Forgiveness as an Outcome in Emotion-Focused Trauma Therapy

In the past decade, forgiveness theory and research have gained increased attention in the field of psychology (Scobie & Scobie, 1998). Particular attention has focused on examining the processes involved in forgiveness and the psychological benefits of forgiveness-oriented interventions or strategies within the therapeutic context. However, the concept of forgiveness in psychological treatment is controversial, particularly when applied to issues of childhood abuse. This chapter examines forgiveness as a possible outcome in emotion-focused trauma therapy (EF TT; Paivio & Nieuwenhuis, 2001) for adult survivors of childhood abuse. Our position is that forgiveness could represent one type of outcome among others.