Webinar Details

Facilitating Forgiveness: Healing Through Release

Thursday, February 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
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Session Description:
The diagnosis of a serious illness such as cancer often triggers a deep reflection of one’s lived-life, both past and present. While engaging in this life review, many may explore past choices made and opportunities taken and not taken, often leaving them with a sense of remorse and self-blame. Others may find themselves pondering wrongs done to them as well as injuries they may have caused others which have been carried, sometimes for many years, in a struggle between holding onto or letting go of hurt. Still others seek to “make it right” and find closure as they face progressive disease and eventual death. Forgiveness has emerged in the current literature as a vastly complex concept which can both support health and well-being and also result in further injury for those who are unable to achieve the reconciliation, pardon and relief for which they had hoped. The search to give or receive forgiveness as one attempts to navigate the experience of serious illness is a common spiritual challenge for many patients we serve. As oncology social workers, we need to demonstrate awareness of the emerging literature regarding the impact of forgiveness on total health and patient-centered care. We must also be able to demonstrate interpersonal clinical practice skills in assisting patients in navigating the complexities of both seeking to receive and offer forgiveness to self and others. This webinar will explore the complexities of forgiveness and its relevance to our patients as they seek to make choices to address complex emotions intertwined with forgiveness such as profound grief, hatred, debilitating self-blame, oppression in feeling forced to forgive and moral injury in evaluating one’s lived life. Practical forgiveness-focused interventions will also be presented. We will also explore our own potential need to give or receive forgiveness in our professional lives. This webinar will provide experiential application of intervention techniques.

Speaker(s):

Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW; Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care

Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, has devoted her career to oncology and hospice care since 1995, with experience in both clinical and senior leadership roles. She currently serves as an Oncology Counselor at the Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care in Maine, which she co-created in 2007, and also maintains a private practice in oncology and grief counseling. Kerry is co-founder of the Cancer Counseling Collective, LLC, an online directory connecting families with psychotherapists specializing in cancer-related bereavement. She has published and presented widely on psychosocial oncology, including co-authoring the book, Navigating Serious Illness: A Pathway for Exploring Life, Love, and Legacy (2025). An AOSW Fellow, Kerry has been recognized nationally for her dedication to improving quality of life in cancer care.

Debra Mattison, MSW, LMSW, OSW-C, FAOSW; University of Michigan School of Social Work

Debra Mattison, MSW, LMSW, OSW-C, FAOSW is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and also works at the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor. She has extensive clinical experience working as an oncology social worker and in palliative care. Her professional interests have focused on oncology, chronic illness, grief and loss, interprofessional education, group work and integration of spirituality in social work practice. Her professional publications cover a variety of areas including professional standards and ethics, professional resilience, spirituality and interprofessional education. Debbie has been acknowledged for her clinical and teaching skills. She is committed to serving clients and life-long learning and has made multiple presentations at state and national conferences.

Learning Objectives:
After attending the session, participants will be able to:

  1. Articulate and synthesize concepts from literature to provide a theoretical context to support the relevance and importance of addressing forgiveness in oncology social work practice.
  2. Discuss the complexities and various definitions of forgiveness and individual meanings embedded in individual diversity, culture and positionality.
  3. Identify and apply forgiveness-focused interventions to use in patient-centered care with patients and families.
  4. Increase knowledge and awareness of one’s own potential professional needs to give and/or receive forgiveness to improve quality of services to clients.

CE credits: 1.5 hours
Click here to view Continuing Education information.
Category: Clinical/General
Educational Level: Intermediate

 

ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORK BOARDS (ASWB):
This organization, Association of Oncology Social Workers, ACE Approval #1351, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 11/11/25 – 11/11/28.  Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 cultural competency continuing education credits.

NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S STATE BOARD FOR SOCIAL WORK:
Association of Oncology Social Work, Inc., SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0320.

Completion Requirements:
Social workers must successfully complete a quiz with a 75% passing grade and answer evaluation questions to earn credit for both live and recorded events.

*ACE approval is not accepted by all Boards. Please check the ACE jurisdiction map for a list of jurisdictions that currently accept ACE.