Self-forgiving processes in therapy for romantic relationship infidelity: An evidence-based case study.

Abstract

Self-forgiveness is related to positive connections with self and others and may be particularly important for clients who have hurt others. Relational hurt is heightened within the most intimate relationships and is particularly salient in cases of romantic relationship infidelity. Therefore, self-forgiveness may be indicated for romantic partners who have engaged in infidelity. This evidence-based case study examines the treatment of a Caucasian woman in her early 50s who presented with self-unforgiveness following marital infidelity. An 8-week manualized individual counseling program for self-forgiveness was used, which incorporates emotion-focused therapy techniques and principles of positive psychology to facilitate clients' engagement with a 4-component therapeutic model of self-forgiveness-responsibility, remorse, restoration, and renewal. This evidence-based case study demonstrated the importance of emotion-focused techniques in the client's emotional recovery, as well as the ways in which the intervention served as a eudaimonic process that resulted in the client's personal and relational well-being. Clinical Impact StatementQuestion: What are the relevant emotion-focused and self-forgiving processes in psychotherapy for a client who engaged in romantic relationship infidelity? Findings: Emotion-focused exercises helped the client resolve negative self-critical emotions and achieve emotional resolution through the self-forgiveness steps of exploring responsibility, expressing remorse, engaging in restoration efforts, and facilitating emotional renewal. Meaning: Emotional well-being following relational infidelity can be achieved through a self-forgiveness process that encourages exploration of difficult emotions and that includes efforts to engage in relational repair. Next Steps: Additional research should be conducted on how to promote personal and relational resilience following infidelity.

The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in Explaining the Causal Relationships Between Childhood Maltreatment, Attachment Styles, and Forgiveness in Betrayal Victims

“…Despite gender differences and varying beliefs in different societies, the global prevalence rates of betrayal among men and women fluctuate between 12 to 75% (Wróblewska-Skrzek, 2021). Any form of betrayal causes serious conflicts in the relationship, where forgiveness serves as a crucial element aiding in resolving these conflicts and enhancing commitment to the relationship (Cornish et al, 2020).…”

“…The ability to forgive is linked to mental health in individuals (Cornish et al, 2020). Forgiveness is closely associated with mental health in betrayal victims (Li et al, 2023).…”

“…Reviewing the literature on research related to forgiveness in betrayal victims indicates that most previous studies have either focused on examining the impact of therapeutic interventions on increasing forgiveness in betrayal victims (Ebrahimi et al, 2023;Heydari et al, 2022) or on the impact of therapeutic interventions on reducing psychological damage resulting from betrayal (Fife et al, 2023;Gholizadeh et al, 2020;Hertlein & Piercy, 2012;Marín et al, 2014;Regas, 2019). Some research (Cornish et al, 2020;Ebrahimi et al, 2023;Heydari et al, 2022;Li et al, 2023;Monika et al, 2023;Peets et al, 2013;Rezapour Mir Saleh et al, 2021;Russell, 2023;Záhorcová et al, 2023;Zolfaghari et al, 2021) has examined individual, relational, social, cultural, and religious factors influencing forgiveness in betrayal victims and has attempted to investigate these factors either separately or simultaneously, presenting models. Among these, some research has specifically and separately examined the role of variables such as childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, and early maladaptive schemas in relation to forgiveness.…”

Understanding self-forgiveness in emotion-focused therapy: An interpersonal process recall study with men in recovery from addiction.

“…Although Cornish and Wade's (2015b) findings offer promise for broader clinical applications, the intervention has not been examined with clients seeking recovery from SUDs. Questions also remain regarding whether Cornish and Wade's (2015a) processes of self-forgiveness unfold according to their sequential model in the context of the EFT intervention, as was found for a client working on self-forgiveness for marital infidelity (Cornish et al, 2020). Thus, interpersonal process recall (IPR) exploring clients' self-forgiveness experiences and their firsthand accounts of change processes is needed to identify therapeutic mechanisms that could serve as first-order targets with clients in early stages of chronic SUD recovery within this specific treatment in ways that might also generalize to other psychotherapies.…”

Structural Modeling of Trust in Couples Affected by Infidelity Based on Emotional Schemas with the Mediation of Communication Patterns

“…Recent studies with large selected samples report that approximately 22 to 25% of men and 11 to 15% of women in the United States have had at least one extramarital sexual encounter. Between 1.5% to 4% of married individuals engage in extramarital sexual relations annually, and over the past year, men are twice as likely as women to engage in illicit sexual relations (Cornish et al, 2020). After discovering a spouse's infidelity, individuals show intense emotions such as denial, anger, irritability, and depression.…”