Using the forgiveness amd reconciliation inventory: A qualitative inquiry examining the experiences of the process
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Abstract
This study explored the use of the Forgiveness and Reconciliation Inventory (FRI; Balkin, Harris, Freeman, & Huntington, 2014) as an intervention for clients in a substance abuse facility. Forgiveness interventions have been used to help relieve negative emotions after a transgression has been committed. There has been limited research related to the experiences of the counselors and clients who use forgiveness assessments as an intervention.
A qualitative phenomenological study was designed to examine experiences of clients and counselors who used the Forgiveness and Reconciliation Inventory (Balkin, et al., 2014) as an intervention during the counseling process. A group training process on the Forgiveness and Reconciliation Model and administration of the FRI was implemented over a period of 6 weeks. The participants included seven counselor participants and five client participants.
Four client participant themes emerged: (a) increased awareness, (b) desiring more time, (c) positive experience of the counselor relationship, and (d) moving forward in recovery with forgiveness. The theme entitled increased awareness includes understanding of self and others and emotional impact of the process as subthemes. Three counselor participant themes emerged: (a) usefulness of training, (b) helpfulness for client interpersonal relationships, and (c) visual representation of scores. The theme entitled usefulness of training included deciding when to administer the FRI as a subtheme.
The results of this study provided several implications and recommendation for further research. The results of this study indicate that the use of a forgiveness assessment as an intervention is helpful. Additionally, educating counselors in the use of forgiveness interventions may be beneficial in addressing issues related to clients working through forgiveness.