Psychoanalytic Explorations Program: Forgiveness In Intimate Relationships and The Clinical Encounter (12 CE credits, IL)

Course Title: Forgiveness In Intimate Relationships and The Clinical Encounter (12 CE credits, IL)

Instructor : Michele Gaspar, MA, LCPC

Meeting Dates (2025): 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 and 11/6.

Meeting Time: Thursdays; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM CST  

Location: Online via doxy.me

Course Description

The ability to forgive is considered foundational to mental health and is pertinent to psychoanalytically informed therapeutic practice. Clinicians not infrequently encounter patients who enter therapy with fractured relationships and resentments, some of which are decades old. In some cases, the inability to forgive can lead to revenge, with significant harm to both parties. Then, too, we can encounter patients who wish to be forgiven, but have been rebuffed by those they have injured. Therapeutic ruptures also require a degree of forgiveness from both participants and failure to do so can negatively impact the alliance, the treatment and serve as fodder for enactments. Forgiveness is often confused with forgetting and blanket acceptance, when neither of these address the core principles of forgiveness. Lack of forgiveness leads to guilt and isolation and can worsen mental health.

In this six-session course, we will consider the following questions: What constitutes forgiveness and are there instances when forgiveness is inappropriate? What is the connection between trauma and mourning and our inability to forgive? What happens when the desire to forgive is rebuffed? How does the modeling of forgiveness in our therapeutic work enable patients to be able to incorporate forgiveness appropriately in their own lives? What is the relationship between forgiveness and revenge? We will pursue these questions considering an object relations approach and consider the work of Shahrzad Siassi, who has written about forgiveness as a psychoanalyst. Participants will be encouraged to submit clinical material for case discussion.

Biographical Information:

Michele Gaspar is an advanced candidate at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis and is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Chicago. Michele received an MA in pastoral counseling from Loyola University/Chicago and worked in a variety of mental health settings, including community and group practices, before establishing her own private practice in 2016. She completed several units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at two Level One Trauma hospitals in Chicago is interested in issues that broadly include spirituality and meaning making. At CCP, Michele facilitates consultation groups for participants in the Fellowship Program.