REACH Forgiveness: A Narrative Analysis of Group Effectiveness

ABSTRACT

In this narrative review, the effectiveness of the REACH Forgiveness psychoeducational group intervention is examined. REACH is an acronym to cue memory for steps in emotional forgiveness: R = recall the hurt; E = empathize; A = altruistic gift of forgiveness; C = commit to forgiveness experienced; H = hold onto forgiveness. Overall, 24 studies that reported outcome data on REACH Forgiveness psychoeducational groups were tabulated and examined. Previous meta-analysis had found that effect size was linearly related to time spent in forgiveness intervention; thus, effect size (denoted by d, pre-post difference in means divided by pooled standard deviation) was examined per hour (i.e. d/hr) as an aid to qualitative comparisons. Overall, mean d/hr = 0.089. Those 12 REACH studies in which Worthington was a coauthor (i.e. the allegiance effect) had a d/hr of 0.093 versus 0.065 for the six in which he was not a coauthor. REACH Forgiveness with Christian samples (k = 9; d/hr = 0.107) had slightly better outcomes than did REACH Forgiveness with secular samples (k = 11; d/hr = 0.077). The effects of cultural adaptation (other than religion) were mixed. For clinical samples, only two REACH Forgiveness studies examined psychoeducational groups and two compared psychoeducation with process group therapy for forgiveness. Areas in which group psychoeducation using REACH Forgiveness was not effective (i.e. couple groups, pre-college youth) or less effective than alternatives such as do-it-yourself workbooks were identified. Best-practice standards for conducting group research on REACH Forgiveness were discussed.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

I developed the REACH Forgiveness protocol used in groups and self-administered workbooks, but I receive no financial remuneration from it and all materials (i.e. workbooks, group manuals for participants and leaders, etc.) are available at no cost.

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Notes on contributors

Everett L. Worthington

Dr. Everett L. Worthington, Jr. is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus, affiliated with the Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, USA. He has published 48 books and over 500 articles and scholarly chapters. He is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Virginia, and he has run over 1000 psychoeducational groups since 1974. He does workshops, makes talks, and appears in media worldwide. He has served as President of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) and as Executive Director and Treasurer of A Campaign for Forgiveness Research, a non-profit to raise money to fund forgiveness research. He is a fellow in two professional associations, and he has won several organizations’ top awards. He was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Pepperdine University in 2014 and was named one of the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia’s 13 Outstanding Professors in the Commonwealth in 2016.