Journal of Counseling Research

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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: 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.