Do you Believe in Forgiveness or Revenge?
This topic brings out many conflicting emotions; many of my patients admitted to struggling with the concept of forgiveness and letting go of grievances. Some of my patients feel they need to get even in order to feel vindicated, while others think they will be seen as wimps, especially if the grievance was done on…
Should You Forgive? The Power of Letting Go.
Long-term relationships come with a myriad of challenges. From learning to accept quirks that grate your nerves to reconciling after a full-blown argument. Every relationship has highs and lows; it helps us grow together and understand and respect each other’s boundaries. We discover what we are willing to change within reason and what is a…
Should I forgive? How to let go of resentment and move forward in your relationship.
It takes a lot of mental and emotional energy to hold a grudge. Negative feelings have the ability to hold us captive, keeping us in the past and preventing us from moving forward in life. When we hold a grudge in a relationship, we remain with one foot firmly planted in the past. Some people…
4 Strategies to Forgive and Accept Wrongs by a Partner
Whether you are actively in a relationship or not, learning to forgive is an incredibly important skill to have and hold successful, long term relationships. We all make mistakes and when the hurt from these mistakes cut deep, our ability to forgive is essential not just for the person who hurt us, but for our…
Six tools to repair emotional damage in your marriage
Rudy and Marjorie were on the verge of divorce. Married 12 years, they had constant verbal battles ending in what therapists call emotional disengagement— meaning that they simply ignored each other for days on end. Emotionally, they were simmering inside and also lonely for each other, but were unable to reach out and communicate these…
How to control anger by forgiving grievances
Thirty-two year old Elizabeth cried during her anger management class as she related how one year ago her 19-month-old girl was permanently brain-damaged as the result of medical error at the hospital in which she was delivered. She definitely had a legitimate grievance toward the hospital and the medical staff and felt that she could…