Journal of Counseling Research

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Objective: Resilience is a positive psychological component that focuses on individual abilities to cope with adverse life events. Several factors play a role in increasing resilience, including genetic, environmental, and educational backgrounds. Resilience can also play a boosting role for the immune system. Humor is a positive trait in life that some approaches, such as the psychoanalytic, see it as a defensive strategy against stress and a kind of relief. Researches shows that humor plays an important role in improving the function of the immune system against stress by improving resilience. The present study aimed to study the role of humor in women's resilience against the psychological pressures of quarantine days because of Covid-19 Virus qualitatively. Method: This study was conducted by studying the lived experiences of women during the outbreak of this pandemic, by phenomenological method. The research community included women who answered positively to the question of whether humor in quarantine played a role in your daily life. A purposeful sampling was used and 18 participants were interviewed until saturation. The research tools were semi-structured interviews and analysis of findings were performed by seven-stage phenomenological Kolizey’s method. Results: After coding the interviews and categorizing the sub-topics, for the first question, seven main topics "reducing stress levels, balancing life, being creative, distancing oneself from adversity, increasing happiness, strengthening patients' morale, and empathizing with the plight of others." Were obtained, and the core theme was "Choosing humorous strategies by reducing stress and creatively directing life, restoring balance to life and making people more resilient to the harsh conditions of the quarantine period." For the second question, the 5 main themes of "extensive use of resources, purposeful jokes with selective content, improvisational use and creativity, connecting jokes, and position-appropriate jokes" with the core theme of "The humor which increases resilience is in accordance with circumstances, creative, and it aims to strengthen interpersonal ties." Were obtained. Conclusion: The present study showed that humor can make it easier to endure the difficult conditions of quarantine and even illness and cause a more appropriate response to stress in crisis situations by strengthening morale and creating personal vitality.

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Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop a life skills training based on native Iranian culture and to determine its effectiveness on the happiness and resilience of divorced women. Methods: The research method used was qualitative-quantitative. The statistical population for this research included all divorced women between the ages of 30 and 40 who referred to counseling and psychological services centers of city of Kerman in the first half of 1395 (Persian calendar), among whom 30 were selected thrgouh available sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (15 subjects each). To collect data, Conner and Davidson Resilience (2003) and Oxford Happiness (1989) Questionnaires were used. The training program was performed in 11 ninety-minute sessions  in the experimental group, and the control group was placed in the waiting list. The results were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: The findings showed that the content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated based on the Lavoshe method for 10 experts (0/83), and the content validity index (CVI) based on the Waltz and Bassel methods for this number was 0/80, and based on comparing these values with the acceptable value of both indicators, the content validity of the program is acceptable. Also, the results showed that life skills training had an impact on increasing the happiness and resiliency of the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0/01). Conclusion: According to the results, life skills program (self-awareness, coping with stress, empathy) based on indigenous culture is an appropriate and effective program for divorced women and its implementation can affect the happiness and resiliency of these individuals.

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Aim: Ethics, that is, a permanent endurance of good moral qualities in the form of "Manesh" in human beings, which can not be achieved through mere moral education. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to obtain an ethics-based approach to parenting. Methods: For this purpose, in the first part of the study, we examined and explained the definition and principles of ethics- based training from the perspective of Allameh Tabataba'i with hermeneutic research method and in the last part, practical paths for internalizing morality in children were presented. Results: The findings showed that principles of ethics-based training contains of 5  affirmative axis : “Moral stability”, “communicability of action”, “awareness”, “ being Practical Man” , “ motivation” and 2 underlie axis include of: “inheritance of ethics” , “ peripheral communicability “.Conclusion:  This principles can be applied for presenting the Parenting model with the centrality of Manesh Training.

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Aim: The purpose of this study was to present a model to explain the evolution of Weness in couples. Method: Hence, based on the specific characteristics of Weness structure, qualitative research approach and grounded theory method was applied. The population of this study consisted of all couples living in Tehran who, according to their own statements, had a successful married life. The method of sampling was purposeful sampling and The number of participants in this study, after theoretical saturation, was 7 successful couples who were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed based on three techniques of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Findings: The results showed that Weness structure includes two categories of intera- and extra-marital interaction strategies. Weness impelling factors also include three categories of cognitive, supportive and motivational impelling. The Weness consequence also occurs in the form of two central components of egocentrism in the couple's identity and the preservation of individuality in the couple's identity. Conclusion: There are three categories of cognitive, motivational and supportive factors that move couples towards Weness. Couples also use two categories of intramarital and extramarital strategies in process of becoming We. If these factors are properly combined and interconnected, Weness process in couples will be fulfilled, according to which, prevention of egocentrism in the couple's identity and the preservation of individuality in the couple's identity will be seen as a result.

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Aim: Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is developed for clients who experience high levels of shame and self-criticism. CFT emphasizes the centrality of our affiliative system in reducing threat-based processing by allowing us to feel cared for and able to offer care to both ourselves and others. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of CFT on shame and feeling of guilt among women with sexual abuse experience in childhood. Methods: The statistical population consisted of all women with Sexual Abuse experience in Childhood who had referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz. The research sample consisted of 3 women referred to counseling centers that were selected according to the results of the PTSD Checklist (Weathers, 1993) with cutoff point of 50 and with purposeful sampling method. In this research, a single-case experimental design, type of non-concurrent multiple baseline designs was used. To evaluate the shame and feeling of guilt, the state shame and guilt scale (SSGS) were used. The protocol of CFT was carried out in three phases of basic lines, intervention of 8 weekly sessions, and two months follow-up. Findings: The findings indicated that the subjects in the shame treatment phase experienced 31.20% improvement and in the guilt phase experienced  28.68% improvement. The effectiveness was maintained during the 2-month follow-up. The change index was indicative of meaningful changes. Conclusion: Therefore, the research findings illustrated that CFT is effective in decreasing of shame and feeling of guilt of women with sexual abuse experience in childhood, through decreasing reducing threat-based processing and strengthening the soothing system through the cultivation of compassion.

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Aim: Intimacy is a basic human need and one of the principals of marital life. This study aimed to investigate the factors enhancing couple’s intimacy. This research was conducted qualitatively, based on grounded theory. Methods: The population included all married individuals from Shiraz who were married for at least one year. Ten of them were interviewed using semi-structured questions until data saturation was reached. The main question of the research was "In what ways couples may enhance their intimacy?". Findings: According to the findings, the main categories were: constructive criticism, constructive and non-judgmental conversation, conversational skills, support and reliability, mutual respect, fun, interpersonal character, harmony in different aspects, relationship with surrounding systems, boundary, growth and development, respect for desires and interests, mutual understanding, acceptance, task allocation, caring to mutual needs, knowing each other and individualization, and core categories were: effective communication and understanding of differences. Conclusion: In the present study, two categories of factors are effective in promoting the intimacy of couples. These factors include both intra-family and extra-family concepts. Accordingly, it is suggested that improving effective communication skills as well as comprehension and acceptance skills in couples, promote their intimacy.

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Aim: The present research intended to investigate the outcomes of death awareness in life from the perspective of Iranian adolescents. Methods: The study employed a phenomenological qualitative approach. The participants included 26 male and female high school students aged 16 to 18 going to schools in Tehran province, who were selected through criterion purposive sampling method. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were utilized. In order to analyze the data, thematic analysis (TA) technique was used. Findings: The findings demonstrated that the consequences of death awareness in adolescents' lives can be categorized in five main dimensions: motivation and goals, feelings, behaviors, interpersonal and social, and worldview. Conclusions: Death-consciousness can overshadow various aspects of a teenager's life, and is therefore an important and fundamental issue. Each of these themes shows the effects of death awareness on different aspects of adolescence life and indicate that the remembrance of death can affect various dimensions of adolescent life in different ways. It can also change the adolescents' life style and their attitudes towards themselves and the world. In other words, to adolescents, who are at the beginning of planning their future lives, death awareness can act as a beacon and help shape their future plans and paths.

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Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of reality-based and emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT) interventions on the happiness and resilience of couples. Methods: The method of the present study was a single case experimental design of multiple simultaneous baselines. The statistical population of the study were maladapted couples referred to Talieh Mehr Couple Therapy Center in Tehran (149 couples), in which 6 couples were selected as a sample by purposive and voluntary sampling method. Then, the approaches were performed in pairs for reality therapy and EFT for each couple with a two-month follow-up. The standard Oxford happiness (Argyle, Martin, Crossland, 1989) and Conor-Davidson resilience (Conor-Davidson, 2003) questionnaires were completed as data collection tools. Data were analyzed by visual mapping, stable change index, and recovery percentage formula. Results: The results showed that reality therapy-based couple therapy increased the happiness and resilience of couples (61.06% and 49.31% recovery, respectively) and its effect was maintained until the end of the two-month follow-up period (60.05% and 51.88% recovery). Also, EFCT increased the happiness and resilience of couples, respectively (28.06% and 28.87% recovery) and its effect was maintained until the end of the two-month follow-up period (26.81% and 29.73%, recovery). The index of their change in reliability also indicated that these changes were significant (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results showed the effectiveness of couple therapy interventions based on reality therapy and EFT on increasing the happiness and resilience of incompatible couples and the mentioned approaches can explain the desirable degree of variability of happiness and resilience of incompatible couples.

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Aim: Conflict of mothers and daughters-in-law is a common issue, especially in Asian countries characterized by a collectivistic culture and a patrilineal society. The main purpose of this research was the development and validation of quality of mother and daughter-in-law’s relationship scale, including construct validity, convergent validity and internal consistency. Methods: This was a correlational research. The research's statistical population included all students' mothers in city of Ahvaz. Two samples were used in this study. In the first sample, 411 subjects were selected for exploratory factor analysis; and in the second stage, a random sample of 211 subjects were selected as a multi-stage cluster sampling for confirmatory factor analysis. Subjects completed the Quality of Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-law Relationship Scale (QMDRS) and Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS). Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that this scale consists of four factors, including kindness and empathy, control, communication, and interference. The confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed the four-factor structure of this scale. Convergent validity of QMDRS is calculated by correlating it with the Miller Social Intimacy Scale. The correlation coefficient of mean in subjects in QMDRS was significant (0.20 to 0.46). According to Cronbach's alpha, the internal consistency of the QMDRS and four factors kindness and empathy, control, communication, and interference was 0.68, 0.62, 0.72, 0.78, and 0.90. Conclusion: According to the results the Quality of Mother and Daughter-in-law’s Relationship Scale (QMDRS) has sufficient validity and reliability in Iranian families.

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Aim: Nowadays marriage is considered the most important pillar of a stable family and as such is quite a big concern for the average youth. Therefore reaching a successful marriage requires paying attention to different variables of this crucial subject. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to reveal a template for a successful marriage and all of its strengthening and endangering variables, considering the Iranian culture. Methods: The research method for this study was super compositional, and the statistical population included all local research in this field between the years of 2009 to 2019 that were acquired following a systematic selection criteria, that yielded 21 articles. Results: The result of this research showed that the most important factors of a successful marriage can be divided into 4 themes and 16 main factors with 146 strengthening and endangering factors, which include individual factors, environmental factors, couple factors, and criteria for mate selection. The main factors include moral, personal, or identity characteristics, religious and spiritual beliefs, including problem solving skills, parenting, effective relations with spouse, family ties with spouse, financial issues, sexual issues, cultural factors, societal factors and family, knowing the expectations, needs and wants, same mindedness, general maturity and general, physical, and mental health. All of the above mentioned main factors all have their own sub factors within themselves. Conclusion: It is expected that this project will be of use to researchers and family and marriage specialists.

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Aim: Students are one of the most talented and promising segments of society and future builders of their country, and their level of health and psychological well-being will have a significant impact on learning and increasing their scientific awareness and academic success. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate a structural model of psychological well-being based on negative life events and mindfulness with emphasis on the mediating role  of coping styles. Methods: The method of conducting the present study was descriptive correlational of structurequational type. The statistical population of the study were the undergraduate students of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, 365 of whom participated through cluster sampling. They responded to questionnaires on negative life events, mindfulness, coping styles, and psychological well-being. The reliability and validity of the instruments were confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis. To analyze the data, structural equation method was used with Amos software. Results: The results showed that the effect of negative life events on the problem-oriented style and psychological well-being is negative and significant. The effect of mindfulness on the problem-oriented style and psychological well-being is positive and significant. The effect of problem-oriented style on psychological well-being is positive and significant. The mediating role of problem-focused coping style in the relationship between negative life events and mindfulness with psychological well-being is meaningful Conclusion: The results showed that the model presented among the students of Shahid Beheshti University has a good fit and confirmed the role of the variables of negative life events, mindfulness and problem-oriented coping style in psychological well-being.

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Aim: Dyspareunia and vaginismus are important issues in the lives of women with these disorders and have adverse, damaging consequences for the individual, the family, and the couple's intimacy. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus. Methods: The method of this study was descriptive-phenomenological psychological in which nine female participants suffering from dyspareunia and vaginismus were selected through purposeful sampling and data collection was continued through semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. After collecting the data and transcribing them, the researcher used Giorgi’s five-step phenomenological data analysis method. Results: Analyzing data led to 12 contributing components of the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus which included: lack of awareness, experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety, fear, predicting pain, feeling of inadequacy and inferiority, feeling of shame, hatred of sex and of spouse, a feeling of suffering, feeling of anger, feeling of guilt, decreased emotional and sexual intimacy, and regret about marriage. Conclusion: The results of this study also enrich the previous research literature on the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus. Also, the structure of the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus derived from this study is widely used to develop and apply preventive and therapeutic programs for this condition and its consequences.

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Aim: The purpose of this research was to study the comparison of the effectiveness of existential, cognitive-existential, and humanistic-existential group psychotherapy on sexual satisfaction among women with type-2 diabetes. Methods: The research was a randomized controlled trial conducted through an experimental method and its experimental design included a pre-test, post-test, with two-month follow-up test with parallel experimental groups and a control group. The research sample population included women with type 2 diabetes referred to Towhid diabetes hospital during the first quarter of 2019. Thirty-two subjects were selected from this population through random sampling and assigned to the two experimental and the control group using random assignment. Data was collected using the Sexual Satisfaction Scale (Meston & Trapnell, 2005). Experimental groups' subjects participated in 9 separate 120-minute weekly groups sessions. Findings: The results of the general linear model with repeated measures test showed that interventions of cognitive-existential and humanistic-existential significantly increased sexual satisfaction compared to the control group (F= 4; P<0/05). The results also showed the greater effect of the cognitive-existential (MD= 6; P<0/05) and humanistic-existential groups (MD= 1; P<0/05) on the post-test and a greater effect of the existential group on the follow-up test (MD= 12; P<0/05). Conclusion: The application of cognitive-existential and humanistic-existential group psychotherapy to increase sexual satisfaction among women with type-2 diabetes is more effective than existential psychotherapy for successful counseling and psychotherapy.

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Aim: The present study was conducted to study the lived experiences of graduate students in the field of counseling and to examine the influence of their education process on their views on marriage and marital relationships. Methods: The method of this research was qualitative and phenomenological in type. Participants in this study were 16 graduate students, selected through purposeful sampling. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. Findings: In the dimension of positive experiences, 4 main themes were obtained that included raising awareness, growing awareness of personal abilities, improving interpersonal communication skills, and experiences around marriage. Finally, the following themes of the main categories are understood: self-awareness, increasing awareness of other people's personality traits, growing self-confidence, feeling beneficial, improvement of family and social relationships, achieving a systemic view in the family, increasing empathy, control emotions, changes in attitudes toward premarital acquaintance and emphasis on premarital counseling, new attitudes about marriage, importance of awareness about premarital counseling, and changes in gender stereotypes (in male participants). In the dimension of negative experiences, the main themes included experiences related to the phenomenon of marriage and negative effects on relationships. The following themes were extracted: decreased emotional excitement about the partner, increased sensitivity and obsession in relationships, change in attitudes toward men (on the part of female participants), creating a sense misunderstanding in family and social relationships due to differences in the level of knowledge, and existence of some level of irrational expectations from graduates in this field. Conclusion: According to the findings, the lived experience of participants showed that studying counseling can influence the personal life and perspective about marriage and marital relationships from different aspects.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to explain the relationship between self-differentiation and forgiveness with marital satisfaction based on the mediating role of religious orientation. Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational and the statistical population included all married teachers working in the sixth and seventh grade in Tehran's 6th educational district, with a total of 4,080 people, among whom 28 schools and 304 volunteer teachers were randomly selected. To collect research data, the following tools were used:  Differentiation of Self Inventory by Skowron, E. A., & Schmitt (2003), Family Forgiveness Scale by Pollard, Anderson, Anderson & Jennings (1998), Religious Orientation Questionnaire by Allport & Ross (1967), and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale by Fournier, Olson & Druckman (1983) were used. After deleting 10 distorted questionnaires and 3 outliers, structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Results: In this study, the direct path coefficient between internal religious orientation and marital satisfaction (P<0.01, β=0.337) was positive and significant at the 0.01 level. Indirect path coefficient between self-differentiation and marital satisfaction (β = 0.149, P <0.01) and indirect path coefficient between forgiveness and marital satisfaction (P <0.01, β = 0.129) were positive and significant at 0.01 level. Conclusion: Since internal religious orientation can be effective in improving relationships and marital satisfaction, it is suggested that in marital counseling, strengthening the religious beliefs of couples be used.

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 Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the experiences and psychological perceptions of recovered COVID-19 patients. Methods: This research was conducted using qualitative approach of phenomenology type. The population of this study included the patients recovered from Corona virus in Tehran province. Sampling was performed purposefully. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Collaizi’s seven-step method was applied for analyzing the data. Findings: After coding the interviews and categorizing the topics, the following nine main themes were obtained: initial reaction of loneliness and the need for receiving compassion, negative consequences, proximity to death and the reaction of individuals toward it, effective coping activities, mutual transmission of mental status of the patient, caregivers and medical staff, the effect of illness on meaning and style of life, preoccupation with duties and responsibilities. Conclusion: The present study showed that the experiences of Covid-19 patients have similarities and differences and being ware of these experiences may help the experts and policymakers to prevent the psychological crisis in the post-corona period and prepare the people psychologically in the society to face the epidemics.

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Aim: Pathological jealousy toward spouse is one of the most common complaints of couples referring for couple therapy. The research aimed to study the effectiveness of integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulnes on decreasing of marital conflict and anxiety in women withpathological jealousy toward spouse. Methods: For this purpose, a quasi-experimental pretest, posttest and follow up design with control group was used. The study sample included 34 women with Pathological jealousy who were selected through purposive sampling among women referredto counseling centers in Isfahan. The intervention method included10integrated sessions of cognitive-behaviorla therapy and mindfulness that was implemented for experimental group. In order to assess variables Marital Conflict Questionnaire (Barati & Sanayi, 2000) and State Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, et al., 1983) were used. The data analysis conducted by multivariate analysis of variance with pretest and control. Findings: The findings showed a significant decline in the mean scores of experimental group, both in anxiety and in marital conflict, in pretest and follow-up stages, but no tangible changes were observed in the control group scores. (p<0.0005). Conclusion: Thus, integration of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness has been effective in reducing marital conflict and anxiety in women with pathological jealousy toward spouse, and could be used by couple therapists and other psychotherapists.

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The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of Contextual Therapy fair-centered (CT) (based on Ivan Böszörményi-Nagy) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) on increasing Marital Intimacy and reducing Marital Burnout in couples. The method was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all couples who in 2017-2018 referred to the Sanam private office of counseling and psychological services (under the supervision of the Psychology and Counseling Organization of Iran) in the city of Urmia. Among them, 24 couples who have referred to this center due to marital conflicts, after matching the subjects and the criteria for entering and leaving the research, were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to three groups (Eight pairs in each group), which are two experimental groups and one control group. After performing the pretest, the Contextual Therapy group were performed 10 sessions and Emotion-Focused Therapy was 9 for each pair. The questionnaires used included Walker and Thompson's intimacy scale and Pines 's Burnout Scale. To analyze the data and hypotheses, the statistical test method of “repeated measurement variance analysis” and SPSS software were used. Findings showed that the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy in increasing intimacy was significantly (p < 0.001) than the Contextual. But there is no significant difference between the two approaches in reducing “marital boredom”, Also, the findings showed that, over time, the effectiveness of the Contextual Therapy approach to the Emotion-Focused Therapy in “marital burnout” is more stable. Conclusion: In comparison Emotion-Focused Therapy a more effective effect in increasing intimacy and the effectiveness of the two approaches in reducing marital burnout is the same,but in the long run, the Contextual approach has shown better therapeutic stability in improving Marital burnout.

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