Life is a remarkable adventure, with its attendant ups and downs, joys and pitfalls; and we come into the middle of this adventure without a manual, so to speak. While there is much help and advice on offer – from parents, school, society, religion, ethical systems, etc. – each one of us has to find his/her own unique way. In the process of path-finding, we make mistakes and are subject to the mistakes of others. This on-going ‘trial and error’ situation is actually what makes learning possible. It is part of our freedom and growth.
Many people have been hurt, at times deeply so, by events that have left them feeling vulnerable, helpless, with lowered self-esteem and/or anger, and perhaps depression. It can feel like there is nowhere to go, no way to heal the wound of what has happened (especially if the person who hurt us shows no sign of remorse or regret).
The ability to forgive is something deeply human. It is not a one-time event but instead a process of release with its own unfolding and timing. It is undertaken because a person is seeking to be/act the best they can regardless of what has occurred. Forgiveness serves first and foremost as an aid to the person doing the forgiving, and can be remarkably freeing, restorative, remedial, and strengthening.
If there is something in your past that won’t let you go, something you would like to leave behind – in order to open the door to new air, light, and life – yet can’t seem to do so, forgiveness counseling may help. It can be a short-term, perception changing approach, which helps restore personal dignity and self-respect.
Forgiveness is good medicine! It helps a person heal the pain in a memory while holding the memory alive and well.
[For more, see: https://transitionallifecounseling.com/forgiveness-counseling]
Note: TLC’s work with Forgiveness Counseling is based in and indebted to programs offered by Feminenza International, as well as Feminenza North America (a USA based 501(c)3 organization). For more information, see: http://www.feminenza.org.