Describing the correlation between forgiveness and Religion.
In psychotherapy, religious and moral concerns often play a role in a client’s distress and, quite possibly, in their healing as well. Practitioners, in order to be culturally competent, must have not only an awareness of their own religious/spiritual beliefs but also an (at least basic) understanding of the major tenets of various religions, spiritualities, and denominations in order to further assist clients. In my personal experience, I often incorporate religious stories and parables from a variety of religions, often even those alien to my client’s own belief system, in order to provide a “mirroring experience” to improve my client’s insight, understanding, and problem-solving.
Forgiveness is perhaps one of the hardest psychoreligious concepts to fully grasp in its complexity and power. It has the ability to facilitate great change, but it can be very difficult to come to as we think about others’ (and our own) transgressions.
