Development and Evaluation of a Faith-Based Psychoeducational Approach to Forgiveness for Christians

Abstract

A psychoeducation program that aimed to enhance Christian adults' forgiveness capability was developed, delivered, and evaluated. Eighty-one individuals participated in an 8-hr seminar over 2 days that presented forgiveness from a perspective of physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational wholeness. A mixed method approach utilized the Enright Forgiveness Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Index, an analog pain scale, and intensive interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Participants reported significant improvement in their ability to forgive, along with decreased anger and pain regarding a specific forgiveness issue. Implications for research and practice are given. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.