20 Best Books On Self Forgiveness (2023 Update)

*#1 new york times bestseller*you deserve to stop suffering because of what other people have done to you. – have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? you know you can't go on like this, but you don't know what to do next. lysa terkeurst has wrestled through this journey. but in surprising ways, she's discovered how to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren't willing to make things right. – with deep empathy, therapeutic insight, and rich bible teaching coming out of more than 1,000 hours of theological study, lysa will help you: learn how to move on when the other person refuses to change and never says they're sorry. – walk through a step-by-step process to free yourself from the hurt of your past and feel less offended today. – discover what the bible really says about forgiveness and the peace that comes from living it out right now. – identify what's stealing trust and vulnerability from your relationships so you can believe there is still good ahead. – disempower the triggers hijacking your emotions by embracing the two necessary parts of forgiveness.

If you asked anyone what they thought was going to happen to south africa after apartheid, almost universally it was predicted that the country would be devastated by a comprehensive bloodbath. yet, instead of revenge and retribution, this new nation chose to tread the difficult path of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.each of us has a deep need to forgive and to be forgiven. after much reflection on the process of forgiveness, tutu has seen that there are four important steps to healing: admitting the wrong and acknowledging the harm; telling one's story and witnessing the anguish; asking for forgiveness and granting forgiveness; and renewing or releasing the relationship. forgiveness is hard work. sometimes it even feels like an impossible task. the book of forgiving is both a touchstone and a tool, offering tutu's wise advice and showing the way to experience forgiveness.

Tipping's radical forgiveness process allows us to navigate this dilemma for deep and lasting healing. join colin tipping to learn his step-by-step methods for going beyond the level of self-judgment and recrimination to the deeper spiritual state in which true forgiveness occurs.what's "radical" about colin tipping's approach to forgiveness? "it's not about telling ourselves a new story about something that happened," he says. "it's about creating a profound shift at the spiritual level." based on his world-renowned forgiveness workshops, the radical self-forgivenessbook shares clear insights for resolving our deepest internal wounds using tipping's five-stage forgiveness process. used alone or in combination for an integrated practice, the radical self-forgiveness book and audio program open the doorway to the freedom and inner peace that come from true self-acceptance.

Forgiveness is a choice is a self-help book for people who have been deeply hurt by another and caught in a vortex of anger, depression, and resentment. as a creator of the first scientifically proven forgiveness program in the country, robert d. enright shows how forgiveness can reduce anxiety and depression while increasing self-esteem and hopefulness toward one's future. this groundbreaking work demonstrates how forgiveness, approached in the correct manner, benefits the forgiver far more than the forgiven. filled with wisdom and warm encouragement, the book leads the reader on a path that will bring clarity and peace. enright is careful to distinguish forgiveness from "pseudoforgiveness" and to reassure readers that forgiveness does not mean accepting continued abuse or even reconciling with the offender. rather, by giving the gift of forgiveness, readers are encouraged to confront and let go of their pain in order to regain their lives.

After the tragic loss of her son and a marriage that ended in divorce and near-bankruptcy, may found herself questioning all that she had been and all that she thought she could be. but even through the shambles, she began to hear a voice inside telling her it was time.may never predicted that her journey would take her to a world bikini competition, to a sacred healer in costa rica, or through a re-examination of who and what home was. and she definitely didn't know it would lead to establishing her own international business, touching the lives of millions of people around the world. yet it was her soul's calling that led her there.by embracing her own radical truth, may was able to unearth the self-love and forgiveness she needed to connect with her greatest self. and with an accepting and forgiving embrace, she calls for you to rise to be the you that you are meant to be.

"lewis smedes writes about forgiveness like no one has ever written about it before. there is no better book in the english language about this subject, which, if properly mastered, can change the face of human relationships." –neil clark warren author of the triumphant marriage and make anger your allyif you are ready to make peace with those who have hurt or betrayed you, there can be no finer road map than this thoroughly practical book. lewis smedes brings true forgiveness, "gods own gift," within the capacity of every wounded person, even in circumstances when only hate seems possible. "altogether a wonderfully wise and enabling book, one of smedes's very best. the art of forgiving is itself a work of art. throughout my reading i found myself exclaiming, 'that never occurred to me, but yes, that's right!' i felt as if i were being led by an extraordinarily lucid and perceptive guide on a tour through the land of forgiveness." –nicholas woltersdorff professor of philosophical theology the divinity school, yale university

In this new york times bestseller, t.d. jakes uses inspiration from the lord’s prayer to reveal how the act of forgiving—and learning to be forgiven—can lead you to a more joyful, peaceful, and purposeful life.the star of bets mind, body & soul, and featured guest speaker on oprah’s lifeclass, potters house pastor t.d. jakes offers readers let it go: forgive so you can be forgiven, the new york times bestselling book inspired by the lord’s prayer which explores forgiveness as a life practice and offers specific and clear actions for readers who seek to apply it in every area of their lives—their marriages, their families, their friendships, and their business relationships. if you’re a fan of joel osteen’s become a better you or dr. “forgiveness is a big idea and works best when invested into people who have the courage to grasp the seven-foot idea of what’s best for their future rather than the four-foot-high idea of recompense for what has happened in the past,” jakes writes.

"a clearheaded study of what life can do to us and possible ways to begin again." –carl a. whitaker, m.d., author of midnight musings of a family therapist and coauthor of the family crucible women and men who have been deeply hurt by someone they love often experience a pain that spirals out to undermine their work, relationships, self-esteem, and even their sense of reality. in forgiving the unforgivable, author beverly flanigan, a leading authority on forgiveness, defines such unforgivable injuries, explains their poisonous effects, and then guides readers out of the paralyzing anger and resentment. as a fellow of the kellogg foundation, flanigan conducted a pioneering study of forgiveness, and from that study, from her clinical practice, and from her many years of teaching, researching, and conducting professional workshops and seminars, she devised a unique six-stage program, presented here. filled with inspiring real-life examples, forgiving the unforgivable is both a practical and a comforting guide to recovery and healing.

You hold in your hand an invitation: to remember the transforming power of forgiveness and lovingkindness. to remember that no matter where you are and what you face, within your heart peace is possible. in this beautiful and graceful little book, internationally renowned buddhist teacher and meditation master jack kornfield has collected age-old teachings, modern stories, and time-honored practices for bringing healing, peace, and compassion into our daily lives. just to read these pages offers calm and comfort. the practices contained here offer meditations for you to discover a new way to meet life’s greatest challenges with acceptance, joy, and hope. from the hardcover edition.

Wings of forgiveness is a book written for anyone who is ready to release their past and find freedom from fear. kyle has found through his personal psychic practice and work with the angels that when people are experiencing difficulties, there is one topic that helps click everything else into place – forgiveness. – forgiveness is not an easy subject, but it is a necessary focus in spirituality and personal growth. in – wings of forgiveness, the reader is taken on a journey – not outside of themselves, but within. they are encouraged to see and accept that they are held and cherished by the divine, that there are loving angels by their side, and master souls in heaven that have walked the path before them. – in order for forgiveness to take place, the healing must begin inside – then it can start to reflect outwards and into the reader's life. kyle draws on many spiritual texts, including – a course in miracles and the gnostic gospels, making these sacred concepts more accessible for his 21st century readers. together with the angels, he will show you how to call in the power of heaven to help you forgive, release all that no longer serves you and experience joy and peace.

Even though a sense of self-worth is generally considered essential for psychological survival, too few are ever taught the importance of maintaining a positive, loving and respectful relationship with ourselves. for therapist thom rutledge, the key to long-lasting change in our lives isn't the resolution of any one particular problem or circumstance. the key is in developing the ability to forgive ourselves. the self-forgiveness handbook provides a powerful step-by-step program for doing just that. guided exercises, refined over the years in thom's therapy practice and motivational workshops, take you on a journey from self-criticism to self-compassion and inner strength. along the way you will learn how to deal with your own critical inner voices, discover tools for overcoming obstacles and empowering yourself, and explore the challenge of giving forgiveness a central role in your life. what people say about thom rutledge's books & workshops: "a gentle book written with compassion, clarity and humor." – melody beattie, author of codependent no more "thom does not pretend to have all the answers, nor does he tell us that he is leading a perfect, fear-free, self-compassionate life. that makes him one of us: a fellow human being, looking to live life fully awake. thom understands that fear and shame, like self-consciousness, is part of what it means to be human, so he engages it creatively as a force in life. reading thom's book was a deeply enriching experience." -john shelby spong, author of eternal life: a new vision "as bill wilson, cofounder of alcoholics anonymous, said: 'the secrets of the universe are shrouded in simplicity.' thom taps into those wonderful secrets. -dan mason, author of parenting our kids while re-parenting ourselves "i discover something new about myself every time i reread one of thom's books. he has a gift for saying in a sentence or two what some writers say in ten! thom's words are straight to the point — and go straight to my heart, where they can do the most good. thanks, thom." -janet lalande, maudlin, sc "thom is a magician. he transforms confusion into clarity. he is also pretty slick with a deck of cards." -robert stepbach, phd, nashville, tn

Recent scientific research has shown that people who forgive both themselves and others tend to feel more relaxed and open, have less risk of getting stressed or depressed, experience stronger relationships and even have enhanced immune systems. after all, holding on to past resentments and negative energy tends to cause painful memories to fester in our subconscious, which prevents us from moving forward with joy in life. practising the art of forgiveness is the perfect antidote to this. perfect as either a gift or self-purchase, this lovely little book features 18 inspirational quotes on the theme of forgiveness, each one followed by an insightful explanation, a thought-provoking activity or question and a memorable affirmation – all intended to inspire readers to think about forgiveness in a fresh way as well as encourage them to incorporate it into their everyday lives. with its appealing design, uplifting content and friendly tone, this discerning little book provides beautiful, bite-sized inspiration for people around the world to feel more forgiving, lighter, freer and more at peace in life.

God made your heart for love, joy, peace, and wholeness. what if the most pervasive sin of our day is invisible, hidden deep inside our hearts? what if it affects every aspect of our lives and relationships so quietly and insidiously that most of us miss it altogether? bruce wilkinson believes unforgiveness is that sin. through the teachings of jesus, the freedom factor reveals the link between our suffering and our unforgiveness. but it also shows how to forgive – for real and forever. the story doesn't have to end with the pain of our wounds. whatever happened to us happened.

Too many of us feel trapped in stagnant romantic, family, or workplace relationships. in this new book and cd, iyanla vanzant challenges us to liberate ourselves from the wounds of the past and to embrace the new power of forgiveness. with iyanla's 21-day forgiveness plan, you'll explore relationship dynamics with your parents, children, friends, partners, co-workers, bosses, yourself, and even god. with journaling work and emotional freedom techniques (also known as “tapping”), you'll learn to live with more love; gain new clarity on your life, lessons, and blessings; and discover a new level of personal freedom, peace, and well-being. forgiveness doesn't mean agreeing with, condoning, or even liking what has happened. forgiveness means letting go and knowing that—regardless of how challenging, frightening, or difficult an experience may seem—everything is just as it needs to be in order for you to grow and learn. when you focus on how things “should” be, you deny the presence and power of love. accept the events of the past, while being willing to change your perspective on them. as iyanla says, “only forgiveness can liberate minds and hearts once held captive by anger, bitterness, resentment, and fear. forgiveness is a true path to freedom that can renew faith, build trust, and nourish the soul.”

An instant new york times bestseller!“[ the gift of forgiveness] will spark conversations across families, across friendships, at workplaces, everywhere.” –maria shrivera fresh, inspiring book on learning how to forgive, with firsthand stories from those who have learned to let go of resentment and find peace." the book features experiences from those well-known and unknown, including elizabeth smart, who learned to forgive her captors; sue klebold, whose son, dylan, was one of the columbine shooters, learning empathy and how to forgive herself; chris williams, who forgave the drunken teenager who killed his wife and child; and of course schwarzenegger pratt's own challenges and path to forgiveness in her own life. all provide different journeys to forgiveness and the process–sometimes slow and thorny, sometimes almost instantaneous–by which they learned to forgive and let go. the gift of forgiveness is a perfect blend of personal insights, powerful quotations, and hard-won wisdom for those seeking a way to live with greater acceptance, grace, and peace.a pamela dorman books/viking life title

Discover dr. shad helmstetter’s wildly popular self-help book what to say when you talk to your self, now updated with new information for the twenty-first century, and learn how to reverse the effects of negative self-talk and embrace a more positive, optimistic outlook on life! but with shad helmsetter’s five levels of self-talk (negative acceptance, recognition and need to change, decision to change, the better you, and universal affirmation), you can take back control of your life via this accessible yet profound technique. now filled with new and updated information perfect for the twenty-first century psyche, you can learn how to talk to your self in new ways, and jump-start a dramatic improvement in all areas of your life. so stop telling your self you can’t, and turn no into a resounding yes with what to say when you talk to your self!

This revised and updated best seller lovingly challenges believers to look within and root out those hidden and hardened places where subtle resentments and areas of un-forgiveness have been allowed to remain.

Who are you? when you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. are you a physical body? a collection of experiences and memories? a partner to relationships? each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. by tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self realization. part two examines the experience of energy as it flows through us and works to show readers how to open their hearts to the energy of experience that permeates their lives. ways to overcome tendencies to close down to the rest of the world are the subject of part three. enlightenment, the embrace of universal consciousness, is the subject of part four. and finally, in part five, singer returns to daily life and the pursuit of unconditional happiness. throughout, the book maintains a light and engaging tone, free from heavy dogma and prescriptive religious references. the easy exercises that figure in each chapter help readers experience the ideas that singer presents.

Who are you? when you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. are you a physical body? a collection of experiences and memories? a partner to relationships? each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. by tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self realization. part two examines the experience of energy as it flows through us and works to show readers how to open their hearts to the energy of experience that permeates their lives. ways to overcome tendencies to close down to the rest of the world are the subject of part three. enlightenment, the embrace of universal consciousness, is the subject of part four. and finally, in part five, singer returns to daily life and the pursuit of unconditional happiness. throughout, the book maintains a light and engaging tone, free from heavy dogma and prescriptive religious references. the easy exercises that figure in each chapter help readers experience the ideas that singer presents.

The present volume is a ground-breaking and agenda-setting investigation of the psychology of self-forgiveness. it brings together the work of expert clinicians and researchers working within the field, to address questions such as: why is self-forgiveness so difficult? what contexts and psychological experiences give rise to the need for self-forgiveness? what approaches can therapists use to help people process difficult experiences that elicit guilt, shame and self-condemnation? how can people work through their own failures and transgressions? assembling current theories and findings, this unique resource reviews and advances our understanding of self-forgiveness, and its potentially critical function in interpersonal relationships and individual emotional and physical health. the editors begin by exploring the nature of self-forgiveness. they consider its processes, causes, and effects, how it may be measured, and its potential benefits to theory and psychotherapy. expert clinicians and researchers then examine self-forgiveness in its many facets; as a response to guilt and shame, a step toward processing transgressions, a means of reducing anxiety, and an essential component of, or, under some circumstances a barrier to, psychotherapeutic intervention. contributors also address self-forgiveness as applied to diverse psychosocial contexts such as addiction and recovery, couples and families, healthy aging, the workplace, and the military. among the topics in the handbook: an evolutionary approach to shame-based self-criticism, self-forgiveness and compassion. working through psychological needs following transgressions to arrive at self-forgiveness. – self-forgiveness and health: a stress-and-coping model. – self-forgiveness and personal and relational well-being. – self-directed intervention to promote self-forgiveness. – understanding the role of forgiving the self in the act of hurting oneself. it covers a wide range of problems for which individuals often seek help from counselors, clergy, social workers, psychologists and physicians. research psychologists, philosophers, and sociologists studying self-forgiveness will also find it an essential handbook that draws together the advances made over the past several decades, and identifies important directions for the road ahead.