Forgiveness is often misunderstood as an act of giving, something we offer to others without tending to our own emotional landscape. In truth, forgiveness is a courageous, embodied process that invites us to reclaim our energy, restore relational integrity, and loosen the physiological grip of resentment. It is truly a kindness to ourselves. Each week we will progress our understanding of the science-based research and neuroscience which supports our self-reflection and ultimately allows us to release destructive thoughts and memories. This is a structured, yet deeply personal pathway from hurt to freedom. Participants will work closely with others, engaging in paired exercises and shared storytelling, designed to foster emotional safety and relational depth. From the opening circle in week 1 to the closing ritual in week 4, the group moves together through a rhythm of connection and reflection. Participants are encouraged to be authentically themselves and to hold the space for others with presence and compassion. Each week we learn more about the 5-Step Forgiveness Process and practise with our new insights. Our hope is that you leave every week with a deeper sense of emotional spaciousness, renewed confidence in your capacity to forgive, and a growing ability to live with authenticity, clarity, and grace.

Practical Forgiveness

Course Description

Practical Forgiveness is a transformative workshop that guides lifelong learners through a clear, five-step process to release emotional burdens and reclaim inner peace. Grounded in scientific research, the course highlights the physical and psychological benefits of forgiveness, including better heart health, reduced stress, sounder sleep, and significantly improved happiness and feelings of well-being.

Originally designed to help couples heal relational wounds, this proven method now supports individuals across personal, spiritual, and practical journeys. Participants learn to shift their perspective from viewing forgiveness as letting others off the hook to recognising it as a powerful act of self-liberation. As this mindset takes root, they become increasingly successful at freeing themselves from the lingering effects of hurt and rejection.

Through interactive exercises, real-life applications, and group sharing, the workshop creates a safe, emotionally supportive space. Each session builds on the last, helping participants internalise the process and experience lasting breakthroughs. Whether you're working through deep-seated pain or everyday frustrations, this course offers a practical and compassionate path forward.

As the saying goes, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” It’s time to stop drinking poison and start welcoming life’s goodness.

Course Structure

Practical Forgiveness is a five-step learning process that teaches us to identify and clarify our thoughts and to release the emotions that keep us ruminating over past events. At the end of the course, participants will have the tools to bring lasting forgiveness to any situation they choose.

Participants will learn:

• To identify and own the thoughts and emotions associated with any kind of upset or grudge
• The extensive physiological, mental and emotional benefits that are gained from every attempt at forgiveness
• The processes in the brain/body and mechanisms that keep us stuck in unforgiveness
• The processes involved in the brain/body as each forgiveness attempt is made
• The mental and spiritual benefits of forgiveness
• Somatic techniques for practising forgiveness 
• How awareness of our brain/body states allows us to access the limbic and autonomic nervous system, the key players in stress reduction 

Students are required to bring a journal or notebook.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be confidently equipped with the insight and practical tools to forgive any situation they choose, whether it’s a deeply rooted emotional wound, a fleeting irritation, or anything in between. 

Hurts or disappointments can leave lasting scars, often affecting our mental and physical well-being long after the moment has passed. Even when we recognise their negative impact on us, letting go of hurts can feel elusive. 

When participants are ready to move forward, the Practical 5 Step Forgiveness process offers a clear, compassionate, and empowering pathway to release resentment and re-engage with life through renewed clarity, strength, and joy. 

For everyday frustrations and minor disruptions, this process also enables participants to respond with resilience and ease, cultivating a greater sense of emotional freedom and peace of mind.

Course Requirements

Students will need to bring a notebook or journal and pen or pencil.

Your Tutor is Jane Lewis

jane has been a tutor at WEA since 2026.

Jane is a relationship coach and group facilitator whose work integrates academic insight with embodied experience. Formerly a lawyer at a leading Adelaide firm, she transitioned into relational education following a transformative period of motherhood and personal growth. This shift led to the founding of her own business, which has been offering Couples Relationship Retreats continuously for over 15 years.

Through facilitating these retreats, Jane recognised that thriving relationships require more than communication—they demand the capacity to move through hurt, disappointment, and everyday friction. This realisation gave rise to the Practical Forgiveness Process: a teachable, repeatable method that empowers individuals to navigate emotional wounds and restore connection. Because forgiveness is not just a relational skill but a cornerstone of personal wellbeing, Jane believes it deserves its own dedicated practice.

Her formal education includes postgraduate psychology studies at Adelaide University, complemented by training in Transcendental Meditation, Transactional Analysis Counselling, Re-evaluation Co-counselling, and certification in Tantric Sex from the TantraNova Institute in Chicago.

Jane’s facilitation style is warm, clear, and emotionally attuned. She blends neuroscience, somatic practice, and compassionate group process to create spaces of safety and transformation. Whether guiding ritual, simplifying complex emotional terrain, or simply listening with presence, Jane leads with wholeheartedness and authenticity—inviting participants into deeper connection with themselves and each other.