Journal of counseling research

The Effectiveness of an Intervention Based on the Social Cognitive Career Self-Management Model on Academic Entrepreneurial Intention and Identity among University Students

ahmad sadeghi

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an intervention based on the Social Cognitive Career Self-Management Model on academic entrepreneurial intention and identity among postgraduate students at the University of Isfahan. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using a pretest-posttest control group design with random assignment. The statistical population included all postgraduate students at the University of Isfahan during the 2021–2022 academic year. Using convenience sampling, 30 participants were selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group (15 per group). Data were collected using the Academic Entrepreneurial Intention Scale (Goethner et al., 2012) and the Academic Entrepreneurial Identity Scale (Guo et al., 2019). The experimental group received the intervention in ten 90-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings: The results indicated that the intervention significantly increased academic entrepreneurial intention (F = 25.62, p < .01) and identity (F = 19.28, p < .01) among postgraduate students. Conclusion: The intervention, by enhancing process and coping self-efficacy, fostering adaptive career behaviors, encouraging career exploration and planning, and facilitating contextual and environmental influences, helped students to develop a stronger intention toward academic entrepreneurship and build their entrepreneurial identity.

The Effectiveness of Single-Session Therapy (SST) on Marital Intimacy of Couples: A Mixed-Methods Explanatory Study

Keyvan Salehi

Aim: Single-session therapy is a method designed to address the client's issues in the shortest possible time and emphasizes efficiency and maximum use of time. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of single-session therapy on marital intimacy, Methods: This research employed a mixed-methods explanatory design. The statistical population included all couples who visited to the Behzist Clinic in Tehran in 2023 with marital problems with marital problems. A total of 30 couples were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups. In the quantitative phase, the effect of this intervention was assessed using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group, and using and the Walker and Thompson Marital Intimacy Scale (1983). In the qualitative phase, data from semi-structured interviews were collected with the same participants from the experimental group and analyzed by descriptive phenomenology method following the Colaizzi method. Findings: The quantitative results indicated that single-session therapy significantly improves marital intimacy (P ≤ 0.05). The qualitative findings also revealed improvements in marital intimacy, aligning with the subscales and questions of the Marital Intimacy Scale and supporting the quantitative results. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that single-session therapy can be used as a practical, short-term, and effective approach to improve marital intimacy, and its results can be useful for therapists and future researchers and encourage couples to use this method to enhance intimacy in their marital life.

A Qualitative Study of Young Girls' Views on the Criteria for Choosing a Spouse based on the Qur'anic Model of Sahmgozari

Elahe Pakseresht

Aim: In response to the growing need for contextualized criteria for spouse selection in Iranian society, this study explores the lived experiences of young women regarding such criteria, based on the Sahmgozari (participatory contribution) approach rooted in Islamic ontology. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, purposeful sampling was conducted with 16 married young women who exhibited key indicators of the Sahmgozari lifestyle—such as feelings of tranquility and personal development, agency, and formative relationships. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were then coded and analyzed. Findings: The analysis yielded three main pre-marital criteria for achieving the “desired self as a contributor in marital life.” The first criterion was development-oriented and tranquility-promoting attitudes in spouses; the second was awareness and preparedness regarding factors of similarity and difference; and the third was awareness of personal growth and maturity trajectories. Conclusion: Spouse selection criteria based on the Sahmgozari approach can broaden young women’s perspectives on marriage and support them in making rational and meaningful choices.

Analyzing the Gaps in Pre-marital Counseling from the Perspective of Experts

Maryam Sayad shirazi

Aim: Marriage, as a key social institution, is increasingly confronted by the challenges of modern life, underscoring the importance of premarital counseling. This study seeks to examine existing gaps in premarital counseling from the perspectives of experts, identify its shortcomings, and propose strategies to enhance the quality and effectiveness of these services. Methods: This qualitative, exploratory research utilized thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants (10 women and 5 men) and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret the data. Results: Following the analysis, meaningful statements were categorized into 120 basic themes, 5 organizing themes, and 16 overarching themes. The five organizing themes included: (1) essential components of premarital counseling, (2) enabling contexts for its development, (3) current challenges and deficiencies, (4) necessary strategies and interventions, and (5) the outcomes of premarital counseling. Conclusion: The findings suggest that enhancing the effectiveness of premarital counseling in Iran requires adapting validated international models to local cultural contexts, standardizing counseling services, engaging systemic institutions, leveraging purposeful technology, and addressing cultural and structural barriers. These improvements can help reduce divorce rates and foster more stable and healthy marital relationships in society.

The Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy (PTC) on Test Anxiety and Self-Confidence of Female High School Students in Tehran: A Single-Subject Design

Mohammad hassan Asayesh

Aim: The Paradoxical Therapy Model (PTC) is a new and comprehensive approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of PTC on test anxiety and self-confidence among female high school students in Tehran. Methods: The study employed a single-subject ABA design. The statistical population included all 12th-grade female students in Tehran during the 2021–2022 academic year. A convenience sample was selected from students who had referred to the school counselor at Zahra Al-Athar High School (S.A.) with complaints of test anxiety and low self-confidence. These students scored within the inclusion criteria on the Friedman and Jacob Test Anxiety Scale (1997) and the Eysenck Self-Confidence Questionnaire (1979). Four students were selected via non-random convenience sampling. After a three-week baseline assessment, participants received three individual intervention sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. During the intervention phase (B), PTC techniques were implemented. Outcomes were evaluated using visual analysis (eyeball method) and effect size calculations across multiple measurement points. Findings: The results showed significant differences in self-confidence and test anxiety scores before and after the intervention in all four students, indicating that PTC had a positive effect in reducing test anxiety and enhancing self-confidence. Conclusion: School counselors may benefit from applying this approach to help students with anxiety disorders and low self-confidence.

Comparing of the Effectiveness of Compassion-based Mindfulness Therapy and Mentalization on the Resilience of Mothers of Children with Educable Intellectual Disabilities

Tayebeh Sharifi

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of compassion-based mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based therapy on the resilience of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments and a control group was used. The statistical population consisted of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities in Farsan during the second half of 2023. Using convenience sampling, 45 participants were selected and randomly assigned to three groups (15 in each group). The first experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of compassion-based mindfulness therapy, and the second experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of mentalization-based therapy. The control group did not receive any intervention. The research instruments included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC, 2003) and a brief clinical interview. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Findings: The results indicated that both mentalization-based (p < 0.001) and compassion-based mindfulness (p < 0.001) interventions had a lasting impact on increasing overall resilience and its subscales. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the effectiveness of the two treatment methods in enhancing resilience and its components (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings, both compassion-based mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based therapy can be effectively used to enhance the resilience of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities

Analysis of Sexual Performance of Male Spouses of Infertile: Consequences of infertility

Abbas Amanelahi

crisis with psychological, familial, social, and cultural repercussions. This study aimed to explore and explain the consequences of infertility in infertile men, with a specific focus on their sexual performance. Methods: This qualitative research employed a grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 infertile men who sought treatment for infertility during 2023, using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed based on Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory methodology through open, axial, and selective coding. Findings: Data analysis resulted in 25 open codes and four main categories, which were organized into two core themes: individual consequences and couple-related consequences. The couple-related consequences included emotional-relational distress caused by childlessness and a sense of helplessness in managing sexual conflicts within the relationship. Individual consequences involved sexual difficulties stemming from childlessness and emotional distress related to sexual dissatisfaction. Conclusion: The findings highlight that infertility negatively affects the sexual performance of infertile men, leading to issues such as reduced sexual desire, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction. A decline in the quality and frequency of sexual activity was also observed. These challenges contributed to sexual dissatisfaction and emotional distress among participants. The study suggests that infertile individuals and couples may benefit from referrals to specialists in sexual health and couple therapy

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Successful Students in Career Decision-Making

Mohsen Golmohammadian

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of students who have been successful in making career decisions. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed. In the quantitative phase, the Career Decision-Making Questionnaire by Betz and Taylor (1983) was used to identify successful students in career decision-making. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory methodology and in-depth interviews were applied to examine their experiences. The statistical population consisted of all female students in the 11th and 12th grades during the 2022–2023 academic year in Kermanshah, Iran. In the quantitative stage, cluster random sampling was used to select 200 participants who completed the career decision-making questionnaire. Based on their scores, students who scored more than one standard deviation above the mean were identified as successful in career decision-making. In-depth interviews were then conducted with 15 of these students. Data saturation was reached after the final two interviews. Findings: Through open, axial, and selective coding, a total of 42 concepts emerged from the students’ narratives. These were grouped into 10 axial codes and ultimately organized under 3 selective categories: self-awareness, environmental factors, and career awareness. Conclusion: The findings suggest that students' understanding of themselves, awareness of potential careers, and the influence of their surrounding environment play significant and impactful roles in their career decision-making process.