Everett Worthington is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he continues to be involved with the Department of Psychology. His work centers on forgiveness, virtues, religion, and family relationships.

Everett began studying forgiveness in the 1990s while counseling couples, and he’s been a leader in forgiveness research ever since. He even directed a nonprofit that awarded over $6 million for forgiveness studies.

After his mother’s murder in 1996, Everett explored how forgiveness ties to justice, faith, and virtue. While he forgave the murderer, the emotional toll was immense, leading him to also study self-forgiveness.