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Forgiveness as a method of the fourth wave of behaviour therapy

  • Maike Baumann EMAIL logo , Anke Handrock

    CEO

    and Annika Łonak
Published/Copyright: November 29, 2022
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Abstract

Forgiveness is increasingly attracting attention as a psychotherapeutic intervention for people who feel trapped in past-oriented brooding loops regarding injuries they suffered or caused and the associated experience of a seemingly unchangeable victim role (possible intervention: interpersonal forgiveness) or perpetrator role (possible intervention: intrapersonal forgiveness).

Since the concept of forgiveness still has the echo of a spiritual and metaphysical act for many people, in this article we will discuss why it is justified to understand the process of active forgiveness as a method of the fourth wave of behaviour therapy.

In addition to looking at the forgiveness process, special attention will be given to the psycho-evolutionary view of forgiveness, as well as looking at the neural basis of the process in overview.

Zusammenfassung

Vergebung findet zunehmend Beachtung als eine Möglichkeit der psychotherapeutischen Unterstützung für Menschen, die sich in vergangenheitsorientierten Grübelschleifen über erlittene oder verursachte Verletzungen und der damit verbundenen Erfahrung einer scheinbar unveränderlichen Opferrolle (mögliche Intervention: interpersonelle Vergebung) oder Täterrolle (mögliche Intervention: intrapersonelle Vergebung) gefangen fühlen.

Da das Konzept der Vergebung jedoch für viele Menschen immer noch den Nachhall eines spirituellen und metaphysischen Aktes hat, soll in diesem Artikel erörtert werden, warum es gerechtfertigt ist, den Prozess der aktiven Vergebung als eine Methode der vierten Welle der Verhaltenstherapie zu verstehen. Neben der Betrachtung des Vergebensprozesses wird ein spezieller Fokus auf die evolutionspsychologische Betrachtung von Vergebung gelegt, sowie die neuronale Grundlage des Prozesses im Überblick betrachtet.

About the author

Anke Handrock

CEO

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Paula Kelberman and PD Dr. Franca Wagner for their valuable comments and feedback on earlier versions of this article. We have most gratefully received your valuable suggestions.

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: None declared.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no potential conflict of interest.

  4. Ethical approval: To the best knowing of the authors all referenced research related to human use has been complied with all the relevant national regulations, institutional policies and in accordance the tenets of the Helsinki Declaration.

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Published Online: 2022-11-29
Published in Print: 2022-12-31

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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