Journal of counseling research

Developing a Model of Sacred Identity Reconstruction Following Traumatic Grief in Parents of Martyrs in Minab: A Grounded Theory Study

Efat Hoseini

Objective: Traumatic grief in parents following the sudden and violent loss of a child shatters their meaning system and identity. However, some parents in cultural-religious contexts, drawing on spiritual resources, transform their grief into a process of self-reconstruction. This study aimed to discover and explain the model of sacred identity reconstruction following traumatic grief in parents of the martyrs of the Minab missile attack.

Method: This study used a qualitative approach with systematic grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin), conducted in 2026 in Minab County. Participants were 17 parents of martyrs (14 mothers and 3 fathers), selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding.

Findings: The final model was conceptualized around the core category of "sacred identity reconstruction following traumatic grief." Causal conditions included "monotheistic worldview" and "sacred-oriented upbringing of children." The context was shaped by "Shi'a culture of martyrdom," "sanctification of place," "the family's spiritual lifeworld," "supportive extended family context," and "identity-affirming marital support." Parents used five strategies: "sacred interpretation of loss," "positive religious coping," "maintaining a symbolic bond with the martyr," "participation in collective rituals," and "social identity reconstruction." The outcome was "existential growth and transcendence," manifested in "consolidation of a new self-concept," "restoration of agency and direction," "emotional regulation and acceptance of loss," "deeper meaning and peace," and "social recognition and status."

Conclusion: Traumatic grief within the martyrdom discourse can be transformed from a purely pathogenic experience into a process of sacred identity reconstruction. These findings emphasize the necessity of attending to cultural-religious dimensions in grief interventions.

Flourishing Within Suffering: A Phenomenological Exploration of Mothers’ Lived Experiences in Post-War Psychoeducational Contexts

Mitra Moradi

Aim: This study aimed to explore and interpret the lived experiences of mothers residing in post-war regions regarding their participation in group psychoeducational programs, and to delineate the impact of this experience on their perception of war-related suffering. Method: Employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, this qualitative study gathered data through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 mothers who participated in a structured post-war psychoeducational program. The interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Finding: Data analysis yielded four organizing themes illustrating a dynamic transformative process from “passive suffering” to “active resilience”: (1) Ontological redefinition of suffering: transforming threat into opportunity (including sub-themes: suffering as a teacher, suffering as a context for transcendence, and conscious acceptance); (2) Expansion of resilient agency: activating multilayered resources (including: active emotion regulation, resource compartmentalization, and restoration of agency through narrative); (3) Resilience networking: the catalytic role of the group (including: the group as a mirror, and internalizing the voices of others); and (4) Transformative outcomes: the emergence of the resilient self (including: transition from fear to courage, paradigmatic integration of suffering and growth, and relational agency and empathy). Findings indicated that the psychoeducational program served as a platform for rewriting the narrative of suffering, strengthening resilient metacognition, and restoring agency through supportive relationships. Conclusion: The mothers’ experiences suggest that group psychoeducational interventions in post-war contexts can function as a conduit for post-traumatic growth and the reconstruction of maternal identity, extending far beyond simple symptom reduction. By facilitating the transition from passive victimhood to active agency, these interventions enable mothers to derive new meaning from their suffering, thereby experiencing resilience not as a static individual trait, but as a dynamic, relational, and meaning-making process embedded within the family and community fabric.

Effectiveness of Career Counseling Based on Career Path Design on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Productivity of Employees in Companies Affiliated with the Teachers’ Reserve Fund

Mohammad Amin Zarei

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of career counseling based on career path design on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and human resource productivity among employees of companies affiliated with the Teachers’ Reserve Fund.
Methods: This applied study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest, posttest, and three-month follow-up, including a control group. The statistical population consisted of employees working in companies affiliated with the Teachers’ Reserve Fund. Among eligible employees, 60 participants were selected through convenience sampling and, after initial matching based on demographic and occupational characteristics, were assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in an eight-session career counseling program based on career path design, with each session lasting 90 minutes and held once a week. The control group received only routine organizational programs during the same period. Data were collected using job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and human resource productivity questionnaires. The data were analyzed using mixed repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results: The findings indicated that the interaction effect of time and group was significant for job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and human resource productivity. The mean scores of the experimental group increased from pretest to posttest in all three variables, and this improvement was largely maintained at the three-month follow-up. In contrast, the control group showed no meaningful change across the study phases.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that career counseling based on career path design can be used as an effective intervention for human resource development, increasing job satisfaction, strengthening organizational commitment, and improving employee productivity. By reconstructing career narratives, enhancing professional self-awareness, aligning individual and organizational values, strengthening career adaptability, and developing professional action plans, this intervention can improve employees’ occupational attitudes and job-related functioning.

Living in the Cycle of Hope and Despair: Women’s Experience of Repeated and Unsuccessful IVF Treatments

Maryam Salimi

Background: Repeated failures in assisted reproductive treatments, particularly in vitro fertilization (IVF), are not merely medical experiences but involve profound psychological, social, and identity-related consequences for women. Despite technological advances in infertility treatment, understanding the lived experience of women facing repeated cycles of failure requires qualitative investigation. This study aimed to explore the experience of “living in the cycle of hope and despair” among women with a history of multiple unsuccessful IVF treatments.Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological approach. The sample consisted of 12 women who had undergone at least three unsuccessful IVF cycles and were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. MAXQDA version 20 software was employed for data management and organization.Findings: Data analysis revealed six main themes: “the cycle of hope–despair throughout treatment,” “disintegration and redefinition of maternal identity,” “experiencing time suspended in expectancy,” “socio-cultural pressures surrounding motherhood,” “emotional loneliness and complexities in marital relationships,” and “adaptation and meaning reconstruction.” Repeated IVF failures evoke a multidimensional experience of grief, identity crisis, and reconsideration of motherhood’s meaning and life’s future. Women cope with these challenges through diverse strategies such as redefining hope, relying on supportive resources, and reconstructing life meaning.Conclusion: The experience of repeated IVF failures transcends a mere medical event, representing a complex process involving confrontation with loss, social pressures, and identity reconstruction. The findings emphasize the necessity for integrating psychological and social support within infertility treatment services and designing interventions based on meaning and resilience for women undergoing treatment.