ABSTRACT
Forgiveness heals hurt, anger, resentment, rage, guilt and grievances toward others and oneself. The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt, confused about itself and all it sees, afraid and angry, weak and blustering, afraid to go ahead, afraid to stay, afraid to waken or to go to sleep, afraid of every sound, yet more afraid of stillness, terrified of darkness, yet more terrified at the approach of dawn. The major difficulty in giving genuine forgiveness is you still believe you must forgive the truth and not illusions. This chapter guides the client through a series of experiential exercises to understand, forgiveness does not mean acceptance, and to forgive is to oneself free. The DBT skill, Think Dialectically, helps the client accept people with different beliefs and being able to hold on to opposing feelings.
