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Citation |
Legaree TA, Turner J, Lollis S. J. Marital Fam. Ther. 2007; 33(2): 192-213. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2007, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Publisher John Wiley and Sons) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
This article is a critical review of how forgiveness is conceptualized in the family therapy, counseling, and clinical psychology literature. A systematic analysis of themes in a fairly comprehensive set of texts was carried out. Three main dimensions emerged along which therapist authors’ viewpoints can be located: essentiality, intentionality, and benevolence. Therapy practices and values that correspond with positions along these dimensions are presented. The analysis reveals that greater exploration is needed regarding how forgiveness is related to diversity (e.g., gender, culture, religion, etc.), marginalization, and relations of power. Our objective is to provide a conceptual map for clinicians so that they might locate their own thinking about forgiveness and be better equipped to work sensitively with the forgiveness views and values of their clients. |