If you've ever wanted to forgive someone but didn't know where to start, Reaching for Forgiveness offers a clear, compassionate way forward.

Everett Worthington has spent more than three decades researching the science of forgiveness, a pursuit sparked by his own experience of choosing to forgive the man who murdered his mother. Drawing on Scripture, real-life experience, and that research, he gives you a path to move through anger, release resentment, and find freedom in lasting forgiveness.

At the heart of the book is Worthington's proven REACH model: Recall the hurt, Empathize with the offender, offer the Altruistic gift of forgiveness, Commit to the forgiveness you've experienced, and Hold on to it when doubt creeps back in. Step by step, Worthington shows how forgiveness can become not just spiritual ideal but a learnable, livable practice that takes root in both heart and mind.

What you'll find inside:



- Application of the REACH model, Worthington's scientifically supported path towards interpersonal reconciliation and restoring damaged trust

- Real-life examples, practical strategies, and evidence-based exercises

- Distinction between emotional and decisional forgiveness, showing how decisional forgiveness can transform us and free us from past hurts

- Guidance for applying forgiveness and reconciliation in specific relationships, including couples, parents and adult children, the workplace, and the church, while acknowledging that reconciliation is not always prudent or possible

- Chapter takeaway points, personal reflection questions, and group discussion questions for individual or group study

Worthington shows how forgiveness is one way we can join God's own work of reconciling all things to himself through Jesus. Whether you're learning how to forgive someone who hurt you or you're a counselor or pastor helping others through the forgiveness process, Reaching for Forgiveness provides the understanding, tools, and the hope to move forward.



Everett L. Worthington Jr. (PhD, University of Missouri) is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and former executive director of the Templeton Foundation's A Campaign for Forgiveness Research. He was the founding editor of Marriage and Family: A Christian Journal, and his many books include Handbook of Forgiveness, Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling, and Couple Therapy.