Journal of Counseling Research

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Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of dialectical behavioral therapy on resilience and psychological well-being of couples referring to Bushehr counseling centers. Methods: This study was performed on 3 couples (6 people) who were selected through voluntary and purposeful sampling. Data collection tools were Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale (2003) and Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale (1989). Data were analyzed by visual mapping, reliable change index and recovery percentage formula. Findings: Dialectical behavioral therapy was able to increase the couple's resilience (83.19% recovery), which lasted for three months until the end of the follow-up period (71% improvement). Also, dialectical behavioral therapy was able to increase the psychological well-being of couples (44.28% improvement) which was permanent until the end of the three-month follow-up period (69.83% improvement). The sustainable change index also indicated a significant change (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The results of clinical analysis of significance showed the effectiveness and importance of dialectical behavioral therapy intervention in enhancing couple resilience and psychological well-being of troubled couples and the mentioned variable could explain high rate of resilience and psychological well-being in maladaptive conditions.

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Aim: Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is developed for clients who experience high levels of shame and self-criticism. CFT emphasizes the centrality of our affiliative system in reducing threat-based processing by allowing us to feel cared for and able to offer care to both ourselves and others. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of CFT on shame and feeling of guilt among women with sexual abuse experience in childhood. Methods: The statistical population consisted of all women with Sexual Abuse experience in Childhood who had referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz. The research sample consisted of 3 women referred to counseling centers that were selected according to the results of the PTSD Checklist (Weathers, 1993) with cutoff point of 50 and with purposeful sampling method. In this research, a single-case experimental design, type of non-concurrent multiple baseline designs was used. To evaluate the shame and feeling of guilt, the state shame and guilt scale (SSGS) were used. The protocol of CFT was carried out in three phases of basic lines, intervention of 8 weekly sessions, and two months follow-up. Findings: The findings indicated that the subjects in the shame treatment phase experienced 31.20% improvement and in the guilt phase experienced  28.68% improvement. The effectiveness was maintained during the 2-month follow-up. The change index was indicative of meaningful changes. Conclusion: Therefore, the research findings illustrated that CFT is effective in decreasing of shame and feeling of guilt of women with sexual abuse experience in childhood, through decreasing reducing threat-based processing and strengthening the soothing system through the cultivation of compassion.

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Aim: Dyspareunia and vaginismus are important issues in the lives of women with these disorders and have adverse, damaging consequences for the individual, the family, and the couple's intimacy. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus. Methods: The method of this study was descriptive-phenomenological psychological in which nine female participants suffering from dyspareunia and vaginismus were selected through purposeful sampling and data collection was continued through semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. After collecting the data and transcribing them, the researcher used Giorgi’s five-step phenomenological data analysis method. Results: Analyzing data led to 12 contributing components of the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus which included: lack of awareness, experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety, fear, predicting pain, feeling of inadequacy and inferiority, feeling of shame, hatred of sex and of spouse, a feeling of suffering, feeling of anger, feeling of guilt, decreased emotional and sexual intimacy, and regret about marriage. Conclusion: The results of this study also enrich the previous research literature on the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus. Also, the structure of the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus derived from this study is widely used to develop and apply preventive and therapeutic programs for this condition and its consequences.