Even though Robert Enright is a devoted Christian, the model is philosophical and psychological and not spiritual and religious. The model primarily gives direction on ways in which people can enact the forgiveness process despite the variations in motivations to forgive. Enright describes forgiveness as simply forgoing of revenge or resentment. The essay delves into the various stages in the forgiveness process of Robert Enright model.
Phases Of Forgiving
Forgiveness process in Enright’s model proceeds through four stages; the Uncovering phase, the decision phase, the work phase, and the deepening phase.
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Uncovering Phase
At this stage, an individual who has been offended gains insight on how that particular offense has compromised their life. The consequences and nature of the offense are understood. Clarifying how an attack has affected one’s life to the offender is critical when coming to offer forgiveness. It also entails understanding how the initial offense committed and one's reaction to it has affected their daily lives. In some instances, one may need help in realizing the importance of forgiving by making them understand the side effects of repressed and suppressed anger. It may involve working the various layer of pain one has, such as shame and guilt.
Decision Phase
At this stage, one clearly understands what is to be forgiven and decides to commit based on this understanding. Despite the existence of many cultural, spiritual and religious commandments to forgive, it is supposed to be free of choice (Freedman & Enright, 2019). The willingness to forgive must come from the individual who has been offended. It may entail realizing that what a person has been doing previously has not helped in overcoming the harm that has been caused by the offense. One by the previous suffering will understand that learning to forgive their offenders will free them from the last pain.
Work Phase
At this stage, one puts in effort into forgiving. By gaining cognitive understanding about their offender, one can view them in a new and positive dimension. A bright and detailed knowledge of the offender is critical at this stage. It may involve rethinking and seeing the offender as a person also and not the devil. Clinical research has previously shown that one must think differently about their offender before thinking positively about them. Compassion and empathy, bearing the pain of the offender courageously and assertively and eventual offering the offender forgiveness, is crucial at this stage.
Deepening Phase
At this stage, and individual gains a deeper understanding and meaning out of his suffering reignited life purpose and reduced consequences of the offense. A person might find themselves discovering that by forgiving, they have been released from a prison emotionally of anger, resentment, bitterness, and non-forgiveness (Bretherton, 2016). At the phase, many things may come into realization by the one offended like how it is essential to forgive and how it rejuvenates the life of a Person. Some fundament questions during this process include;
What is forgiveness, and what is not?
To what extent has the offense change your perception bout the world?
Are you willing to forgive the offender?
Have you clearly understood how you have been offended?
In what ways have the steps taken for forgiveness set you free?
In conclusion, when one decides to look for forgiveness, it entails understanding why it is essential and being willing to accept it without conditions when it’s offered.
References
Bretherton, R. (2016). The paradox of healing : Forgiveness therapy in practice [61(23). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040308
Freedman, S., & Enright, R. D. (2019). A Review of the Empirical Research Using Enright’s Process Model of Interpersonal Forgiveness . In Handbook of Forgiveness (pp. 266-276). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351123341/chapters/10.4324/9781351123341-25
