Forgiveness and Disability: Reconsideration of Forgiveness as a Vital Component of the Rehabilitation Counseling Profession

Abstract

Forgiveness and self-forgiveness is an area of growing interest in the allied helping professions. In recent years, the study of forgiveness has been expanded to a number of different populations. However, forgiveness as a construct, a model of understanding to cope with difficult and hurtful people, and as an intervention has not been fully considered and explored in the rehabilitation counseling profession. To help rehabilitation counseling professionals better understand the importance of forgiveness as it relates to disability, this article explains the meaning of forgiveness and self-forgiveness, barriers that inhibit the development of forgiveness, models of forgiveness, and empirical research supporting the utility of forgiveness. Following this, professionals are given information about how forgiveness may relate to the needs of persons with disabilities and professional implications for practice.

Psychometric Validation of Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths

“…Although a substantial body of literature supports the factor structure achieved herein, careful adherence to factor analytic guidelines necessitated the removal of previously salient factors. For example, Stuntzner and Dalton (2015) suggested that forgiveness may be beneficial in reducing negative emotions. Thus, forgiveness—which reflects one’s capacity to alleviate negative emotions—was included in the initial item pool under Emotional Transcendence with a factor loading of 0.53.…”

Assessing Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Heartland Forgiveness Scale

“…Forgiving a specific situation of physical illness (e.g., LVAD; COVID-19, cancer, etc.) (Mannarini et al, 2013;Ratti et al, 2017;Parola, 2020;Rossi Ferrario and Panzeri, 2020) or a chronic (stressing) condition (e.g., aging difficulties, caregiving, obesity, dyadic conflicts) (Pietrabissa et al, 2017;Faccio et al, 2019;Panzeri et al, 2019;Balestroni et al, 2020;Panzeri and Rossi Ferrario, 2020;Parola and Felaco, 2020) may consistently help individuals to decrease denial and accept their situation, thus reducing the associated psychological distress (Elliott, 2011;Stuntzner and Dalton, 2015;Rossi Ferrario et al, 2019). Scientific literature showed that low levels of forgiveness may play a crucial role in patients with obesity who may show maladaptive behaviors, such as emotional eating and food addiction (Manzoni et al, 2020), as well as several related psychological issues (Mannarini and Boffo, 2014;Balottin et al, 2017;Manzoni et al, 2018;Simpson et al, 2018;Rossi and Mannarini, 2019;Pietrabissa et al, 2020b).…”

Application of forgiveness in rehabilitation psychology: a positive option for change

“…Forgiveness has much relevance and applicability in the lives and experiences of persons with disabilities. 39 Forgiveness can help individuals who have been emotionally, psychologically, physically, or spiritually hurt or offended. In particular, as previously discussed throughout forgiveness intervention research studies, forgiveness can reduce peoples' anger, anxiety, and depression and improve numerous positive aspects of their life (i.e., self-esteem, forgiveness, adjustment to disability).…”

“…Given the fact that persons with disabilities sometimes experience hurts and offenses from multiple sources (i.e., society, persons without disabilities, professionals, employers), some people may eventually discover that they harbor or have internalized negative thoughts, feelings and resentments -all of which impact them in negative ways. 39 Others may realize they blame themselves or God or some other external entity for real or perceived injustices and offenses. Well-documented and discussed hurts, offenses, and difficulties encountered by persons with disabilities include: negative societal messages and treatment of persons with disabilities; 18,40 causes or perceived causes of one's disability (i.e., self-blame, anger at God), discrimination, marginalization, and social injustice; 39 significant losses and changes related to the presence of disability (i.e., loss of employment, finances, relationships, inadequate care giving; Marini, Glover-Graf, & Millington, 2012; Smart, 2009; Stuntzner, 2015a); 40,41,42 repeated hurtful and derogatory social or interpersonal experiences; 19 family coping or the inability to cope with the family member's disability; and challenges in practicing self-forgiveness as it relates to one's coping process.…”