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)

What Forgiveness IS and IS NOT

Forgiveness IS Forgiveness IS NOT 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

HealthMental Physical

HappinessBetter moodSatisfaction with life

BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESSGeneral Populations

MDD Dysth GAD Panic Soc Phob

Sp Phob Agora APD0.00.51.01.52.02.53.03.54.04.5

Yes to both unforgiveness items

Long time to forgive (yes)

Many people R cannot forgive (yes)

Mental Health Outcome

Odd

s R

atio

Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, & anger

Forgiveness and Mental Health

MDD Dysth GAD Panic Soc Phob

Sp Phob Agora APD0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

Yes to both unforgiveness problems items

Problems b/c long time to forgive (yes)

Problems b/c many people R cannot forgive (yes)

Mental Health Outcome

Odd

s R

atio

Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, & anger

Forgiveness and Mental Health

Respondent Diagnosed Physician Diagnosed0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Yes to both unforgiveness items

Long time to forgive (yes)

Many people R cannot forgive (yes)

Odd

s R

atio

Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, anger, & depression

Forgiveness and Heart Disease

Respondent Diagnosed Physician Diagnosed0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Yes to both unforgiveness problems items

Problems b/c long time to forgive (yes)

Problems b/c many people R cannot forgive (yes)

Odd

s R

atio

Net of sex, age, marital status, education, income, race, anger, & depression

Forgiveness and Heart Disease

Forgiveness, Mortality, and Mechanisms

Conditional Forgiveness

of OthersMortality

Depressive Affect

Physical Health

Depressive Somatic

Symptoms

.152***

.102***

.016

-.115***

.190+

-.549***

*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.

BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESSVulnerable Populations

Low Forgiveness Moderate Forgiveness

High Forgiveness.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Suicide Risk

Others

Self

Ave

rage

Lev

el

Low Fo

rgiv

enes

s

Mod

erate

Forg

iven

ess

High F

orgi

vene

ss64.0

66.0

68.0

70.0

72.0

74.0

76.0

Shame and Guilt

Others

Self

Ave

rage

Lev

el

Forgiveness & Police Officers

Low Forgiveness Moderate Forgiveness

High Forgiveness.0

.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

Depression

Others

Self

Ave

rage

Lev

el

Low Forgiveness Moderate Forgiveness

High Forgiveness.0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

Perceived Stress

Others

Self

Ave

rage

Lev

el

Low Forgiveness Moderate Forgiveness

High Forgiveness5.0

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6.0

6.2

Social Support

Others

Self

Ave

rage

leve

l

Forgiveness & Police Officers, cont.

Forgiveness & College Students

College students: Vulnerable? Yes!

Forgiveness & College Students

TRIM* TFS DFS EFS* RFS*.000

.050

.100

.150

.200

.250

.300

.350

.400

.450

.500

ControlREACHFFG

Ave

rage

Cha

nge

(1 -

5 s

cale

)

REACH

FFG

Change in Forgiveness

Indirect Benefits of Training

Positive Traits

Trait Forgiveness

Perceived Stress

Gratitude

Forgiveness & AIDS

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 4000

10

20

30

40

50

60

Forgiveness

CD

4 P

erce

nt

Forgiveness & Fibromyalgia

Forgiveness & Fibromyalgia

Baseline 1-Week 2-Week 3-Week2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

ForgivenessFibromyalgiaFatigue

Ave

rage

Lev

el

Forgiveness in Sierra Leone

Hard work in the classroom by teachers and students

And more hard work!!

Forgiveness in Sierra Leone

Benevolence Avoidance

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Forgiveness Training Control

Adj

uste

d A

vera

ge C

hang

e P

re -

Pos

t In

terv

enti

on

Forgiveness in Sierra Leone

Negative Affect Satisfaction w/ Life

Gratitude Stress Depression0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Forgiveness Training

Control

Adj

uste

d A

vera

ge

A team effort

HOW TO OBTAIN THE BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESS

Four Approaches to Promoting ForgivenessEnright’ Forgiveness TherapyREACHForgive for GoodRelease!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 expectationsYou can’t make people treat you wellUnenforceable rules

Change victimization storyTaking things too personallyBlame 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

Interpersonal

Stress

Intrapersonal

Stress

An Intervention Model

Unforgiveness Poor Health (e.g., cancer)

QOL

Forgivenessof Others

Forgivenessof Self

Questions about Forgiving Oneself Is it the best alternative?

Self-acceptanceNarcissism

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 College700 College Dr.Decorah, IA 52101

touslo01@luther.edu www.luther.edu/psychology/faculty/toussaint