Journal of Counseling Research

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Farajnia, S - Dr Hoseinian, S - Dr Shihidi, SH - Dr Sadeghi, M The goal of present study was to examine the role of sexual function and quality of relationship on marital commitment. The sample included 115 couples. The research instruments were Quality of Marital Relationship Questionnaire, Marital Commitment Questionnaire and Marital Sexual Function Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by correlation coefficient and step by step multiple regression method. Results showed significant relationships between sexual function, quality of relationship and marital commitment. According to the results, sexual function and quality of relationship predicted marital commitment and quality of relationship was a stronger predictor of marital commitment. Through Components of Sexual Function and Quality of Relationships, the only Sexual Realization and Communication Styles have predicted the roles for the Marital Commitment. The Significant relationships were found between wives 'commitment with their sexual function, their husbands 'commitment and sexual function, and husbands 'commitment with their wives 'commitment and their sexual function.

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The purpose of the present research is to evaluate sexual skills training on increasing marital satisfaction. Statistical population in this research was all women who refer to 71 private centers and 4 clinics of Karaj in 1389. In this population, 36 women were selected as the sample which their score was lower than cut point in Enrich (marital satisfaction questionnaire). These persons replaced randomly in two experiment and control groups. The instrument of this research was Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaire. The method of this research was pre-test, post-test with control group. Experimental group received (six hour sessions) sexual skills training .Both groups were tested and evaluated three times (pre-test post-test and follow-up).The data for the research hypotheses were analyzed by one- way covariance analysis (ANCOVA) and multi- variable covariance analysis (MANCOVA). The results showed that the sexual skills training increase couple's marital satisfaction.

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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).

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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.

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Infertility has been described as creating a form of stress leading to a variety of psychological problems. Psychological interventions are effective treatments for infertility stress.  Therefore, this study was performed to examine the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral based sexual skills education on marital adjustment in infertile women in Kermanshah. This study was quasi-experimental of pretest, post-test with control group type and its statistical method was Multivariable Analyze of Covariance. The sample population was chosen out of 22-37 years old women suffer from infertility referring to infertility clinics of Kermanshah, with the diagnosis of sexual dysfunction. Twenty people were selected among 33 people qualified to participate in this study and placed randomly in two control and experimental group. The people who were in experimental group, participated in sexual skills education meetings for 10 sessions. Control group received no intervention during this time. In order to record the score changes, the Female Sexual Function Index (2000) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (1976) were filled out by participants. The results of Multivariable Analyze of Covariance showed that sexual skills education has significant effect on marital adjustment score, so that the score of marital adjustment for women suffer from infertility increased significantly. Therefore, the clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, gynaecologists are encouraged to use the method of cognitive-behavioral based sexual skills education to improve the marital adjustment in the women suffer from infertility.

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Purpose: The quality of sexual relationship and marital intimacy are important topics of post-marriage experience. Similarly, religiosity is commonly considered as an influential framework for life. Past research has not been able to accurately discover or illustrate the opinions of experts in the area of couples counseling about the relationship between these dimensions. Therefore, this research was conducted to examine the marriage and family experts’ points of view about the role of religiosity in sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy of couples. Methods: Qualitative approach of phenomenological type was used.  For this, ten individuals who were counselors or psychologist with active working experience with couples were interviewed according to qualitative protocols. Data collected from interviews were then analyzed using features available in Microsoft Word software. Results: In the open-coding, 147 initial codes were produced, while the axial-coding based on thematic similarities yielded 24 categorical codes. One of the main questions asked of the participants was “what role can religiosity play in the quality of couple’s relationship?” Overall, according to the analysis of the responses obtained, religiosity plays a positive role in sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy of couples. However, some of the participants mentioned a few points as reservations to be considered which are covered in the current article. Conclusion: Counselors’ and psychotherapists’ perceptions about role and relation between variables of religiosity, sexual satisfaction, and marital intimacy are important. Of the main findings of the present study was interviewees’ describing the prerequisite or complementary context for capitalizing on positive effects of religiosity in sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy. situation was that the interviewees as it is a prerequisite for receiving a positive impact or supplement and religiosity on the significant sex and marital intimacy.

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Purpose: This research administrated with the goal of studying the trend of changes in marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and subjective well-being in the first 5 years of marital life. Method: So, 200 married women of Sari City aged 40-16 years were selected using convenience sampling. They answered to the scales The Index of Sexual Satisfaction-short‐form, Relationship Assessment scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-short form. Results: The results indicated that marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction decreased by linear trend in the first five years of married life, while life satisfaction and happiness decreased by quadratic nonlinear in the first three years of marital life of women, then gradually increases. Conclusion: Focus on the underlying causes of marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction can guarantee to increase life satisfaction and happiness and lead to continuation of marriage in later years of the couple's life.

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Purpose: This study was done to predict sexual communication based on attachment style and differentiation of self in married female students of Universities in city of Ahvaz. The 220 participants were selected through accessible sampling. Methods: The participants completed Wheeless & Baus Sexual Communication Scale (1984), Simpson Adult Attachment Scale Questionnaire (2003), and Differentiation of Self Inventory by Skowron and Friedlander (1998). For data analysis, descriptive methods, simple correlation coefficient, and step-by-step regression method was used. Results: The results showed a positive meaningful relationship between secure attachment style and my-position, with sexual communication. Moreover, secure attachment style, distressed attachment style, and   secure and distress element the component attachment style and emotional discord (p<0/001) are the best predictors of sexual communication.  Conclusion: According to the study findings, it seems that couples with secure attachment style and high levels of differentiation have higher satisfaction about their sexual communication, and consequently have more stable marriages.
 

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Aim: The goal for this research was to assess the effectiveness of the two approaches in couples therapy, one being based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the other being Imago therapy (IRT), on couple’s sexual intimacy. Methods: Quasi-experimental method with pre and post-test and control group were used. Total of 45 couples from among those who used counseling centers in city of Kermanshah during the year 2019 participated voluntarily in this research. They were randomly assigned to three 15-couple groups of ACT, Imago Therapy, and control. Eight 90-minute sessions were conducted using ACT with one group and Imago Therapy with another group. Data was collected using sexual intimacy questionnaire that was adapted from Enrich scale. Findings: Covariance analysis showed (p>0.05) couples therapy based on ACT and Imago Therapy techniques were effective in improving sexual intimacy in couples. These findings showed utilizing techniques in ACT-based couples therapy, cause psychological acceptance about mental experiences and decrease ineffective controlling behaviors.

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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: 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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Abstract
Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of integrative couple therapy and integrative behavioral couple therapy on increasing the emotional and sexual intimacy of couples affected by infidelity in Shahriar (Andishe city in Iran). Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included couples whose male partner had cheated, and were referred to counseling centers of Andishe city in 2018. Twenty four couples were selected through convenient sampling and randomly assigned into two experimental groups and one control group (8 couples in each group). The subjects in the two experimental groups attended 10 couple therapy sessions, whereas no intervention was carried out for the control group. The subjects responed to the Marital Intimacy Needs Questionnaire (Bagarozzi, 2001). Results: The results of analysis of covariance and block analysis of variance showed that integrative behavioral couple therapy and integrative couple therapy had a significant effect on the component of satisfaction with confrontation in the dimension of sexual intimacy )p<0.05), but no significant difference was observed between the two approaches. Integrative behavioral couple therapy was also effective in increasing emotional intimacy in all components, but this effectiveness was not achieved in integrative couple therapy. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of integrative couple therapy and integrative behavioral couple therapy on the component of satisfaction with confrontation in sexual intimacy, the use of these approaches in promoting sexual intimacy of couples affected by infidelity may be effective. Also, considering the effectiveness of integrative behavioral couple therapy in increasing emotional and sexual intimacy, this approach can be used by couple therapists.