نشریه روانشناسی خانواده
سال هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 13، بهار و تابستان 1399)

Couple therapy is considered as the treatment of choice for common distresses and problems within couples' relationships. Different models of couple therapy have been developed with the shared aim of treating the couples' distressed relationship. The present article has two purposes. Firstly, this article introduces the principles and techniques of a new couple therapy model named paradoxical couple therapy or PTC-based couple therapy. Secondly, this article evaluates the effectiveness of PTC-based couple therapy for the treatment of couples' distressed relationship. A husband and wife participated in the present study to receive a PTC-based couple therapy.  Evaluation of clinical indices as well as treatment outcomes were performed based on Mental Health Inventory (MHI-28), Golombok Rust Inventory of Marital State Questionnaire (GRIMS), and the Treatment Outcome Subjective Rating Scale (TOSRS) at intake, the end of treatment sessions, and in a 2 and 4 years follow-up. The results indicated a considerable increase in the couples' score of psychological well-being as well as a considerable decrease in their score of psychological distress and relationship problems. Evaluation of the treatment outcomes also revealed that the treatment was completely successful. The couple rated their progress and improvement at the end of the treatment 90% for the wife and 95% for the husband. Evaluation of the treatment outcomes in a 2 and then 4 years follow-up showed that the treatment changes were satisfactory, stable and permanent, during which no relapse was happened. These results corroborate the deep and permanent effects of the PTC-based couple therapy in the shortest possible time. The influential mechanisms of “timetable for periodical management” and "timetable for paradoxical reciprocity negotiation", as the two main PTC-based couple therapy techniques, and their adjustment to the treatment outcomes are explained in the present article. The PTC-based couple therapy, as a very short-term, effective, efficient and yet economical approach is introduced and suggested for the treatment of couples' distresses and problems.

The family is of particular importance in different societies. Family Triad Model is a comprehensive model by Iranian culture. It helps to create a coherent family through three components, we-ness, flexible boundaries, and joining. This study was conducted to predict the sides of the family triad model based on the couple’s early maladaptive schemas. This research was a correlation study and the statistical population consisted of all couples living in Tehran. 151 couples responded to the Family Triad Model Scale (FTMS) and short form of Young’s schema questionnaire (YSQ-SF). According to analyzed data, Schemas are classified into three categories based on the intensity of impact on the Family Triad Model. The first category is the spouses' ineffective schemas on the sides of the family triad model. In this category, if there is a schema in each of the spouses, the sides of the model are not negatively affected. The second category is the very effective schemas of spouses on the sides of the family and model. In the presence of these schemas in each of the spouses, almost all sides are negatively affected. The third category is schemas with different effects on the sides of the family and model. If schemas in this category are in each of the spouses, the family triad model is affected differently. The results showed that the existence of schema in husbands has a more destructive effect on the family triad model. The results of the study are predictive for the quality of marital relations and the quality of spouses' relations with main and in-law families. Therefore, these results are useful in family and couple counseling.

Low levels of resilience and psychological well-being are destructive factors in married life and have detrimental effects on the physical and emotional health of couples. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the combined approach of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) on resilience and psychological well-being of maladapted couples. For this purpose, among the couples who referred to the counseling centers of Bushehr in 1398, 3 incompatible couples (6 people - 3 women and 3 men -) were selected. In this study, a single-subject design of multiple simultaneous baseline was used. Therapeutic protocol Integrated approach based on acceptance, commitment and dialectical behavior therapy was performed in two to four baseline stages, ten intervention sessions and three follow-up stages. Subjects were assessed using the Connor & Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Reef Psychological Well-Being (RSPWB) at baseline, treatment, and follow-up stages. The results showed that the rate of improvement in the resilience variable in the post-treatment and follow-up stages was 65.26 and 68.79% and the rate of improvement in the post-treatment stage was variable Psychological well-being was 56% and 85.76%, respectively. Based on this approach, this approach has affected the goal of treatment. Therefore, it is concluded that to increase resilience and psychological well-being of maladapted couples, the integrated approach of treatment based on acceptance, commitment and dialectical behavior therapy can be used in therapeutic sessions and counseling.

The family is a human-producing organization, the origin of other social institutions, and the basic pillar of every Society. Spirituality is one of the factors that play a vital and important role in the multilateral health of family members. this study aimed to investigate the role of the dimensions of attitude and practical commitment to prayer in predicting the family efficiency and the satisfaction of being a parent in the staff of Quyen. This research is a descriptive-correlative study. The statistical population of this study was the staff of Qayen, among which 250 (57 women and 193 men) employees were selected by random sampling. The measurements were Questionnaire of Attitude and Practical Commitment to Prayer, Questionnaire of Family Efficiency(S.FEQI), and Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale(KPSS). The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the dimensions of attitude and practical commitment to prayer whit family efficiency and satisfaction of being a parent. The results of the regression analysis showed that among the dimensions of attitude to prayer, the dimension of "the presence of heart while praying" can predict family efficiency and satisfaction of being a parent. It can be concluded that the implementation of divine precepts whit the presence of heart is associated with family efficiency and the satisfaction of being a parent. This emphasizes the importance of prayer in human life and this is a strong cognitive and scientific justification for individuals to have a positive attitude towards prayer and to need to perform it. According to the results of this study, it is suggested that with more attention to the Islamic lifestyle and the strengthening of religious beliefs attempts to have a better and more satisfying life.

Having a mentally retarded child has a significant effect on family mental health and leads to anxiety and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion regulation training based on Gross Model on anxiety, depression and emotion regulation in mothers of children with intellectual disability. The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design and control group. 30 mothers of boys with intellectual disability were randomly divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and control group (15 people). The experimental group received emotional training based on Gross model in 8 sessions that were 2 hours; While the control group did not receive any intervention. All subjects answered Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) before and after the training. The results of these analyzes showed that the scores of emotional regulation, anxiety and depression of the subjects in the experimental group were significantly lower compared to the control group in the post-test stage. These findings suggest that emotion regulation training is a good way to improve emotion regulation and reduce anxiety and depression in mothers of children with intellectual disability and can be used as an intervention with empirical evidence in psychological clinics.

Divorce is a risk factor for many forms of dysfunction and psychological pathology in families. Silencing Self and the inability to establish emotional intimacy between couples can lead to problems and the demand for divorce. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on silencing the self-repression and emotional intimacy in divorce seeking women. It was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest, and control group design. The statistical population of the study included all seeking  divorce women in Behbahan in 2020. The samples of this study consisted of 30 divorce seeking women (15 experimental and 15 control groups) who were selected through available sampling and according to inclusion criteria. The experimental group received eight ninety-minute sessions during two months while the control group didn’t receive this intervention during conducting the study. The questionnaires in the study included The Silencing the Self Scale (STSS) and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR). The results showed that compassion-focused therapy has been effective in Silencing the self and emotional intimacy. According to the findings of the present study, compassion-focused therapy can be suggested as an efficient method to increase emotional intimacy and decrease Silencing the self in divorce seeking women.

Marital conflict is a growing phenomenon that causes great harm to societies. This study aimed to model marital conflicts based on the acceptance and action and beliefs and thoughts of couples mediated by mindfulness. The present study was descriptive-correlational and structural equation modeling. A total of 270 married women referring to counseling centers in Ardabil were selected by simple random sampling method and were asked to use the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - Second Edition (AAQ-II), Couples Beliefs Scale (CBT), and Five-Dimensional Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that the variables of acceptance and action and beliefs and thoughts of couples have a negative and significant direct effect on marital conflicts. Mindfulness has a direct negative and significant effect on marital conflicts. Also, acceptance and action and beliefs and thoughts of couples in addition to direct impact, have a negative and significant indirect effect on marital conflicts through mindfulness which was observed according to the obtained result for VAF statistics. 37.4% of the effect of couples' beliefs and thoughts on marital conflict and 29% of the effect of acceptance and action on marital conflict can be explained through mindfulness. The findings of this study showed that mindfulness as a mediating variable can explain the relationship between marital conflicts, acceptance and action, and the beliefs and thoughts of couples, and acceptance and action, beliefs and thoughts of couples reduce marital conflicts. According to the obtained results, family experts can reduce the rate of marital conflicts by emphasizing the increase of competencies related to acceptance and practice, couples 'beliefs, and mindfulness, and consequently lead to a sustainable continuation of couples' lives.

Emotional divorce is one of the most important traumas and causes of family breakdown in most families. The recognition of the variables affecting emotional divorce is considered as important. Knowing how the variables operate and relate in the field of preventing emotional divorce can improve the emotional relationships between couples and prevent legal divorce. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of sexual assertiveness in the relationship between sexual self-efficacy and emotional divorce. The participants included 295 married women from Gonabad, Sabzevar and Neyshabur, all of whom completed the Hulbert index of sexual assertiveness (HISA), as well as sexual self-efficacy questionnaire (SSQ), and emotional divorce scale (EDS). The results indicated the direct and indirect effectiveness of sexual self-efficacy. In addition, a negative path was obtained between sexual self-efficacy and emotional divorce, while there was a positive path between sexual self-efficacy and sexual assertiveness. Further, the results of path analysis demonstrated the mediating role of sexual assertiveness in the relationship between sexual self-efficacy and emotional divorce. In general, the results confirmed the role of sexual assertiveness and self-efficacy in the occurrence and continuation of emotional divorce. Finally, emotional divorce can partly decrease by providing the necessary training to families for enhancing sexual behaviors among the couples with emotional divorce.

Marital infidelity is one of the most important traumatic factors for couples and families, and is a common phenomenon for family and marriage therapists. It has a significant impact on the betrayed spouse. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on enduring the distress and self-control of betrayed women. The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. Of all the betrayed women who referred to the Family Counseling Office in District 3 of Tehran in the first 6 months of 2019, 34 women were selected based on their availability and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group then experienced acceptance and commitment therapy in 8 sessions. Participants in the present study were asked to complete data collection tools including Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and Self-Control Scale (SCS) in both pre-test and post-test stages. The results of the present study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy has a significant effect on increasing the tolerance of distress and self-control of betrayed women (P = 0.0001). According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be used as an intervention method for marital infidelity and as one of the methods of intervention in treatment and counseling sessions.

One of the most important problems among Iranian adults is the delay in marriage among girls and boys. It can cause social harm; therefore the deep identification of its roots can be a facilitator. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the components affecting untimely marriages among single Iranian boys, which was done by guided content analysis the research aims to identify the components of delay in marriage among single and educated Iranian men. In this study, 14 single men aged 30 to 38 years old in the city of Bushehr who was still single were selected and interviewed. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed by content analysis method, which led to the identification of three pervasive themes, which were: Analysis of the data obtained from the interviews led to the identification of three pervasive themes, which were: having a family regardless of child marriage, having an individualistic personality, and living in a society that encourages celibacy. Based on findings it can be said that in the formation of untimely singleness, three important components of personality, family, and society encourages is necessary. Therefore, its improvement also depends on multidimensional corrections according to the points mentioned. Therefore, it is suggested that using the model extracted from this research, educational packages for preventing untimely celibacy be prepared and presented to young people about to get married.

The mate selection process is an important and difficult issue for many in different societies. The selection of the appropriate person to marry is one of the most stressful decisions in life. People ambitiously try to find the appropriate person to marry and understand if they are having the right choice or not before marriage. Unfortunately, the basics of the people who are trying to choose the appropriate individual come from unrealistic beliefs or expectations. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a pre-marriage training program based on the Larson model on restrictive beliefs about choosing a spouse in students. For this purpose, male and female students in Shiraz University were invited by summoning to participate in the pre-marriage training workshop. From the registered students, 60 subjects were selected randomly and placed in experimental and control groups. Then a pre-test was taken of both groups. The experimental group took part in a pre-marriage course. Both groups then took the post-test. The instrument used in this study was a scale to measure the spouse-selection attitudes. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS by utilizing, MANCOVA and covariance analysis. The results showed that the experimental and control groups performed significantly differently in the subscales of love-belief, pivotal experience, idealism, easy-taking, optimism, but not in the subscale opposite seeking. According to the research findings and the importance of rational and efficient beliefs in family strength, it seems that couples should learn more about them. The based on the results of this research, it is suggested that results of such research available to different centers and organizations so that they can plan well based on the results of the research.

The way of marriage and family relationship the couple and their families can be effected  on their primitive cognition of each other and their  adaptability and marital satisfaction. So, the present study was conducted to compare marital satisfaction in individuals with kinship and non-kinship marriage. For this purpose, 210 subjects (30 people in each group) were selected by available sampling method and tested by Afrooz couple satisfaction scale. Data analysis showed, there was no significant difference between the overall score of marital satisfaction in individuals with kinship and non-kinship marriage. But at the subscale level, there was a significant difference between two groups on the problem-solving, Ideal thinking and communication skills. therefore, it seems that the provision of family education and counseling in order to improve communication skills and problem-solving skills among couple with -kinship marriage. Especially, more family relationships between kinship couples in some cases can lead to misunderstandings and differences if not properly managed, which weakens the couple's interactions. Of course, one of the reasons for the weakness in communication skills between kinship couples, in turn, can be the inability to use the right problem-solving methods, which can be controlled and managed to a large extent through training and counseling.