Journal of Counseling Research

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Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of play therapy to reduce symptoms of grief in children. Method: This research is a pilot project for pre-and post-test study with a control group that is among the applied researches. The study population consisted of mournful school children between the ages of 7 to 10 years covered Imam Khomeini Relief Committee in 1393 in the city of Shiraz. Purposive sampling was done from among these children. They were diagnosed with grief disorder by the team that was composed of psychologists and counselors Imam Khomeini Relief Committee.  Of the 45 children diagnosed by consultants committee, as a pilot study, 30 children were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The research method was quasi-experimental plans. In order to gather information and determine the long-term effectiveness of the children's grief Scale (IPG-C) were used. It has been developed by Spuij and colleagues (2011). The data were analyzed by independent T-test. Result: The results showed that the mean scores significantly decreased symptoms of grief in the experimental group than the control group (P<0/005). Conclusion: As a result, education (play therapy) in children is effective in reducing the symptoms of grief. Therefore, therapeutic play as a useful therapeutic approach in working with children is useful and it can be used to help the mental health of children.

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efficacy and quality of life, public health can be predicted. To collect information from questionnaires demographic, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Quality of Life Questionnaire - abbreviated version of the World Health Organization, the General Health Questionnaire or GHQ form with 28 questions was used. Results showed that the 4 areas of physical, psychological, social relationships and environment and public health efficacy and four components of physical symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression are significantly correlated. So, based on quality of life and self-efficacy can be predicted public health

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Aim: Domestic violence against women is a widespread social problem that can be found in most communities. The intensity and extent of violence against women can be influenced by different cultural and social factors such as cultural capital. The aim of this study is examined the relationship between cultural capital and domestic violence against married women in Mehriz city and provide Solutions for reducing violence against women. To achieve intended objectives of  the research, is used the Bourdieu's cultural capital theory and  Good's Resources theory. Method: This research  done using method survey and  multi-stage cluster sampling on 309  individuals from 15 to 60 years old married women of Mehriz city. Techniques used in this research is researcher made questionnaires. Finding: The Results of data analysis showed that between cultural capital of Women and its dimensions (embodied cultural capital, objectified cultural capital and institutionalized cultural capital) with Domestic violence against women were Reverse and significant relationship. Conclusion: were more the cultural capital of women, violence against women is less. 

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Aim: This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of couples coping enhancement training on improving marital relations. Method: In this research with quasi-experimental design, a randomized controlled trial with baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments along with placebo and control group was conducted. 36 couples by convenience sampling selected from couples referring to court of shahr e kord in the spring of 1396 due to marital problems and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 12; under administration of couples coping enhancement training based on cultural tailoring in 9 group sessions once a week), placebo group (n = 12; under administration of mere meeting with therapist in 9 group sessions once a week) and control group (n = 12). All couples completed an ENRICH Couple Scales in three phases of baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up. Data were analyzed by SPSS and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results of analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that the couples receiving the couples coping enhancement training based on cultural tailoring reported significant difference in the mean of marital relationship scores compared toplacebo and control group couples in post treatment (2 months after the baseline assessment) and follow-up (8 months after the baseline assessment) periods (F=8/105, P<0/001). Conclusion: According to the results, couples coping enhancement training is an effective method on improving marital relations.

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Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a life skills training program (self-awareness skills, coping with stress and empathy) based on Islamic culture in divorced women. Method: The method of qualitative research is narrative type and use of semi-structured interview. The statistical population includes all divorced women referring to counseling and psychological services centers of Kerman city and paired therapists, which 15 clients and 10 specialists were selected by available sampling method. Data were gathered using interviews and expert panel and data were analyzed using Lincoln and Guba method. Results: The results showed that life skills training program was codified in 3 main axes of self-awareness, empathy and coping with stress, 11 axes and 32 subject areas, and also, the content validity of this program is based on the Lavasha method and based on expert opinion with a content validity ratio (CVR) of 80% which is higher than the minimum acceptable level of 0.62 for this number of specialists. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the research, it can be said that life skills training program based on Islamic culture is an appropriate and effective program for empowering divorced women in life.
 

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Aim: A mental disorder known as anorexia is a relatively common disorder in the recent decades  and has affected many people, especially young girls. This study aims to predict the relationship between anorexia as the independent variable and family relations, self control, and alexithymia as predictor variables. Methods: This study is a descriptive-correlational type. The study sample consisted of 109 women in the city of Shiraz who were selected through convenience sampling. Anorexia mental disorder was measured using questionnaires from Garner and Garfinkel (1979), parental bonding were measured using questionnaires parental bonding by Parker et al. (1979),Self-control was measured using a self-control scale Grasmick (1993) and alexithymia was measured using the Toronto alexithymia (1986).The data was analyzed by stepwise multiple regressions test. Findings The findings showed that, impulsively is one of the sub-scales of self-control  (β =-0/24 , p<0/05) and the extreme support is a parental bonding based sub-scale (β =0/23 , p<0/05) predicted anorexia disorder. Meanwhile Alexithymia cannot predict anorexia disorder. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that efforts to regulate impulsivity and reduce extreme support in family relationships are effective in preventing from anorexia nervosa.
 

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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: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between personality traits, emotional maturity, and meta-cognitive beliefs with the tendency toward emotional divorce in couples in city of Zanjan. Methods: This was a correlational research and the statistical population of the study consisted of married students who were studying at Zanjan University in the academic year of 2016-17. In this study, 150 married students were selected using available sampling method. Data were collected through McCrae and Costa Personality Questionnaire (1990), Singh and Bahargawa Emotional Maturity Questionnaire (1974), Wells Metacognitive Beliefs Questinnaire  (2000), Gottman’s Emotional Divorce Questionnaire (2008). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression. Results: Findings showed a negative significant relationship between personality characteristics of conscientiousness and acceptability with  tendency to emotional divorce. A positive significant relationship was observed between personality characteristic of neuroticism and tendency toward emotional divorce (P <0.01). Moreover, the findings also showed a positive and significant positive correlation between emotional maturity and tendency for emotional divorce, and positive relationship between positive beliefs and tendency toward emotional divorce (P<0.01). Overall, acceptance and conscientiousness show a negative, while neuroticism and emotional maturity show a positive and significant tendency prediction towards emotional divorce. Conclusion: According to personality traits, emotional maturity and metacognitive belief variables related to emotional divorce, can be identified and used in psychological and counseling interventions for couples.

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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 was to extract the lived experiences of working couples from marital conflicts. Methods: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using interpretive phenomenology. In this study, researchers interviewed 12 working couples with marital conflicts using purposeful sampling. Interviews were analyzed using interpretive phenomenology. Findings: Analyzing the data from the interviews led to the identification of the 14 main themes: financial conflict, inappropriate interactions in social media, lack of participation in house chores, ineffective communication, inability in reciprocal empathy and expression,  lack of time management,  conflict of roles and responsibilities, cognition vulnerability, adherence to gender stereotypes, inability to manage tasks at job and work environment, work-family conflict, power struggles, ultra-personal destructive factors and belief and ethical problems, 55 primary and 12 secondary themes in the lived experiences of working couples from marital conflicts. Conclusion: A dual-career family is a place where couples are more likely to enter into marital conflicts if they do not realize fairness in various areas of family and work. The results of the present study showed that the families of career couples may be a high-risk group in terms of conflict, and this factor indicates the need for a negotiating role in the relationship between this type of couple. This highlights the need for special couple therapy for these couples. The results of the present study also showed that ineffective communication, cognitive vulnerability, work-family interaction, financial conflict and lack of participation in home affairs, were the most common causes of marital conflict; so it is recommended that preventive and educational programs for couples include the abovementioned factors.

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 Aim: This study was conducted to identify the factors affecting principals' and teachers' perceptions of the school counselor's role and explain its position and importance in the challenges of establishing the role of school counselors. Methods: The research method in this research is systematic and descriptive literature review. The statistical population of this study includes all valid scientific-research articles published in domestic and foreign journals in recent decades. The articles of this systematic review were found by searching the databases of Noormags, SID, Magiran, Ensani.ir Elsevier, Sage, Taylor and France, Springer, Wiley and M.D.P.I. Finding: 25 articles were finalized based on the inclusion criteria of the study. These articles were conducted in the form of action research methods, field research, Q method, experimental, focus group, interview, phenomenology, correlation, and grounded theory. The analysis of these studies showed that three categories of factors, including factors related to school and community, factors related to teachers and principals, and factors related to counselors are effective in the perception of principals and teachers of the role of school counselor. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the lack of awareness by principals and teachers about the evolving role of school counselors is one of the most important factors related to the contradictory perceptions of teachers and principals and the best way to solve this problem is to have a counseling council in each school. By informing principals and teachers about the role of the counselor and following the goals and program of the school counselor, this council will stabilize the role of the school counselor and facilitate the process of achieving the goals of education.

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Amin: The purpose of this research is to identify the positive changes and growth of mothers in different dimensions after adopting the role of parenting.Method: This qualitative research was conducted using the thematic analysis approach. The studied population is equal to the participants of the research, it included couples who have lived for at least 7 years and have at least one 2-year-old child, are relatively satisfied with their lives, live in Tehran and participated in the research with their consent. The participants were selected from eligible clients through targeted sampling and available methods. The sampling process continued until theoretical saturation was reached and finally 18 participants were studied through interviews. Results: According to the results of the research, mothers believe that since the birth of a child, they experience changes in personal, marital and social relations; So that the personal dimensions include: the expansion of responsibility, the expansion of self-concept and patience; Also, the developments that we witness in the marital relationship include intimacy, enrichment of marital cohesion, consolidation of boundaries and creation of parental identity, and finally, the developments of social relations include revision of the social role and expansion of the bond with the family of origin. Conclusions: Having children creates positive changes in mothers in personal, marital, social-cultural dimensions, which increases the satisfaction of the couple relationship.