Journal of Counseling Research

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Purpose: Sacrifice is regarded an important component in improving the quality of enduring marital relationship. The purpose of this study was to study the lived experience of sacrifice in marital relationship and identify the final structure of the sacrifice phenomenon among the research participants.
 Method: In this descriptive phenomenological Psychological study a total of 10 participants were selected using purposive-voluntary sampling and conducting in-depth interview until data saturation was reached.
 Results: Data analysis led to a structure which included 12 constituents: 1- Having a sense of love for wife in marriage, 2- having a sense of humanity, conscience and personal development, 3- belief in religious, spiritual and sacrifice behaviors, 4- belief in the necessity of mutual sacrifice  behaviors, 5-perception of one-way and damaging sacrifice, 6- belief in correlates of sacrifice behavior such as forgiveness and tolerance of hardship, 7- need to be appreciated for sacrificing behavior, 8- perceiving sacrifice as unselfishness and devoting self for another, 9- having a long-term positive attitude and commitment toward marriage, 10- sacrificing because of factors other than spouse such as children, 11- modeling the family of origin, and 12- considering gender differences in sacrifice behaviors.
 Conclusion: The results of this study have implications for counseling centers and professionals in education and couple therapy as well as premarital counseling .With understanding the structure of sacrifice, as defined in the present study, will help couple avoid marital dissatisfaction and enhance marital quality and satisfaction.
 

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Purpose: Mental rumination is a strong predictor for depression. Depression can damage the marital relationship. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the consequences of rumination in women with marital conflicts. Methods: This research was carried out qualitatively using thematic analysis method. The sampling method was purposeful and continued until data saturation. The data was obtained from 15 married women who had marital conflicts. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used. Results: After analyzing the data content, six main categories were obtained, including: symptoms of depression (physical pains, loss of energy, impatience, reduced desire to live, sleep problems and lack of motivation, and lower sexual desires), negative emotions (anger, sadness, hatred, sense of revenge, malice, and anxiety), impulsivity (aggression and lack of control over behavior), lowered efficiency (aggression to children, reduced association with children, and failing to do the household chores), getting caught up in negative association cycles (controversy, criticism, resentment towards spouse), and resentment towards others (reduced communication with others and withdrawal). Conclusion: When the conflict is not resolved, the process of mental rumination is activated in women which leads to consequences such as reduced efficacy in both individual and marital relationships, as well as depression. Depression leads to increased mental rumination and marital conflics.

 

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Objective: Marital infidelity is a subject shocking for couples & common phenomenon in today's society that affect the dissolution of the family & couples divorce. The goal of this research qualitative study causes & factors inhibition of infidelity in unfaithful men. Methods: In the present qualitative research, the phenomenological approach was used. The study population consisted of all unfaithful men in the city Shahindezh, that after identifying a large number of them by the researcher, from among them using the purposive sampling method 12 man (who willing to establishing relationships with investigator & were interviewed) were selected to participate in the study & then were interviewed. All the interviews were tape-recorded & then transcribed verbatim & finally analyzed through method of interpretive analysis of Diekelmann, Allen, & Tanner. Results: The analysis of data from interviews led to identification of 51 primary codes, 9 subtheme & 3 main theme in the context of the cause's infidelity (1. Intrapersonal causes: sexual variety, lack of adherence to religious, Acquisition of self-confidence & Revenge. 2. Interpersonal causes: sexual dissatisfaction, emotional dissatisfaction & lack of commitment. 3. Environmental causes: preparation of infidelity situation & derangement of mate selection) & 23 Primary codes, 5 subtheme & 3 main theme in the context of inhibitor causes from marital infidelity (1. Interpersonal inhibitors: emotional satisfaction & sexual satisfaction. 2. Environmental inhibitors: eliminating the environmental provoking & release from selective compulsion 3. Intrapersonal inhibitors: religious adherence) in the infidelity men. Conclusion: The researchers & programmer of the field of marriage & family could by eliminating the causes of the tendency of the couples to the extramarital relationships & reinforcement of inhibitors factors in them & in their functional environment, to a large degree decrease the possibility of these people to extramarital affair & prepare the context of couple system stability & the unit of family.

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Aim: Divorce-seeking couples have many problems in their marital relationships, and one of the effective methods in improving the characteristics related to marital life is through offering a combined-approach educational method. The present study was conducted in order to determine the effect of combined therapy based on acceptance and commitment and schema therapy on values ​​and psychological acceptance in couples applying for divorce. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test/post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all couples applying for divorce who were referred from Behshahr City Court to counseling centers dedicated to the Divorce Reduction Program, during the second 6 months of 2018. In this clinical trial, 32 people (16 couples applying for divorce) were selected through available sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups of 16 individuals (treatment and control groups). Combined couple therapy intervention based on acceptance and commitment and schema therapy (Liu and McKay, 2012) was implemented in 14 ninety-minute sessions in a group format (treatment group). Research tools included acceptance and action questionnaire (Bond et al., 2011) and personal values ​​questionnaire (Schwartz, 2002). Data analysis was done by multivariate covariance analysis. Findings: The results showed that integrated couple therapy based on acceptance and commitment and schema therapy has significantly led to the improvement of acceptance and practice and values ​​in couples applying for divorce in the post-test stage (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the research show the effectiveness of integrated couple therapy based on acceptance and commitment and schema therapy on values ​​and psychological acceptance in couples applying for divorce.

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Aim: One of the main challenges for psychology and counseling students to start their careers is the lack of skills in managing meetings and communicating with clients. On the other hand, most of the academic units in universities are assigned to the theoretical part and practical courses are neglected; meanwhile, the role of the internship unit for psychology and counseling students cannot be ignored. The purpose of this research was to identify the necessary standards for completing internship courses from the point of view of psychology and counseling graduate students. Methods: The present research was conducted using a qualitative method utilizing thematic analysis. The studied sample were 13 psychology and counseling masters and doctoral students in Tehran. Targeted sampling was used. A semi-structured interview was conducted, then it was transcribed verbatim, and the data was analyzed using the seven-step Colaizzi method. Findings: In this study, 3 main themes were identified, including the necessary criteria for the supervising professor, the necessary criteria for the educational-therapeutic environment and student assignments, and 11 sub-themes were identified. Conclusion: The results of the research show that improving the quality of internships for psychology and counseling students requires strengthening the three elements of the supervising professor, the appropriate educational-therapeutic environment, and the active participation of the student. This can pave the way for better training of future therapists by providing quality supervision, adequate facilities, and educational and professional support.
 

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Aim: The present research is an analysis of the lived experience of successful students in making career decisions. Methods: The research method is quantitative and qualitative. In the quantitative part, Bezo Taylor's Career Decision Questionnaire (1983) was used to identify successful students in career decision-making, and in the qualitative part, in-depth interviews were used to investigate the experiences of successful students in career decision-making. The statistical population of this research includes all female students in the 11th ,12th grades in the academic year of 1401-1402 in Kermanshah city, and the sampling method in the first stage, which was conducted with the aim of identifying successful students in making career decisions, is random. 200 students completed the career decision questionnaire. In the second step, students' grades were calculated using spss_22 software, and those who scored higher than one standard deviation were identified as successful students in making career decisions, and 15 of them were interviewed in depth. In the last two interviews, no new information was obtained and the data reached saturation. Findings: After examining and coding the data of each group in three stages of open, central and selective coding, a total of 43 concepts were obtained in relation to the experiences of successful students in making career decisions, which were categorized into 10 central categories. And finally, they were classified into 3 categories: self-knowledge, environmental factors, and occupation. Conclusions: According to the findings of the research, it can be said that the student's knowledge of himself, the job he is considering, and the environment in which he is located, play a strong and influential role in his career decision. Paying attention to the concepts resulting from the review of experiences can be useful to help other students in making career decisions.