Forgive Me My Trespasses

Professor Dave Gordon is about to experience the weirdest, most unpredictably stressful three weeks of his teaching career. As a well-respected clinical psychologist at the height of his profession, he’s ready to prod at a few boundaries in the name of science and learning. He’s challenged himself to find ways of inspiring creativity and emotional sensitivity in his students. Excited by what he considers a brilliant idea, he decides to use examples of infamous sex scandals involving prominent political figures to illustrate novel principles of psychotherapy. He wants his advanced graduate students to hear new approaches to treating shame and guilt, and to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of compassion and forgiveness. As each student’s own issues come to the surface--and serious complaints are raised against him--his plan begins to unravel. Dave attempts to deal with the fallout, but is forced to face the implications of his own resistance to change. As he becomes increasingly unhinged and ever more anxious to understand the unexpected price of his intellectual hubris, he has some big questions to face. Where did he go wrong? Have his concerns for gender equality been misjudged? Can he ever forgive himself? What’s next?