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Forgiveness Guidelines for Therapists

Dr. Suzanne Freedman

A recent essay by Professor Suzanne Freedman of the University of Northern Iowa was published in the Greater Good Magazine of the University of California, Berkeley. The essay is titled “Seven Guidelines for Therapists Helping Clients to Forgive.” It provides helpful information for mental health professionals whose clients want to work on forgiving those who have been unjust to them.

The essay can be read here:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_guidelines_for_therapists_helping_clients_to_forgive?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=9341ca916b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_May_14_2026&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-9341ca916b-693449702

Dr. Forgiveness Answers 2,000th Question!

Dr. Robert Enright

The submenu ‘Ask Dr. Forgiveness’ on this website has surpassed 2,000 questions and answers as of May 2026. This website feature has been operational since 2013. The 2,000th entry is this:

If people deny their deep anger over a long period of time, might they forget that anger? If so, would this then lead to the situation where the forgiveness process is no longer necessary?

If the injustices that led to the anger were serious and hurtful, the anger is not necessarily extinguished when the psychological defense of denial is in place. In other words, the anger can manifest in other ways, including internal compromises such as fatigue or other physical challenges. Also, anger can manifest indirectly toward innocent others as impatience, annoyance over small issues, and other disruptive behaviors. Forgiving is a protection for yourself and others as you move along your life’s path.

The Struggle to Seek Forgiveness and to Forgive

Image by Hert Niks, Pexels.com

Olympian Sturla Holm Lægreid, who won a bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, shared his challenge of seeking forgiveness from his girlfriend after he had an affair during the competition. His girlfriend shared her struggle to offer forgiveness. The story can be found on people.com here:

https://people.com/sturla-holm-laegreid-ex-girlfriend-breaks-her-silence-after-affair-confession-2026-winter-olympics-11904252?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Letting go of Grudges & Improving Your Health

Dr. Robert Enright

On April 10, 2026, Dr. Enright interviewed with the reporter, Ariana Cha, on the topic of forgiveness.  The article appeared in the Washington Post newspaper with the title,

How to Let Go of Grudges: And Why It Could Be Good for Your Overall Health.

This information was published here on April 28, 2026, but the link involved a paywall. The article now can be accessed free of charge here:

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/national-post-latest-edition/20260522/282029038877975

Is There Ever an Obligation to Forgive?

Mikhail Nilov , Pexels.com

So often people exhort others not to force others to forgive.  The current advice so often seen in print is this: Forgiveness is the choice of the forgiver, not the demand of the one who acted unjustly.  Yet an article published in Acta Analytica on February 10, 2026, by Sam Ridge, entitled “The Right to Forgiveness,” challenges the current norms.  He makes the interesting claim that if a person promises to forgive, then this becomes an expectation.  As an analogy, if Harold promises to mow a neighbor’s lawn by Saturday and then does not follow through, there remains an expectation that the lawn will be mowed by Harold.  It is similar with forgiveness.  For example, if a father asks his daughter, “Why were you out so late last night?  It is ok to tell me.  If I do not like your answer, I will forgive you.”  The promise creates the expectation that it will be kept.  The challenge, then, is this: Forgiveness is not solely in the hands of the forgiver; it can become an obligation to the other person if a promise is attached to the forgiving.

The article can be read here:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12136-026-00676-4