Forgiveness and Disability: Reconsideration of Forgiveness as a Vital Component of the Rehabilitation Counseling Profession

Abstract

Forgiveness and self-forgiveness is an area of growing interest in the allied helping professions. In recent years, the study of forgiveness has been expanded to a number of different populations. However, forgiveness as a construct, a model of understanding to cope with difficult and hurtful people, and as an intervention has not been fully considered and explored in the rehabilitation counseling profession. To help rehabilitation counseling professionals better understand the importance of forgiveness as it relates to disability, this article explains the meaning of forgiveness and self-forgiveness, barriers that inhibit the development of forgiveness, models of forgiveness, and empirical research supporting the utility of forgiveness. Following this, professionals are given information about how forgiveness may relate to the needs of persons with disabilities and professional implications for practice.