Forgiveness and Letting Go in Emotion-Focused Therapy

This book shows how forgiveness-oriented Emotion‑Focused Therapy (EFT) helps individuals and couples process and transform distressing negative emotions by accessing internal resources of strength and self compassion. 

Many individuals and couples come to therapy because of unresolved feelings of anger and hurt due to experiences of being wronged, betrayed, or violated. Over the past 20 years, Leslie Greenberg and his colleagues have undertaken clinical research to articulate a model of emotional injury resolution and map out a therapy‑assisted path to forgiveness.
 
This book offers step‑by‑step guides for conducting EFT and EFT for couples, along with analyses of extensive clinical case material. It shows readers how to:

• promote clients’ ownership of their emotional experience
• empower clients to appropriately assign responsibility for harm done
• help clients see themselves as having the personal resources and resilience to recover from the emotional injury

Therapists will also learn to help clients determine whether forgiveness—with or without reconciliation with the injurer—is the right path for them, or whether therapy should focus instead on letting go of negative feelings.

Leslie Greenberg, PhD is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Psychology at York University in Toronto. He has authored key texts on emotion-focused psychotherapy, from its inception in the 1980s through today. He has received the Distinguished Research Career award of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research as well as the Carl Rogers and the Distinguished Professional Contribution to Applied Research of the American Psychology Association. He conducts a private practice for individuals and couples and trains people in emotion–focused approaches. Visit www.emotionfocusedclinic.org.

Catalina Woldarsky Meneses, PhD is Vice President of the Swiss Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT-CH). She is also a certified therapist. In 2012, Catalina completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at York University. Her research focuses on exploring forgiveness in relationships. She works extensively in both North America and Europe, though she spends much of her time in Switzerland. Her research has been published by APA, and other psychology journals. She works as a psychotherapist in a private practice and adjuncts at Webster University's Graduate Counseling Program. Catalina lives in Grandvaux, Switzerland. Visit https://www.emotionfocusedtherapy.ch/. 

Introduction
Chapter 1: Forgiveness
Chapter 2: Emotion-Focused Therapy
Chapter 3: Emotion-Focused Therapy and Forgiveness for Individuals
Chapter 4: Case Examples of the Resolution Process for Individuals
Chapter 5: Overview of the Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples Framework
Chapter 6:  Emotion-Focused Therapy and Forgiveness or Reconciliation for Couples
Chapter 7:  A Model of the Process of Forgiving in Couples Therapy
Chapter 8: Case Example of Forgiveness for Couples
Afterword
References
About the Authors