Journal of counseling research

The Moderating Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Romantic Attachment Styles and Marital Quality

Amanelahi, A [1] - Karimzadeh Negar, A[2] - Aslani, KH[3]

This study examined the moderating role of mindfulness in the relationship between attachment styles and marital quality of female students in Shahid Chamran University in Ahvaz. Sample size included 207 married female students who were selected using convenient sampling. Participants completed Behavioral Systems Questionnaire, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, and Marital Quality Index. Descriptive and correlational research methods were used, anddata was analyzed using Pearson correlation and linear regression, using statistical software (SPSS-21). Results indicated a significant positive relationship between the secureattachment styles and marital quality, and a significant negative relationship between preoccupied and ambivalent attachment styles with marital quality. The results also showed that mindfulness seems to moderate the relationship between secure, preoccupied, and ambivalent attachment styles with marital quality.

[1]. Corresponding author, Assistant Professor, Department of counseling, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Email: a.amanelahi@scu.ac.ir.

[2]. M.A. in family counseling, Shahid Chamran. University of Ahvaz.

[3]. Assistant Professor, Department of counseling, Shahid Chamran. University of Ahvaz

Comparative Study of Quality of God Image in Anxious Patients and Healthy Subjects

Hossein Ahmad Barabadi [1] - Ma'soomeh Ismaili[2] - Hossein Salimi Bajestani[3] - Seyed Mohammad Kalantarkooshe[4]

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of God image in anxious patients in comparison to healthy subjects. This was a qualitative study using deep interview among patients referred to Tehran Imam Khomeini Hospital psychiatric clinic, 17 patients (12 women and 5 men) who received a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder and 10 healthy subjects (7 men and 3 women) who had no symptoms of anxiety or other psychiatric disorders. They were selected through purposeful sampling, until saturation was obtained. For data analysis Grounded theory method with thematic analysis were used. The results showed significant differences between anxious and healthy people in the quality of God image. The majority of anxious patients’ God image seemed to be negative, which included terms such as: untrustworthy, awful, inaccessible, unkind, and non-supportive. While most healthy people’s God image was positive, and included categories such as: trusted, forgiving, receptive, kind, nice, and insightful (with wisdom).

[1]. Assistan Professor, University of bojnord. habarabadi@gmail.com.

[2]. Associate Professor, Allameh Tabataba’i University.

[3]. Assistan Professor, Allameh Tabataba’i University.

[4]. Assistant Professor, Allameh Tabataba’i University.

Studying the Experience of Transition by Graduates in Helping Professions to Professional Careers

Hossein Salimi Developing a stable professional identity, especially in counseling is a time-taking process. The goal of this study was to analyze the experiences of graduates in helping professions on the way of becoming professionals, so that the obtained data be used to clarify, in teaching, and for career supervision. The research method was qualitative in nature (phenomenological) with purposeful sampling. The sample population consisted of 23 counseling graduates with average of 4 years of working experience. The interviews were semi-structured in which the participants shared their experience of becoming professionals. Following data collection, coding and sentences related to their most important experiences (feelings of professional identity, expectations involved, counseling metaphors, and perspectives about rewards in counseling jobs) were drawn and analyzed. Responses showed indicated that participants seemed to be aware of profession's requirements and posses a sense of worth and effectiveness in the profession. Results of this study show the strengths, risks, and areas in need of growth in process of training counselors, which can be useful for academic programs in counseling.

Studying the Effectiveness of Couples Oriented Emotional-Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention on Reduction of Sexual Problems in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Preliminary Study

Besharat, M. A - Salehi, M - Rostamian, A - Ghorbani, N The aim of this study was to design and test the effectiveness of a couples oriented emotional-cognitive-behavioral intervention model and patient-oriented cognitive-behavioral intervention model of sexual problems in women with rheumatoid arthritis. The research used a quasi-experimental design with pretest, and post-test, and a 3 month of follow-up. The research samples consisted of 90 women with rheumatoid arthritis recruited from Imam Khomeini hospital’s rheumatology corridor as well as 2 rheumatology medical offices in northern and central Tehran. They were divided to three groups, including the first experimental group (intervention based on the couples-oriented emotional-cognitive-behavioral model), the second experimental group (intervention based on the patient-oriented cognitive-behavioral model), and the control group. The measuring instrument used was Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS-F) which was filled by participants at the pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up stages. The inflammatory marker (CRP) levels also were measured through blood tests before and after interventions. The result of repeated measures analysis showed that both models can be effective, but in comparison with the patient–oriented intervention, the couple–oriented intervention seemed to have a more significant positive impact on the reduction of sexual symptoms. However, there was still no difference in the level of the inflammatory marker (CRP) in pre and post tests of the 3 groups. According to the findings, it can be concluded that the couples-oriented emotional-cognitive-behavioral intervention can be used as an effective intervention to reduce sexual problems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis even though it does not seem to have any impact on the inflammatory marker (CRP).

The Effectiveness of Communication Skills on Improvement of Love Perspective and Marital Disenchantment

Seyyedeh Faeze Sajjadi - Rasool Rowshan The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of communication skills on improving the perspective on love and marital disenchantment. The current research was semi-experiential and involved pretest and posttest with control group. The target population included all female marriage students at Mashad Medical University who were present at campus dormitory at the beginning of summer 2014. Forty individuals were selected through purposeful sampling. Selected individuals participated in ten 90-minute (twice weekly) supervised training. Research tools included Paynz Marital Disenchantment and Hendrik and Hendrik attitutes towards love. Data from single-variable and multi-variable covariance analysis were analyzed. Results showed a meaningful difference between the behavior of the two groups (p<0.0001). Additionally, communication skills seemed to improve perspective towards love and marital disenchantment.

The Effectiveness of Gestalt Therapy on Psychological Well-Being and Quality of Life of Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disability

Ali Sheykholeslami, Ph.D - Hosein Ghamari Qivi, Ph.D - Masood Moradi, Ph.D - Yosra Mohammadi, M.A The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on quality of life and psychological well-being of mothers of children with intellectual disability. The research method was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest design, with control group. The statistical population of this study included all mothers of children with intellectual disability in well-being organization centers in city ofArdabil in the year 2014-15. At first, one center that was accessible was selected. Then, from among mothers with children at this center 30 mothers were selected through simple random sampling which were randomly assigned to the treatment group (15 individuals) and control group (15 individuals). The treatment group received group gestalt therapy in 10 sessions. Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire and Quality of Life Questionnaire (World Health Organization) were used for gathering data. Data were analyzed by multivariable co-variance test. Findings confirmed the research hypothesis about the effectiveness of group gestalt therapy on psychological well-being and quality of life of mothers of children with intellectual disability. In conclusion, group gestalt therapy seems to have asignificant effect on increasing the psychological well-being and quality of life of mothers of children with intellectually disability.

Studying the Effectiveness of Couples Sexual Cognitive – Behavioral Therapy on Improvement of Women's Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Isfahan

Ronak Eshghi - Fatemeh Bahrami - Maryam Fatehizadeh - Amir Keshavarz Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) or Frigidity is one of the most common female sexual dysfunction (FSD) that can cause marked distress and interpersonal difficulties. This condition may significantly damage the marital relationship and as such weaken family life. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder may have roots in lack of knowledge or insufficient awareness, or incorrect attitudes towards sexual relationship. The purpose of this investigation was to study the effectiveness of couples sexual cognitive-behavioral therapy on improvement of HSDD symptoms and its dimensions (behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physical) in women who suffered from this condition in city of Isfahan. This research was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest, with control group. The sample in this study were 18 couples who had referred to counseling centers in Isfahan, who were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. Researchers used a modified version of female frigidity scale consisting of written and visual items (Eshghi & Bahrami, 2005). The experimental group received 8 sessions of couples sexual cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the control group was received no intervention. The results of covariance analysis indicated that the specific counselingintervention was effective in women's total frigidity scores (P=0.0001) and its subscales: behavioral subscale (P=0.00), cognitive subscale (P=0.003), emotional subscale (P=0.0001), and physical subscale (P=0.003). The results of the present study showed that couples sexual cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to improve female sexual desire through improvement of couples sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes and beliefs, sexual skills, and sexual self-disclosure.