Description
Book SynopsisOur relationships enrich our lives. Strong bonds with family, friends, and colleagues make our lives full and vibrant, but they can also be a source of distress or even trauma. Few relationships are perfect, and we often find ourselves let down by even the people we count on most; learning to navigate the challenges is vital to protecting our health and wellbeing.In this book the author presents a model for forgiveness that addresses how we either repair relationships when someone has harmed us, or how we move forward when relationships are beyond repair. Repairing a relationship is not always practical. The model presented in this book can be helpful to promote self-healing and to either re-establish relationships with others or move forward when reconciliation is harmful or not possible. Practicing Forgiveness draws on the perspectives of counseling professionals from across the country to explore contextual and cultural aspects of forgiveness with stories, humor, clinical examples, research, and empirical findings, while also considering the influence of environment and religion. The forgiveness process is a universal one, and this book serves as a resource to anyone wishing to gain insight into their own personal journey.
Trade ReviewUsing real-life examples from clinical experiences, news stories, and personal stories, author Richard Balkin presents this complex topic in a way that is easy to understand and gets readers to think and reflect on their own experiences of forgiveness. * Renee Borghesi, The New Social Worker *
Richard Balkin's expertise in Practicing Forgiveness clears the sea of ambiguity for counselors to understand the concepts, knowledge base, and true depth of forgiveness. The writings found in this book are a breath of fresh air that will expose readers to empirical data, research, personal stories, and the value and worth of understanding cultural and religious forgiveness. * LaVelle Hendricks, EdD, Professor of Counseling and Director of College Student Affairs, Texas A&M University-Commerce *
Beautifully written, Rick Balkin's Practicing Forgiveness provides a brilliant conceptualization of the dynamic and often complex path toward forgiveness, and the role that faith, community, and family can play in navigating the aftermaths of loss, injury, and trauma. Drawing from his wealth of experiences as a counselor, researcher, and educator, Dr. Balkin offers a deeply moving accounting of the injuries and injustices we experience as relational beings and proposes empathic and thought-provoking pathways toward reconciling and healing our hurts. * Thelma Duffey, PhD, Professor and Chair, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Past President, Fellow, and Treasurer, American Counseling Association *
Table of ContentsChapter 1. Harmful Messages and Pressures to Forgive Chapter 2. Forgiveness and Culture: Beliefs and Conflicts Chapter 3. The Forgiveness Reconciliation Model: An Overview Chapter 4. Collaborative Exploration Chapter 5. The Role of Reconciliation Chapter 6. Change and Remorse Chapter 7. Choosing the Outcome Chapter 8. The Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory Chapter 9. Does This Work? Appendices A. The Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory B. Technical Information on the Forgiveness Reconciliation Inventory References
