The Effectiveness of Emotional-Focused Couple Therapy on Reducing the Negative Emotion Schemas and Alexithymia as well as Increasing Marital Compatibility

This research has been implemented to examine the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy on reducing negative emotion schemas and alexithymia and enhancing marital compatibility of women referring to counseling centers in Isfahan city, Iran. The present research was semi-experimental and of pre-and post-test type with the control group. Their research population consisted of maladjusted women referring to the counseling centers in Isfahan, Iran. Using a marital maladjustment questionnaire and psychological diagnosis, 30 subjects were chosen and assigned into control and experimental groups through simple random sampling; in this research, negative emotion schemas referred to the scores resulting from Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (2002). Emotional alexithymia was measured using the Toronto questionnaire (2007), and marital compatibility using the Spanier questionnaire (1976). The intervention group participated in eight therapy sessions with an emotionally focused couple therapy approach, but the control group did not receive interventions. Suggest: Thirty subjects with a marital maladjustment questionnaire and psychological diagnosis were chosen and assigned to control and experimental groups through simple random sampling. The research, negative emotion schemas referred to the scores resulting from Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (2002)). The results adjusted that emotionally focused couple therapy can enhance marital compatibility and reduce the negative emotion schema and emotional alexithymia among the study women (P<.05). Thus, this method can be used as an intervention and therapeutic method to reduce negative emotional schema and alexithymia and enhance marital compatibility.