Is forgiveness the way forward?
In the book You Don鈥檛 Need to Forgive by Amanda Ann Gregory, the expectation of forgiveness and the problems it can cause are explored. Professor Ask Elklit comments on the book's message in an interview with Kristeligt Dagblad.
Although forgiveness is often seen as a path to healing, it can be more harmful than helpful, especially if it is imposed. According to Elklit, forgiveness should be considered an ideal rather than a strict rule in therapy. Forced forgiveness can prevent a deeper processing of trauma. However, he emphasizes that the expectation of forgiveness is not necessarily a significant problem in Danish therapy, where psychologists focus on meeting people where they are, rather than pressuring them to forgive.
If you're interested in reading the interview from Kristeligt Dagblad, .
If you're interested in trauma processing, you might want to explore the research area Trauma Mechanisms – under Coping, where you can find more specific publications targeted at trauma mechanisms.