Self‐Forgiveness Therapy for Men in Recovery From Substance Use Concerns: Outcomes From Pre‐intervention to Post‐intervention

People experiencing substance use disorders (SUDs) and related concerns often engage in value‐incongruent behaviors, leading to self‐criticism and shame that perpetuate substance use as an avoidance coping strategy, making recovery difficult. Self‐forgiveness may interrupt this substance–shame cycle by transforming shame into positive psychological outcomes and value‐congruent behavior. Cornish's self‐forgiveness therapy intervention, adapted for people recovering from SUDs, was administered to men in early recovery. Pre–post results indicate decreased general distress, increased well‐being, and improvements in most offense‐specific and substance‐use‐related outcomes, highlighting the intervention's potential to enhance current treatments for SUDs and supporting qualitative evidence reported by Carroll and colleagues.