We all make mistakes. Knowing how to mend our relationships is vital to the mental health of our families and communities. This episode is an exploration of apologies: why saying “I’m sorry” can be difficult, and how we can get better at repairing the relationships that matter the most. Through stories, this show addresses apologies after the #MeToo movement, and the pressure to forgive. It also chronicles the many ways a restorative justice process can change the lives of everyone involved. We combine storytelling with practical expert guidance to give you the tools you need to start you own courageous conversations.
Tips & Strategies for How to Apologize Well
Discussion Guide (PDF)
Listen to Stories From the Episode
Resources
From Our Guests
- Harriet Lerner Full Interview Transcript (PDF)
- Why Won’t You Apologize? Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts
Harriet Lerner - Five Ways Your Apology Has the Power to Heal
Harriet Lerner—Psychology Today - Should We Forgive the Men Who Assaulted Us?
Danielle Berrin—New York Times op-ed - 2015 Report of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission
Further Reading & Listening
General Resources
- On Apology
Aaron Lazare - Interview with Aaron Lazare
Safe Space Radio, 2015 - Guilt: the Bite of Conscience
Herant Katchadourian - Interview with Herant Katchadourian
Safe Space Radio, 2015
Restorative Justice in Schools
- How Schools Are Using Restorative Justice to Remedy Racial Disparities in Discipline
F. E. Davis—Salon - Opening Up, Students Transform a Vicious Circle
P. L. Brown—New York Times - School Hopes Talking It Out Keeps Students from Dropping Out
J. Guerra—National Public Radio - Introduction to Restorative Justice
Centre for Justice & Reconciliation - Implementing Restorative Justice: a Guide for Schools
Illinois Criminal Justice Authority - Restorative Justice Resources for Schools
Edutopia
Eating Disorders
- 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Eating Disorders
M. J. Crabbe (@bodiposipanda) - Let’s Get Real About Eating Disorders
S. Niego and E. Kleifield—Silver Hill Hospital - When It Comes to Race, Eating Disorders Don’t Discriminate
S. M. Meraji—National Public Radio
Sexual Assault and Abuse
- She Founded MeToo. Now She Wants to Move Past the Trauma.
A. Harris—The New York Times - A Different Path for Confronting Sexual Assault
s. baliga—Vox - Where #MeToo Came From, and Where It’s Going
C. MacKinnon—The Atlantic - Forgiveness and Childhood Sexual Abuse
A. Jenkins—International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work
Native Child Welfare
- I am Living Proof That It’s Best to Keep Native Children with Their Tribal Communities
A. Adams—Seattle Times - American Indian Adoptees Deal With Painful Past and Family Separations
C. Erickson—Indian Country Today - Who Should Get to Adopt Native American Children?
L. Kvatum—The Washington Post
Helpful Organizations
