Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves: Understanding and Healing Our Emotional Wounds

Start your healing journey to forgive or seek forgiveness―buoyed by spiritual and psychological insights and practical steps.

"We have both witnessed the power of forgiveness as well as the devastating sense of loss that comes from withholding forgiveness. We invite you to journey with us as we explore all the dimensions of forgiveness, learning how to apply this gift to yourself and your life, as well as using it to guide others toward a happier, more peaceful existence."

―from the Introduction

Everyone seeks forgiveness at some point in their lives―in families, from friends, in workplaces, in communities or from ourselves―but we often falter when we discover the practice takes more than simply saying or hearing “I forgive you.”

In this dynamic look at the process of forgiveness, conflict resolution experts Myra Warren Isenhart and Michael Spangle look at what is really keeping you from forgiving or seeking forgiveness. In addition to focusing on the soulful benefits of forgiveness, they also draw on insights from many fields―communication, psychology, counseling and theology, as well as their own original research―to explore the mental and emotional barriers in your path.

Learn how to:

• Make distinctions between forgiveness, apology and reconciliation
• Identify the conditions that make reconciliation appropriate or inappropriate
• Understand the elements of an effective apology
• Extend forgiveness to yourself
• Assist others in their own forgiveness journey

Myra Warren Isenhart, PhD, who has devoted her career to helping others through conflict resolution, is founder of Organizational Communication, Inc. She served on faculties at Regis University, University of Denver and St. Thomas Theological Seminary and trained in alternative dispute resolution at Harvard Law School. She is coauthor of Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict; Negotiation as a Way of Life and Negotiation: Communication for Diverse Settings.

Michael Spangle, PhD, a professor at Regis University and former Navy chaplain, teaches courses on forgiveness, emotions, communication and relationships. He is coauthor of Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict; Negotiation as a Way of Life and Negotiation: Communication for Diverse Settings.