The Therapeutic Forgiveness Framework™
A dual-axis model integrating psychology and theology — developed over 20 years of clinical practice, grounded in a 2007 MA thesis, and formalized in a DOI-indexed white paper.Un modelo de dos ejes que integra psicología y teología — desarrollado durante 20 años de práctica clínica.
OriginOrigen
In 2007, during my MA thesis defense at St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe, Ohio, I presented a handout titled The Anthropological Paradigm of Therapeutic Forgiveness. It proposed that forgiveness could be mapped on two axes — one measuring psychological engagement, the other measuring existential or theological orientation — and that their intersection produced four distinct positions.En 2007, durante mi defensa de tesis de maestría en St. Mary Seminary, presenté un modelo que proponía que el perdón podía mapearse en dos ejes.
That handout used Catholic seminary vocabulary: Sin, Grace, Christian Charity. Over the next 19 years of clinical practice — across thousands of sessions in Ohio, Washington DC, and Baltimore — the vocabulary changed but the structure held. "Sin" became "Separation." "Grace (Christian Charity)" became simply "Grace." The model was tested against Buddhist dukkha, Jewish teshuvah, Islamic sabr, and secular humanism. It worked across all of them.Ese documento usaba vocabulario católico. Durante los siguientes 19 años de práctica clínica, el vocabulario cambió pero la estructura se mantuvo.
In 2026, the framework was formalized in a white paper published on Zenodo with DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18882035, indexed in ORCID and Google Scholar. The capstone volume of The Invisible Series — The Invisible Life — is built entirely on this framework.En 2026, el marco se formalizó en un artículo publicado en Zenodo con DOI.
Two Axes, Four PositionsDos Ejes, Cuatro Posiciones
The framework maps every person’s forgiveness posture on two independent dimensions. Their intersection produces four typological positions — states, not identities — that shift across a lifetime, a year, or a single session.El marco mapea la postura de perdón de cada persona en dos dimensiones independientes.
Therapeutic AxisEje Terapéutico
Measures psychological engagement — willingness to enter therapeutic process, process emotion, examine patterns, and pursue clinical healing. Ranges from Rejection (psychological void) to Acceptance (mental/emotional health).Mide el compromiso psicológico — desde el Rechazo hasta la Aceptación.
Theological / Existential AxisEje Teológico / Existencial
Measures existential orientation — openness to meaning, compassion, or moral orientation beyond the self. Ranges from Separation (closed to meaning) to Grace (openness to mercy, interconnection, and purpose). Does not require religious belief.Mide la orientación existencial — desde la Separación hasta la Gracia. No requiere creencia religiosa.
[Figure 1: The Therapeutic Forgiveness Matrix — insert figure1-therapeutic-forgiveness-matrix.png]
Resentment
Theological Rejection × Therapeutic Rejection
Dual rejection. Closed to both healing and meaning. Often a rational protective response — the person may have been failed by both a therapist who did not listen and a religious institution that caused harm.Rechazo dual. Cerrado tanto a la sanación como al significado.
Clinical priority: Trust-building. The first door to open is whichever feels least threatening.
Self-Interest
Theological Rejection × Therapeutic Acceptance
Therapeutic engagement without existential orientation. The person is in therapy and making progress, but describes forgiveness purely as stress reduction. Life feels "emptier" even as symptoms improve.Compromiso terapéutico sin orientación existencial.
Clinical priority: Values exploration and meaning-oriented work.
Spiritual Captivity
Theological Acceptance × Therapeutic Rejection
Existential orientation without therapeutic processing. The person has deep faith and rich meaning-making but rejects clinical treatment. "God will handle it." Depression persists.Orientación existencial sin procesamiento terapéutico.
Clinical priority: Reframe therapy as complementary to faith, ideally in collaboration with their pastor or spiritual director.
Therapeutic Forgiveness
Theological Acceptance × Therapeutic Acceptance
Integration of therapeutic and existential engagement. Forgiveness emerges as genuine relational and existential process — neither instrumentalized nor spiritually bypassed. This is not a destination but a practice.Integración del compromiso terapéutico y existencial.
Clinical goal: Sustained practice of dual-axis integration.
The Therapeutic Forgiveness InventoryEl Inventario de Perdón Terapéutico
A 72-item integrated clinical discussion instrument operationalizing the framework. Introduced in the white paper as a preliminary 24-item measure, the inventory now weaves the two dimension scales together with a deep examination of one specific hurt, moving through healing, the hurt itself, meaning, and readiness in a single conversation. Scoring identifies the quadrant position and plots the respondent on the matrix.Un inventario clínico integrado de 72 ítems que operacionaliza el marco, tejiendo las dos dimensiones con el examen de una herida específica.
Part A. Therapeutic Dimension
12 items assessing willingness to engage in psychological process, emotional processing, clinical treatment, and therapeutic relationship. "How I Relate to My Healing." Opens the inventory.12 ítems evaluando la disposición al proceso psicológico.
Part G. Theological / Existential Dimension
12 items assessing openness to existential meaning, moral orientation, compassion, and purpose beyond the self. "How I Relate to Meaning and Purpose." Placed late in the flow, so peace with circumstance hands off naturally to meaning.12 ítems evaluando la apertura al significado existencial.
Parts B to F. The Specific HurtPartes B a F. La Herida Específica
42 items on one hurt the respondent holds in mind, its present weight, where they stand with the one who caused it, common misgivings about forgiveness, forgiveness toward themselves, and peace with what cannot be changed.42 ítems sobre una herida específica, su peso actual, la relación con quien la causó, las dudas sobre el perdón, el perdón hacia uno mismo y la paz con lo que no puede cambiarse.
Parts H, I, and J. Readiness and ReflectionPartes H, I y J. Preparación y Reflexión
A six-item readiness scale closes the inventory, followed by two checklists mapping the hurts in play and where they show up in daily life, and three open-response prompts in the respondent's own words.Una escala de preparación de seis ítems, dos listas de verificación y tres respuestas abiertas en las palabras del propio encuestado.
Scoring & InterpretationPuntuación e Interpretación
Each dimension part, A and G, is scored independently on a 1–5 Likert scale (12–60 range). Low (12–28): Rejection on that dimension. Moderate (29–43): Ambiguity zone — clinically significant transitional state. High (44–60): Acceptance on that dimension. The combination of both scores identifies the person’s quadrant position.Cada subescala se puntúa independientemente en escala Likert 1–5.
The specific-hurt parts are banded individually, and three of them, forgiveness toward the other, forgiveness toward oneself, and release of circumstance, combine into a Forgiveness Composite on a 0 to 100 scale, the inventory's longitudinal number alongside quadrant movement. The interactive online edition scores everything automatically, identifies the position with its ambiguity zones, plots the respondent directly on the Therapeutic Forgiveness Matrix, and shares the map with them per the framework's collaborative discussion protocol. Completion takes about 20 to 25 minutes.Las partes sobre la herida específica se clasifican individualmente y tres de ellas forman un Compuesto de Perdón de 0 a 100. La edición interactiva en línea puntúa todo automáticamente y ubica al encuestado directamente en la matriz. Completarlo toma de 20 a 25 minutos.
The TFI is intended as a clinical discussion instrument rather than a diagnostic scale. It opens conversation, not closes it.El IPT está diseñado como instrumento de discusión clínica, no como escala diagnóstica.
Across All TraditionsA Través de Todas las Tradiciones
ChristianityCristianismo
Grace, mercy, the Lord’s Prayer, Salvifici Doloris. The theological tradition from which the framework originated.
BuddhismBudismo
Dukkha (suffering as starting point), mettā (loving-kindness). The existential axis maps to the movement from suffering toward compassion.
JudaismJudaísmo
Teshuvah (return/repentance), tikkun olam (repair of the world). The framework’s emphasis on active reorientation resonates with the return to wholeness.
Islam
Sabr (patience in suffering), ‘afw (pardon). The dual-axis model accommodates the Islamic emphasis on endurance alongside mercy.
Secular HumanismHumanismo Secular
The existential axis does not require supernatural belief. "Grace" is operationalized as openness to meaning, compassion, or moral orientation beyond the self.
Access the ResearchAcceder a la Investigación
White Paper (PDF)
Full text with references, figures, TFI items, and 2007 appendix.
Zenodo (DOI)
10.5281/zenodo.18882035
ORCID
0009-0007-8733-1521
Google Scholar
Citations & publications
Suggested CitationCitación Sugerida
Fisher, P. (2026). The anthropological paradigm of therapeutic forgiveness: A conceptual framework integrating psychology and theology. TheraPetic® Solutions Inc. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18882035
Integrate This Framework Into Your PracticeIntegre Este Marco en Su Práctica
For clinical training, workshop requests, or questions about the TFI, contact Dr. Fisher directly.Para capacitación clínica, talleres o preguntas sobre el IPT, contacte al Dr. Fisher.