Journal of Counseling Research

Purpose: This research was conducted to examine the efficacy of the integrative couple therapy and emotionally focused on increasing marital intimacy injured by wife infidelity (male).

Method: The research method was Semi experimental (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) using two experimental groups and one control group. The study population included all couples involved with the issue of marital infidelity (male) referred to one of three regional counseling centers in Isfahan in 1394. To investigate research assumptions, 24 couples were selected through available sampling, and placed randomly in the Integrative Couple Therapy (8 couples), Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (8 couples) and control group (8couples). For data collection, Marital Intimacy Questionnaire by Olia, Fatehizadeh and Bahrami (2006) was applied. Two experimental groups participated in 8 session's couple therapy, the control groups was not exposed to any intervention. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance with repeated measures.

Results: The results showed that between couples of each experimental groups and control group in marital intimacy and its dimensions (emotional, intellectual, physical, social- recreation, contact, spiritual, psychological, sexual, general) there are significant differences (P≤0/05). The results also showed that two approaches, both on the post-test and on the follow up test, are almost identical in increasing general marital intimacy (P<0/05). While, emotionally focused couple therapy, both on the post-test and on the follow up test, is more effective than integrative couple therapy on increasing  marital intimacy in dimensions of emotional, intellectual, contact, spiritual and  sexual.

Conclusion: The results indicated that integrative couple therapy and emotionally focused couple therapy can reduce communication problems caused by betrayed wife.