Journal of Counseling Research

Purpose: The present study was done with an aim to analyze the perceptions and lived experience of couples about the causes of emotional separation. Methods: The present study was of qualitative type, and followed a phenomenological approach. The data, which have been gathered through conducting twenty in-depth and semi-structured interviews with male and female who were either currently or formerly married in two cities of Qom and Tehran, have been analyzed using the theoretical coding.. Based on their married life experience, the individuals in this study described and stated the causes of the development and aggravation of their emotional separation, as well as the ways to prevent and improve such separations. Results: The in-depth analysis of the lived experiences of the interviewees led into the identification of ten minor causes and eventually into the categorization of these minor causes into four larger categories. According to the findings, the major causes of the phenomenon of  divorce are categorized into: the psychological and moral challenges, the emotional and sexual challenges, the financial challenges, and challenges related to the information technology. Conclusion: The Results of this research indicate the diversity and the multiplicity of the underlying causes of emotional separation, and suggest that such a phenomenon is affected by a variety of intertwining causes. Furthermore, these results put emphasis on the necessity for the improvement of the individual skills, such as emotional intelligence (EI), effective communication, and problem-solving as the ultimate remedies to this situation.