The Effect of Emotion-Focused Therapy Based on Interpersonal Forgiveness Concepts on Decreasing Divorce Tendency and Increasing Family Cohesion in Women Who Affected by Marital Infidelity

The purpose of present study was to investigate the effect of emotion-focused therapy based on interpersonal forgiveness concepts on decreasing  divorce tendency and increasing family cohesion in women who affected by marital infidelity. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design using multiple single-case study method was used. 3 women who affected by marital infidelity of their husbands and referred to Ardakan social welfare emergency institute were selected by available sampling. Data gathered by divorce tendency scale (Rusbult & et al, 1986) and family adaptability & cohesion evaluation scale (Faces III) in 3 time point phase. The participants answered to the scales twice in baseline phase, then emotion-focused therapy was carried out in treatment phase during 10 sessions. Participants answered to the scales in 4th and 7th and final session of the intervention. After one month, as follow-up phase, participant also answered to the scales. The data were analyzed using visual analysis, improvement percentage and reliable change index. The findings showed that there were significant clinically and statistically improvements in the divorce tendency and family adaptability and cohesion after treatment (p<.05). After one months of follow-up, differences were also maintained, that indicates the sustainability of the therapeutic effects. Regarding the results, it can be concluded that emotion-focused intervention based on forgiveness concepts can be used to increase the family adaptability and cohesion and to reduce divorce tendency in women who affected by infidelity of their husbands.