Toward the Incorporation of Forgiveness Therapy in Healing the Wounds of Eating Disorders

Abstract

This article describes the utilization of forgiveness therapy with a 26-year-old female recovering anorexic. She presents for treatment highly distressed over her commission of self-injurious behaviors and ensuing harm to her person. The process model is used to facilitate self-forgiveness. Emotion provides the main analytical context for the case study. The inability to manage negative affective states is seen as a significant factor contributing to the etiology of eating disorders (EDs). In the aftermath of eating disordered behaviors, negative feelings about the self may impede full recovery. In the therapeutic process described, it is the emotional changes attempted by the client that stand out as central in her eventual attainment of self-forgiveness. The implications of the case study for practitioners considering the use of forgiveness therapy with clients recovering from EDs, as well as the gamut of self-injurious behaviors, are considered. The important role of attachment processes in the utilization of this innovative therapeutic modality is underscored.