Practicing Forgiveness

A Meaningful Approach to Healthy Living

With Loren Toussaint, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Luther College

Thursday, May 30, 2024 • 8:00AM - 4:00PM CDT • $175
Valparaiso University/Harre Union • 1509 Chapel Drive • Valparaiso, IN
Hosted by the Porter-Starke Services Foundation

Keynote Breakfast Presentation • 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Did you know that being a forgiving person can help you live a longer and healthier life? Research shows that forgiveness is linked to better mental and physical health, improved happiness, and can even increase your life expectancy as you age.

Yet, forgiveness can be a challenge. We can be stressed by the ways that people treat us, injustices that occur in our families or workplaces, and may often find it difficult to forgive ourselves for decisions or actions we have taken.

In this keynote presentation, Dr. Loren Toussaint will discuss the importance of forgiveness and its benefits – for others and ourselves. We will explore our capacity to forgive, our hesitancy to do so and the impact of forgiveness on our health and well-being. You will leave with an awareness of steps you can take to practice forgiveness and flourish in today’s world.

Session 1: Forgiving Others: Clinical Applications • 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Forgiveness is a complex and multi-faceted construct and there can be much confusion around it. Forgiveness is also a familiar theme that clinicians encounter in therapy while helping people navigate adverse experiences. In this session, we will discuss leading approaches for helping people learn how to practice forgiveness and learn forgiveness coping strategies to utilize in clinical practice.  

Session 2: Self-Forgiveness: Clinical Applications • 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Broad reviews of self-forgiveness research suggest that self-forgiveness has even stronger connections to health outcomes than forgiveness of others. In clinical practice, we often address clients’ strong feelings of self-blame and regret when they are unable to forgive themselves. As clinicians, we also encounter this dynamic when reflecting on our work with others. This session focuses on incorporating self-forgiveness strategies in our work with clients, clinical supervision, and ourselves.  

Session 3: Forgiveness and Flourishing • 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Forgiveness is a productive coping strategy that often brings clarity and resolution to experiences that function as obstacles to clients' healing processes. The process and practice of forgiving others and oneself reduces negative effects of stress on mental health and well-being. These are valuable tools to use with our clients and in our own personal and professional development. This session will focus on the research that identifies forgiveness as a key ingredient to a healthy approach to life and enhanced overall flourishing.

Continuing Education Units • The Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board has approved this organization to provide Category I Continuing Education for LSW, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LAC, LCAC and HSPP. However, licensees must judge the program's relevance to their professional practice. Indiana CEU Provider #98000555A. HSPP Provider #98000597A.