Encouraging Clients to Forgive People who have Hurt Them: Review, Critique, and Research Prospectus

The literature addressing forgiving and its use as a counseling technique is reviewed. Forgiving is hypothesized to yield cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal benefits to individuals who forgive others of significant interpersonal offenses, though little evidence supports these claims. Religious counselors and clients value forgiveness and its implementation in counseling, and forgiveness is frequently encouraged in religious counseling. However, forgiveness receives little attention from many non-religious professionals and remains to be investigated critically. In light of the potential benefits associated with forgiving, researchers and practitioners are encouraged to consider forgiveness as a therapeutic technique and to investigate its effects scientifically.