TORONTO, August 29, 2002 -- Research findings by York University psychology Prof. Leslie Greenberg reveal that a new psychotherapy technique emphasizing facing emotions and forgiveness, called "Emotion-focused therapy " (EFT), can benefit people trying to let go of pent-up anger and hurt.
The year-long study examined 38 people suffering from a variety of emotional injuries: betrayal, criticism and invalidation, neglect, abandonment and physical abuse. Nineteen people were given emotion-focused individual therapy and 19 were given psycho-education therapy (a commonly used psychotherapy).
Greenberg and his research team found that participants in the emotion-focused group made significantly greater progress than the participants in the psycho-education group in: 1) letting go of anger and hurt associated with the emotional injury; 2) feeling better about themselves and their needs; 3) the degree to which they reported the problem had changed as a result of therapy; and 4) the level of general symptoms of psychological distress. He also found that forgiveness occurred not by condoning or forgetting, but by giving up the desire for revenge and by feeling greater empathy and compassion towards the person who had wronged them.
"Unlike most psychotherapies, EFT seeks to resolve unpleasant emotions by working with them rather than suppressing or avoiding them and helps people to move on with their lives more effectively," explains Greenberg. "The process of letting go and forgiveness leads to an alleviation of personal suffering and noticeable improvements in self-acceptance, empowerment, and self-esteem, supporting the belief that the benefits of forgiving are for the forgiver."
Commencing this fall, Greenberg and his team will offer free therapy sessions to couples to further examine the effectiveness of EFT. Greenberg says he hopes to show how EFT can assist couples in overcoming barriers to intimacy and restore trust in a relationship.
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For further information, please contact:
| Dr. Leslie Greenberg | Ken Turriff |
| Dept. of Psychology | Media Relations |
| York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 66111 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 |
| lgrnberg@yorku.ca | kturriff@yorku.ca |
YU/070/02
