A Psychoeducational Intervention to Promote Forgiveness in Christians in the Philippines

Abstract

Psychoeducational group interventions to promote forgiveness have been studied mainly with college students who are struggling to forgive. Mental health counselors must tailor interventions to different populations. It is important to investigate whether forgiveness interventions generalize to different contexts. In the present study, we provide a rigorous test for adaptation of one evidence-based psychoeducational group intervention. Five pre-test/post-test interventions were conducted in the Philippines adapting a five-step forgiveness model for both religion and culture. Groups were conducted at three Christian churches (n = 5 for individuals; and n = 8 and n = 7 for couples participating individually); one Christian retreat center (n = 8); and one college dormitory (n = 4). Participants reported a decrease in unforgiving motivations toward their offenders and an increase in forgiveness of the offenders. Adapting the Christian-oriented forgiveness model to both Filipino culture and religious terminology was generally effective, suggesting robust application in practice.