Dr. Everett Worthington is gauging the impact of helping people forgive. For the last 30 years, he’s been studying forgiveness, and has written more than a dozen books on the subject. In 2001, he developed the pioneering REACH Forgiveness model, which has helped thousands of people reap the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not an area of detached scientific research for Dr. Worthington, but an intensely personal subject. In this podcast episode, taken from a conversation with Richard Sergay, Dr. Worthington shares the steps to apply the REACH method, highlights examples of people who have offered forgiveness to those who have caused them grave harm, and he recounts how he applied the REACH method to his own profound trauma.
REACH is an acronym that indicates five steps towards achieving forgiveness: (R) Recall the hurt, (E) Empathize with the offender, give the (A) Altruistic gift of forgiveness, (C) Commit, and (H) Hold onto forgiveness.
Learn more about TWCF-funded research project related to this episode.
Read the transcript from the interview conducted by journalist Richard Sergay, presented by podcast producer Tavia Gilbert. Featuring: Dr. Everett Worthington is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU.)
Built upon the award-winning video series of the same name, Templeton World Charity Foundation’s “Stories of Impact” podcast features stories of new scientific research on human flourishing that translate discoveries into practical tools. Bringing a mix of curiosity, compassion, and creativity, journalist Richard Sergay and host Tavia Gilbert shine a spotlight on the human impact at the heart of cutting-edge social and scientific research projects supported by TWCF.
