Journal of Counseling Research

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Aim: This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of couples coping enhancement training on improving marital relations. Method: In this research with quasi-experimental design, a randomized controlled trial with baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments along with placebo and control group was conducted. 36 couples by convenience sampling selected from couples referring to court of shahr e kord in the spring of 1396 due to marital problems and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 12; under administration of couples coping enhancement training based on cultural tailoring in 9 group sessions once a week), placebo group (n = 12; under administration of mere meeting with therapist in 9 group sessions once a week) and control group (n = 12). All couples completed an ENRICH Couple Scales in three phases of baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up. Data were analyzed by SPSS and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results of analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that the couples receiving the couples coping enhancement training based on cultural tailoring reported significant difference in the mean of marital relationship scores compared toplacebo and control group couples in post treatment (2 months after the baseline assessment) and follow-up (8 months after the baseline assessment) periods (F=8/105, P<0/001). Conclusion: According to the results, couples coping enhancement training is an effective method on improving marital relations.

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Aim: The aim of this research was to study the role of e-learning on students’ perceived interpersonal relationships with teachers. Methods: This research has been done in the framework of qualitative research method and phenomenological design. The participants were 11 high school students in Tehran and they were selected in an accessible manner and participated in a semi_ structured interview. Data were analyzed by Klaizi method. Findings: Finally, after analyzing the data, 4 main categories and 8 sub-categories were obtained. Based on the findings, the student's view on their limited communication with teachers, students confusion in new situations, the nature of the differences between distance and face-to-face education, and students’ concerns about the unpreparedness of infrastructure were obtained.  These component led to a comprehensive dimension of student's perspectives on research concerns. Conclusions: The results of this study explain the possible contexts for positive intervention in the teacher-student relationship considering the existing conditions.

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Aim: The purpose of the present study was to discuss the implications of the lessons from the Quran in managing the roles and relationships in couples. Methods: Using the qualitative method and applying content analysis, all verses related to couples from Quran were explored. Results: According to the results of the study, the main identified themes for the stage of marriage included romantic relationships, couples’ roles, boundaries, distribution of family management, financial relationships, sexual relationships, and conflict resolution in couples’ relationships.  Conclusion: Based on the lessons from the Quran, the religious attitude can be considered a powerful tool in order to decrease marital conflicts and eventually in increasing marital satisfaction.

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Aim: The present study was conducted to study the lived experiences of graduate students in the field of counseling and to examine the influence of their education process on their views on marriage and marital relationships. Methods: The method of this research was qualitative and phenomenological in type. Participants in this study were 16 graduate students, selected through purposeful sampling. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. Findings: In the dimension of positive experiences, 4 main themes were obtained that included raising awareness, growing awareness of personal abilities, improving interpersonal communication skills, and experiences around marriage. Finally, the following themes of the main categories are understood: self-awareness, increasing awareness of other people's personality traits, growing self-confidence, feeling beneficial, improvement of family and social relationships, achieving a systemic view in the family, increasing empathy, control emotions, changes in attitudes toward premarital acquaintance and emphasis on premarital counseling, new attitudes about marriage, importance of awareness about premarital counseling, and changes in gender stereotypes (in male participants). In the dimension of negative experiences, the main themes included experiences related to the phenomenon of marriage and negative effects on relationships. The following themes were extracted: decreased emotional excitement about the partner, increased sensitivity and obsession in relationships, change in attitudes toward men (on the part of female participants), creating a sense misunderstanding in family and social relationships due to differences in the level of knowledge, and existence of some level of irrational expectations from graduates in this field. Conclusion: According to the findings, the lived experience of participants showed that studying counseling can influence the personal life and perspective about marriage and marital relationships from different aspects.

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Aim: The goal of this study was to qualitatively analyze the factors underlying extramarital relationships in women with extramarital relationships. Methods: The goal of the present study is applied, and in terms of the methodology is a qualitative research. The target population are women referring to counseling centers in city of Yazd witha history of marital infidelity, from which 15  people were selected as a sample through convenient sampling and a  semi-structured interview was used. Decoding was performed using thematic analysis method. Findings: The results showed that the underlying factors of extramarital relationships can be identified in three dimensions. In the dimension of family and culture, two main themes were obtained, which included family and parenting style and gender-cultural schemas. Also, in the dimension of interpersonal issues, three main themes including self-esteem, feelings of inferiority and cohesion of personality and behavior were obtained.In the dimension of interpersonal issues, the main themes included relationship challenges and outward looks criteria. Conclusion: Extramarital relationships from the perspective of women are influenced by cultural, educational, and early years’ schemas experiences. Results also showed that extramarital relationships is a multidimentional construct that cannot be only related to psychological factors. So, for knowing the the underlying factors attention must also be given to cultural diversity in Iran.

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Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of qualitatively investigating the growth of career identity of novice family counselors in the context of social and interpersonal relationships. Methods: In terms of methodology, this research was carried out with a qualitative approach and grounded theory method (data base). The study population included 12 family counselors in Tehran with inclusion criteria in the first 6 months of 1401 (Persian calendar), who were selected and participated in the research using the purposeful sampling method. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using the method of constant comparative analysis of Strauss and Corbin (2014) in three stages of open, central and selective coding. Findings: The results showed that the career identity growth of new family counselors has the main themes of importance of job, commitment and job centrality, job attachment, pure and practical aspects of consulting identity, and professional orientation in the job. This course shows that for a family counselor at the beginning of his development, counseling becomes twice important and later becomes the central core of his identity. Finally, a consultant tries to advance to the stage of becoming a professional. Conclusion: The identity of counselors is mainly interpersonal in nature. Striving for social well-being and responsibility towards the community is the center of gravity of the occupational identity of family counselors