgiveness and Heart Disease Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, anger, & depression
Forgiveness, Mortality, and Mechanisms Depressive Affect .152*** .016 Conditional Forgiveness of Others Depressive Somatic Symptoms Mortality .102*** .190+ -.115*** -.549*** Physical Health *Toussaint, L., Owen, A. D., & Cheadle, A. C. D. (online first) Forgive to live: Forgiveness, Health, and Longevity. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 10.1007/s10865-011-9362-4.
Vulnerable Populations Benefits of forgiveness
Indirect Benefits of Training Change in Forgiveness REACH FFG Positive Traits Trait Forgiveness Perceived Stress Gratitude
Four Approaches to Promoting Forgiveness Enright’ Forgiveness Therapy REACH Forgive for Good Release! Restore
Enright’s Forgiveness Therapy • Uncovering • Defenses • Anger • Shame • Decision • Change of heart • Consider forgiveness • Commit • Work • Reframe • Empathy • Context • Deepening • Meaning • Purpose • Humility • Universality
REACH Model Recall Empathize Altruistic Commit Hold on
Forgive for Good Model • Gratitude and openness to beauty and bounty – focus on positive • Reframe/challenge unrealistic expectations • You can’t make people treat you well • Unenforceable rules • Change victimization story • Taking things too personally • Blame game • Stress management
Gratitude, Beauty, Bounty, Focus on Positive Simple techniques for living a more forgiving life
Release! Model Narrative Therapy Prayer RET
Restore Model Self-Forgiveness • Acceptance • Benefit-finding • Commitment • Key methods • Prayer • Narrative therapy
An Intervention Model Forgiveness of Others Interpersonal Stress Unforgiveness Poor Health (e.g., cancer) QOL Intrapersonal Stress Forgiveness of Self
Questions about Forgiving Oneself • Is it the best alternative? • Self-acceptance • Narcissism • How do you promote it appropriately? • Why is it so important?
Review • What is forgiveness? • Complex and multidimensional • What are its benefits? • Social, health, well-being • How do you promote it? • FT, REACH, FFG, Release!, Restore
Contact • Loren Toussaint • Department of Psychology Luther College 700 College Dr. Decorah, IA 52101 • touslo01@luther.edu • www.luther.edu/psychology/faculty/toussaint