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Background: Integrating the approach based on acceptance and commitment with the approach of schema therapy to be more effective and respond to a wider range of couple problems has attracted the attention of researchers. Aims: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the combined approach of couple therapy based on acceptance and commitment with schema formulation (ACT/SF) on psychological flexibility and marital satisfaction. Methods: The research method used was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design, and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples referred to counseling centers in Qom in 2022. From this population, 16 couples (32 people) were selected using available sampling and divided into two groups: control and experimental. Both groups completed the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) in the pre-test and posttest. The experimental group received therapeutic intervention for twelve 120-minute sessions. Data analysis was performed using covariance analysis at a significant level (P<0.05). Results: The results indicated that, by controlling the pre-test as a covariate variable, the experimental group experienced a significant increase in marital satisfaction with a strong effect size (η2= 0.62) and in psychological flexibility with a medium effect size (η²= 0.32). Conclusion: The combined approach of couple therapy based on acceptance and commitment with schema formulation significantly improves psychological flexibility and marital satisfaction. This is achieved through formulating problems, recognizing schemas, and becoming aware of cognitive distortions, which helps people understand and be more aware of their own and their spouse's psychological processes. Techniques based on acceptance and commitment are then used to encourage couples to improve their relationships based on their values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infertility is one of the disturbances that may occur in the lives of couples, leading to experiences of psychological distress and endangering interpersonal relationships and marital quality. This study investigated the efficacy of intensive shortterm dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) in enhancing distress tolerance and marital quality of life among infertile women in Yazd, Iran.Methods: A semi-experimental pretest-posttest follow-up design with an experimental and control group (n=20 per group) was employed. Forty infertile women from the target population in Yazd, Iran (data collected in 2023) were randomly assigned into either the experimental group receiving eight 45-minute ISTDP sessions or the control group receiving no intervention. For data collection, questionnaires on distress tolerance and perceived relationship quality components were used. Data analysis was done by a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 27 was used.Results: According to the results, for distress tolerance, the mean score for the ISTDP group at the pretest was 31.55 (±13.14), which increased to 50.10 (±9.31) at posttest and 49.70 (±8.68) in the follow-up. The mean score for the control group at the pretest and posttest were 32.05 (±10.28) and 32.25 (±10.17), respectively. Moreover, for the marital quality of life, the mean score for the ISTDP group at the pretest was 70.40 (±19.47), which increased to 90.70 (±20.59) at the posttest and 91.15 (±20.75) at the follow-up. The mean score for the control group at the pretest and posttest was 66.85 (±21.75) and 65.85 (±20.66), respectively. There was a statistically significant within-group effect in the ISTDP group (P

ABSTRACTBackground: Military personnel and veterans are at heightened risk for exposure to traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as intimate relationship problems associated with PTSD.Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative efficacy of CBCT and PE in improving intimate relationship functioning in active duty military personnel or veterans and their intimate partners; both conditions were hypothesized to significantly improve PTSD. Method: In this study, 32 military service members or veterans with PTSD and their intimate partners were randomized to receive either Cognitive–Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (n = 15; CBCT; [Monson, C. M., & Fredman, S. J. (2012). Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Harnessing the healing power of relationships. Guilford]), a trauma-focused couple therapy, or Prolonged Exposure (n = 17; PE; [Foa, E. B., Hembree, E. A., Dancu, C. V., Peterson, A. L., Cigrang, J. A., & Riggs, D. S. (2008). Prolonged exposure treatment for combat-related stress disorders – provider’s treatment manual [unpublished]. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania]), a front-line evidence-based individual treatment for PTSD.Results: There were significant challenges with recruitment and a significant difference in dropout from treatment for the two therapies (65% for PE; 27% for CBCT). Treatment dropout was differentially related to pre-treatment relationship functioning; those with below average relationship functioning had higher dropout in PE compared with CBCT, whereas those with above average relationship functioning did not show differential dropout. In general, CBCT led to relational improvements, but this was not consistently found in PE. Clinician- and self-reported PTSD symptoms improved with both treatments.Conclusions: This study is the first to test a couple or family therapy against a well-established, front-line recommended treatment for PTSD, with expected superiority of CBCT over PE on relationship outcomes. Lessons learned in trial design, including considerations of equipoise, and the effects of differential dropout on trial analyses are discussed. This trial provides further support for the efficacy of CBCT in the treatment of PTSD and enhancement of intimate relationships.

Abstract Background Research suggests that interpersonal dysfunction may be central to borderline personality disorder (BPD), and that the relationships of people with BPD are particularly impaired. Further, the significant others of people with BPD exhibit elevated psychological problems but little access to mental healthcare. Despite this, most BPD interventions are delivered individually and do not routinely incorporate significant others. This manuscript presents the first case series of Sage, a 12-session manualized intervention for people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and their intimate partners with three targets: a) BPD severity, b) relationship conflict, and c) intimate partner mental health. Findings Five couples of people with BPD with frequent suicidal/self-injurious behavior or high suicidal ideation and their intimate partners received Sage. Measures of Sage targets as well as tertiary outcomes were administered at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Four out of five dyads completed Sage, with high intervention satisfaction ratings. Improvements were generally demonstrated in BPD severity, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior/self-injury. Half of dyads exhibited improvements in conflict, and additional improvements in mental health outcomes for dyad members were demonstrated. One dyad exhibited poor outcomes and speculations regarding this are offered. Conclusions Findings provide proof of concept of Sage as an intervention that can improve BPD and other mental health outcomes in those with BPD and their intimate partners. Incorporating intimate partners into BPD treatment may optimize and expedite its outcomes. However, further testing is needed. Trial registration This project was pre-registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: [NCT04737252]).

Background: Couple therapists will encounter couple violence in their practice at some point. In this context, one of the main questions they must address is whether to continue with conjoint sessions. This study explores how couple therapists make sense of their decision whether or not to continue with conjoint sessions when violence has become an issue. Methods: This qualitative study used four semi-structured focus groups and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data from the twelve experienced couple therapist participants. Results: Our IPA analysis led to three main group experiential themes across the focus groups: (1) Is it safe enough? (2) Do we have a joint and regenerative project? (3) Three key sources for sense making. Conclusion: Partner violence challenges the realm of couple therapy. This article explored how the couple therapists orient themselves and grapple with decision making when violence becomes an issue. The article offers unique insights regarding what the therapists orient themselves towards and how they try to form an impression of whether to continue conjoint sessions. We outline immediate clinical implications and propose measures for building individual and organisational capacity regarding "clinical sense making". Suggestions for further research are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Military personnel and veterans are at heightened risk for exposure to traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as intimate relationship problems associated with PTSD. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative efficacy of CBCT and PE in improving intimate relationship functioning in active duty military personnel or veterans and their intimate partners; both conditions were hypothesized to significantly improve PTSD. Method: In this study, 32 military service members or veterans with PTSD and their intimate partners were randomized to receive either Cognitive–Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (n = 15; CBCT; [Monson, C. M., & Fredman, S. J. (2012). Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Harnessing the healing power of relationships. Guilford]), a trauma-focused couple therapy, or Prolonged Exposure (n = 17; PE; [Foa, E. B., Hembree, E. A., Dancu, C. V., Peterson, A. L., Cigrang, J. A., & Riggs, D. S. (2008). Prolonged exposure treatment for combat-related stress disorders – provider’s treatment manual [unpublished]. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania]), a front-line evidence-based individual treatment for PTSD. Results: There were significant challenges with recruitment and a significant difference in dropout from treatment for the two therapies (65% for PE; 27% for CBCT). Treatment dropout was differentially related to pre-treatment relationship functioning; those with below average relationship functioning had higher dropout in PE compared with CBCT, whereas those with above average relationship functioning did not show differential dropout. In general, CBCT led to relational improvements, but this was not consistently found in PE. Clinician- and self-reported PTSD symptoms improved with both treatments. Conclusions: This study is the first to test a couple or family therapy against a well-established, front-line recommended treatment for PTSD, with expected superiority of CBCT over PE on relationship outcomes. Lessons learned in trial design, including considerations of equipoise, and the effects of differential dropout on trial analyses are discussed. This trial provides further support for the efficacy of CBCT in the treatment of PTSD and enhancement of intimate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Complaining is a frequent phenomenon in human interactions and it frequently happens during couple counseling. A conversation between a therapist and spouses that requires them to talk about problems inevitably leads to complaining (especially during the first meeting). The institutional context and the presence of an impartial therapist shape the complaining sequences. Method: We used conversation analysis to explore the interactional organization of complaining in the specific context, which is couples therapy. Our data involve video recordings of nine couple therapy first consultations. Results: In the results section of our paper, we describe in detail the composition and delivery of complaints in couple therapy setting. Our observations made it possible to propose a nuanced spectrum of ways of complaining that spans the considerateness dimension. Our data suggest that there may be a relationship between the manner of complaining and the presence and severity of maladaptive personality traits of complainers. Discussion: We argue that paying close attention to complaining practices that arise during couple therapy is an important aspect of clinical work with couples and can be informative regarding the nature of spouses’ quarrels and their personality constitutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online programs that reduce relationship distress fill a critical need; however, their scalability is limited by their reliance on coach calls. To determine the effectiveness of the online OurRelationship program with varying levels of coach support, we conducted a comparative effectiveness trial with 740 low-income couples in the United States. Couples were randomly assigned to full-coach (ncouples = 226; program as originally designed), automated-coach (ncouples = 145; as a stand-alone program with tailored automated emails only), contingent-coach (ncouples = 145; as an adaptive program where tailored automated emails are followed by more coaching if couples did not meet progress milestones), or a waitlist control condition (ncouples = 224). All analyses were conducted within a Bayesian framework. Completion rates were comparable across conditions (full-coach: 65 %, automated-coach: 59 %, contingent-coach: 54 %). All intervention couples reported reliable pre-post gains in relationship satisfaction compared to waitlist control couples (dfull = 0.46, dcontingent = 0.47, and dautomated = 0.40) with no reliable differences across intervention conditions. Over four-month follow-up, couples in full- and contingent-coach conditions maintained gains in relationship satisfaction and couples in the automated-coach condition continued to improve. Given the comparable completion rates and minimal differences in effect sizes across intervention conditions, all three coaching models appear viable; therefore, the choice of model can vary depending on available resources as well as couple or stakeholder preferences. This study was preregistered (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03568565).

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or Domestic Violence (DV) affects the mental health of women. Systemic family therapy has been found to help bring change in a couple's relationship and the cessation of violence in the relationship, provided both couples are motivated by the therapy to preserve the marital relationship. This article presents a case of offering brief tailor-made individual intervention as well as couple therapy for a woman with depression experiencing violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People affected by infidelity show symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. This study sought to compare the efficacy of emotion-oriented couple therapy (EFCT) and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women affected by infidelity. This study was quasi-experimental, with a pre- and post-test design, and a control group. The statistical population included (n = 69) infidelity-affected women referred to the apple clinic in Mashhad during the first quarter of 2020. Using the available procedure, 45 infidelity-injured subjects were selected and distributed into three groups: CBCT, EFCT, and control (15 cases in each group). The Impact of Event Scale (IES) was administered to all three groups before, after, and two months after intervention. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS-20 statistical software and statistical techniques for analysis of variance of duplicate data. In comparison to the control group, the CBCT and EFCT demonstrated a significant reduction in PTSD scores. Cognitive couple therapy was more effective than emotion-focused couple therapy (P

Introduction: Extramarital affairs disrupt family functioning and have serious negative consequences for the family members. Aim: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy in improving family functioning in couples with extramarital affairs. Method: In this quasi-experimental study, with a pretest-posttest control group design, the statistical population consisted of all couples, referred to the counseling centers of Mashhad, Iran in 2021. Thirty nine couples were selected using the convenience sampling method among people with extramarital relationships and randomly assigned to three groups: control group (13 couples), combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (13 couples), and integrative behavioral couple therapy (13 couples). The experimental and control groups completed the Family Functioning Scale by Epstein et al. (1983) before and after the interventions. In order to data analysis covariance analysis was performed in SPSS version 20. Results: Results indicated that the scores of all family functioning components significantly decreased in the intervention groups compared to the control group (P

Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy is a relatively short-term and effective couples therapy developed to change the negative interaction cycles and emotional reactions of couples experiencing difficulties in their relationships. While laying the foundations of this approach, which focuses on emotions, humanist and systemic principles were used. In this article, it is aimed to present a compilation study that includes the theoretical and practical processes of emotion-focused couple therapy for mental health professionals. The basic assumptions of emotion-focused therapy and how these affect couple therapy practice are examined. Various themes are outlined, including working with emotion types, the role of the therapist, therapy phases, and case formulation. Types of emotion-focused couples therapy developed for specific groups of couples with a particular background have also been discussed. Finally, the strengths and limitations of the approach, its place in couples therapy, and suggestions for future research are presented.

IntroductionComplaining is a frequent phenomenon in human interactions and it frequently happens during couple counseling. A conversation between a therapist and spouses that requires them to talk about problems inevitably leads to complaining (especially during the first meeting). The institutional context and the presence of an impartial therapist shape the complaining sequences.MethodWe used conversation analysis to explore the interactional organization of complaining in the specific context, which is couples therapy. Our data involve video recordings of nine couple therapy first consultations.ResultsIn the results section of our paper, we describe in detail the composition and delivery of complaints in couple therapy setting. Our observations made it possible to propose a nuanced spectrum of ways of complaining that spans the considerateness dimension. Our data suggest that there may be a relationship between the manner of complaining and the presence and severity of maladaptive personality traits of complainers.DiscussionWe argue that paying close attention to complaining practices that arise during couple therapy is an important aspect of clinical work with couples and can be informative regarding the nature of spouses' quarrels and their personality constitutions.

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Introduction and objective: Despite several studies investigating satisfaction in romantic relationships, researchers are still looking for factors that can explain the longevity of relationships but also provide for the right therapeutic effects for couples experiencing a crisis in their relationship. One of the less empirically explored factors affecting satisfaction in romantic relationships, and especially sexual satisfaction, is the level of differentiation of self. Materials and methods: In order to verify the presented theoretical assumptions, a study was conducted in which a range of variables related to the quality of romantic relationships were introduced, and then their correlation with the level of self-differentiation of young women was analysed. Results: Autonomy, understood as the ability to maintain one's boundaries, is an aspect of self-differentiation that has a particularly positive impact on the quality of sexual life -- on satisfaction and assertiveness, motivation, consciousness, and esteem. Conclusion: The findings of the study provide an important contribution to the knowledge of women's sexual functioning and, in addition, can be used as guidance for therapeutic effects in the event of difficulties, such as anxiety, lack of motivation or desire, experienced in relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The experience of infidelity is very painful and leads to serious negative consequence among couples. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT) and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBT) on forgiveness and marital intimacy of women affected by infidelity. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-posttest design. The statistical population included all the infidelity-affected women referred to Andishe and Tafakor counseling center in the first quarter of 2020 in Mashhad city. The sample size was determined by Cochran formula as 15 participants for each group. From this statistical population, 45 people were selected by purposive method based on inclusion criteria and were randomly replaced in three groups of CBT (N=15), EFT (N=15), and the control group (N=15. They did not receive any intervention. All participants were assessed before, after, and two months after the intervention with the marital forgiveness and Walker and Thompson's (1983) and marital intimacy scale (MIS). The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS-20 by statistical methods of the repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: The mean age of participants was 33.11 ±5.03, and their marriage duration was 6.23±2.89. The results demonstrated forgiveness and marital intimacy were significantly increased in CBT and EFT groups compared to the control group (P

Abstract Background Couple relationship distress is common and associated with poor physical, psychological, and relational outcomes for both partners. Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples (EFT) is a short-term structured approach based on attachment theory that integrates a humanistic, experiential approach to restructuring emotional experience and a systemic structural approach to restructuring interactions. This model has been shown to be an effective treatment for couple distress. The supporting research, however, has only been conducted with English-speaking couples. Despite Spanish being the second-most spoken language and meaningful cultural differences between English- and Spanish-speaking countries, the efficacy of EFT has not been examined in this cultural context. This study will examine the efficacy of EFT in this particular context and advance the understanding of potential mechanisms of change. Methods We will use a multicenter randomized wait-list controlled design to examine the efficacy of EFT in a Spanish-speaking sample of moderately distressed couples. One hundred forty individuals in 70 couples in Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain will be randomly assigned to receive 19–21 sessions of EFT or be placed on a waitlist. Outcomes on a range of relational and individual mental health variables will be assessed prior to random assignment, throughout treatment, and at the conclusion of treatment. Primary outcomes will include dyadic adjustment, couple satisfaction, and attachment. Secondary variables, such as loneliness, parenting, affective communication, and sexual satisfaction, will be included as potential mediators of the treatment effect. Couples in the treatment group will also be assessed at 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups. Process variables such as the therapeutic alliance will also be assessed routinely in couples assigned to the treatment group. Couples in the waitlist will receive a psycho-educational program based on EFT after completing the study. Discussion This study will be the first RCT of Emotionally Focused Therapy in a Spanish-speaking context. The results of the study will inform researchers interested in whether treatments developed and tested in the USA and Canada can be effective in differing cultural contexts. It may also point researchers and clinicians to areas where cultural adaptation is needed to improve efficacy. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04277325. Registered on February 20, 2020

Background: Couple therapists will encounter couple violence in their practice at some point. In this context, one of the main questions they must address is whether to continue with conjoint sessions. This study explores how couple therapists make sense of their decision whether or not to continue with conjoint sessions when violence has become an issue. Methods: This qualitative study used four semi-structured focus groups and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data from the twelve experienced couple therapist participants. Results: Our IPA analysis led to three main group experiential themes across the focus groups: (1) Is it safe enough? (2) Do we have a joint and regenerative project? (3) Three key sources for sense making. Conclusion: Partner violence challenges the realm of couple therapy. This article explored how the couple therapists orient themselves and grapple with decision making when violence becomes an issue. The article offers unique insights regarding what the therapists orient themselves towards and how they try to form an impression of whether to continue conjoint sessions. We outline immediate clinical implications and propose measures for building individual and organisational capacity regarding “clinical sense making”. Suggestions for further research are also addressed.

Interpersonal difficulties are common among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are associated with poorer treatment response. Treatment outcomes for PTSD, including relationship functioning, improve when partners are included and engaged in the therapy process. Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for PTSD (CBCT) is a manualized 15-session intervention designed for couples in which one partner has PTSD. CBCT was developed specifically to treat PTSD, engage a partner in treatment, and improve interpersonal functioning. However, recent research suggests that an abbreviated CBCT protocol may lead to sufficient gains in PTSD and relationship functioning, and yield lower dropout rates. Likewise, many veterans report a preference for receiving psychological treatments through clinical videoteleconferencing (CVT) rather than traditional face-to-face modalities that require travel to VA clinics. This manuscript describes the development and implementation of a novel randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examines the efficacy of an abbreviated 8-session version of CBCT ("brief CBCT," or B-CBCT), and compares the efficacy of this intervention delivered via CVT to traditional in-person platforms. Veterans and their partners were randomized to receive B-CBCT in a traditional Veterans Affairs office-based setting (B-CBCT-Office), CBCT through CVT with the veteran and partner at home (B-CBCT-Home), or an in office-delivered, couple-based psychoeducation control condition (PTSD Family Education). This study is the first RCT designed to investigate the delivery of B-CBCT specifically to veterans with PTSD and their partners, as well as to examine the delivery of B-CBCT over a CVT modality; findings could increase access to care to veterans with PTSD and their partners.

Despite being at elevated risk for relationship distress and dissolution, couples living with low incomes are less likely than their middle-class counterparts to participate in couple therapy. To increase treatment use among economically disadvantaged couples, information is needed on how they perceive barriers to treatment and on factors that might facilitate their help-seeking. The first aim of the present study was to identify the prevalence of attitudinal, structural, and relational barriers to seeking therapy for the relationship among individuals who perceived a need for help with their relationship. The second aim was to test whether having direct experience with a relationship intervention (through receipt of premarital education) or indirect experience (by having a social network member who has received couple therapy) is associated with reduced barriers and greater use of therapy for the relationship. Using self-report data from 231 ethnically diverse newlywed couples living in low-income neighborhoods, we find that men and women identify cost and uncertainty about where to go for help as their top two barriers to seeking therapy for the relationship, followed by the partner not wanting therapy (for women) and the belief that individual counseling would be more helpful than couple therapy (for men). Direct and indirect experiences with relationship interventions was associated with increased likelihood that couples sought therapy for the relationship. These results suggest specific directions that can be taken to improve the accessibility of interventions, thereby providing low income couples with resources that might enhance their relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective (s): Marital satisfaction is one of the essential components of family stability. The present study aimed to determine the effect of couple therapy with a self-regulation approach on marital satisfaction. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Participants were sixty clients referred to psychological and counseling centers in Karaj, Iran with marital problems; selected by convenience sampling method. They were randomly assigned into two groups of fifteen pairs: experimental and control groups. The marital satisfaction questions from Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), were used for data collection. Couples in the experimental group received self-regulation therapy for eight sessions. Marital satisfaction was assessed at three points in time: baseline, immediately after the couple therapy, and two-months follow-up. Independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA with repeated measures, and LSD post hoc test was used. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. Results: The mean age of the experimental and control group was 32.46 and 33.43 years, respectively. Marital satisfaction score in three times assessments in the experimental group was 29.23, 40.50, and 39.1 (P0.05). The difference in the marital satisfaction score in the post-test and follow-up assessments between the two groups also showed a significant difference (P

Cancer not only affects the patient's life but also changes the function of the family, especially the spouse as a caregiver. The aim of this article is to determine the effectiveness of couple therapy based on mindfulness for improving the sense of coherence and marital satisfaction in caregivers of patients suffering from prostate cancer. The method of this study was quasi-experimental within the framework of a pretest, posttest, follow-up (PPF) design. In this study, 63 couples of cancer patients and their caregiver from the Shohada Tajrish Hospital volunteered to participate in the study. The six session protocol was conducted. In this research, Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Scale and Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaire were used. Findings showed that couple therapy based on mindfulness significantly improved the sense of cohesion and increased marital satisfaction in women who care for their husbands. According to the results of the study, it can be argued that interventions concentrate on unmet needs of caregivers can enable them to carry on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Extramarital affairs disrupt family functioning and have serious negative consequences for the family members. Aim: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy in improving family functioning in couples with extramarital affairs. Method: In this quasi-experimental study, with a pretest-posttest control group design, the statistical population consisted of all couples, referred to the counseling centers of Mashhad, Iran in 2021. Thirty nine couples were selected using the convenience sampling method among people with extramarital relationships and randomly assigned to three groups: control group (13 couples), combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (13 couples), and integrative behavioral couple therapy (13 couples). The experimental and control groups completed the Family Functioning Scale by Epstein et al. (1983) before and after the interventions. In order to data analysis covariance analysis was performed in SPSS version 20. Results: Results indicated that the scores of all family functioning components significantly decreased in the intervention groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Combined cognitive-behavioral couple therapy was more effective in the dimensions of problem-solving and communication, while integrated behavioral couple therapy was more effective in emotional companionship (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the present results, both combined cognitive-behavioral therapy and integrated behavioral couple therapy had positive effects on improving family functioning. Therefore, depending on the conditions and type of marital problems, therapists are suggested to use a combination of these two methods to improve family functioning in couples with extramarital relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy using the "Hold Me Tight" method on attachment styles, marital adjustment, and sexual intimacy during the first five years of marriage. This research was conducted in terms of purpose and semi-experimental methodology in the form of pretest-posttest follow-up. The statistical population of this study included urban couples in 2020.Thirty-five couples agreed to participate in the study and were randomly divided into an experimental and a control group. Couples training consisted of 4 sessions of 4 hours each over 4 consecutive weeks. The measurement instruments were the Revised Adult Attachment Scale Collins and Reed (RAAS), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale Spinner (DAS), and the Standard Sexual Intimacy Questionnaire (SSIQ) of Botlani et al. For data analysis, the mixed method analysis was used with SPSS software version 24. In the present study, the interactive effect of time group on secure attachment style (P=0.001, F=10.87), ambivalent attachment style (P=0.011, F=5.80), dyadic satisfaction (P=0.002, F=8.06), dyadic correlation (P=0.001, F=7.92), and sexual intimacy (P=0.014, F=4.47) was significant. The results of the present study indicate that emotionally focused couples therapy using the Hold Me Tight method improves secure and ambivalent/anxious attachment styles and sexual intimacy in couples.

Aim and Background: Today, one of the achievements of the family institution and one of the factors threatening the foundation and center of the family is the conflicts that occur in the relationship between couples. Therefore; the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of localized couple therapy based on marital burnout of conflicting couples in Kermanshah. Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population included all couples who referred to Kermanshah Transplant Counseling Center. Statistical sample consisted of 20 conflicting graft pairs that were selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The research instrument was the 21-item Marital burnout Inventory (CBM) questionnaire. Analysis of variance with repeated measures with SPSS software version 25 was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the pre-test-post-test and pre-test-follow-up stages, which indicates the effectiveness of reality-based education on marital burnout of conflicting couples. Conclusions: It seems that localized couple therapy based on reality therapy has an effect on marital burnout. It is recommended to do similar research with more samples to increase the external credibility of the research.

With the growing Muslim population in the United States, Islamophobia and discriminatory acts toward Muslims have been increasing. Negative images in the media, which have strengthened stereotypes about Islam, have affected Muslim individuals, couples, and families. Although the impact of islamophobia has been addressed for individuals, not enough attention has been paid to Muslim couples who experience discrimination due to their religious beliefs. Experience of harassment and negativity is likely to profoundly affect individuals’ couple and family relationships. This lack of research may leave mental health professionals unprepared to sufficiently help Muslim couples that encounter discrimination. Thus, the present study discusses Muslims and their experiences in the U. S. before considering important concerns about couple relationships for mental health professionals working with this population. The purpose is to provide guidance and possible strategies to assist couple therapists for culturally competent practice with Muslim couples.

Using concepts developed by Goffman and the theory of inter-corporeality, this paper describes non-speaking spouses' responses to complaints made about them by the other spouse in the context of couple therapy first consultations. While the turn-taking system of couple therapy effectively precludes the possibility of a direct verbal response, non-speaking spouses often display bodily their disengagement from their spouse's talk. Using multimodal conversation analysis as the method, we show the repertoire of such disengagement behaviors and trace the moment-by-moment contexts in which they arise. While disengagement behaviors embody their producer's inattention to their spouse's talk, at the same time, they are, paradoxically, interactional moves produced in the presence of others, conveying their producer's negative stance to the ongoing talk. We argue that the timing of these disengagement practices involves anticipation of the direction of talk: non-speaking spouses display disengagement in moments when the speaking spouse's talk takes a direction toward an intensification of complaints about them.

Despite evidence that empirically supported couple therapies improve marital relationships, relatively few couples seek help when they need it. Low-income couples are particularly unlikely to engage in relationship interventions despite being at greater risk for distress and dissolution than their higher-income counterparts. The present study aimed to clarify how premarital education influences couples' progression through different stages of later help-seeking, as identified in prior research. Using 5 waves of self-report data from a sample of 431 ethnically diverse newlywed couples living in low-income neighborhoods, analyses revealed that wives who received premarital education later considered seeking therapy at a higher level of relationship satisfaction and lower level of problem severity than those who did not receive premarital education, though this was not true for husbands. Wives who received premarital education were also more likely as newlyweds to say that they would seek therapy if their relationship was in trouble, though husbands were not. Spouses who considered seeking therapy were more likely to follow through with participation if they had received premarital education, whereas if they had not received premarital education they were more likely to consider seeking therapy without following through. Similarly, among couples who received therapy, those who also received premarital education sought therapy earlier than those who did not receive premarital education, though not at a higher level of relationship satisfaction. Taken together, these results suggest that participation in premarital education is linked with later help-seeking by empowering couples to take steps throughout their marriage to maintain their relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record

Background: Couple relationship distress is common and associated with poor physical, psychological, and relational outcomes for both partners. Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples (EFT) is a short-term structured approach based on attachment theory that integrates a humanistic, experiential approach to restructuring emotional experience and a systemic structural approach to restructuring interactions. This model has been shown to be an effective treatment for couple distress. The supporting research, however, has only been conducted with English-speaking couples. Despite Spanish being the second-most spoken language and meaningful cultural differences between English- and Spanish-speaking countries, the efficacy of EFT has not been examined in this cultural context. This study will examine the efficacy of EFT in this particular context and advance the understanding of potential mechanisms of change.Methods: We will use a multicenter randomized wait-list controlled design to examine the efficacy of EFT in a Spanish-speaking sample of moderately distressed couples. One hundred forty individuals in 70 couples in Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain will be randomly assigned to receive 19-21 sessions of EFT or be placed on a waitlist. Outcomes on a range of relational and individual mental health variables will be assessed prior to random assignment, throughout treatment, and at the conclusion of treatment. Primary outcomes will include dyadic adjustment, couple satisfaction, and attachment. Secondary variables, such as loneliness, parenting, affective communication, and sexual satisfaction, will be included as potential mediators of the treatment effect. Couples in the treatment group will also be assessed at 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups. Process variables such as the therapeutic alliance will also be assessed routinely in couples assigned to the treatment group. Couples in the waitlist will receive a psycho-educational program based on EFT after completing the study.Discussion: This study will be the first RCT of Emotionally Focused Therapy in a Spanish-speaking context. The results of the study will inform researchers interested in whether treatments developed and tested in the USA and Canada can be effective in differing cultural contexts. It may also point researchers and clinicians to areas where cultural adaptation is needed to improve efficacy.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04277325. Registered on February 20, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorder is among the most pervasive substance use disorders in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence of 30%. Recommended treatment options include evidence-based behavioral interventions; smartphone-based interventions confer a number of benefits such as portability, continuous access, and stigma avoidance; and research suggests that interventions involving couples may outperform those for patients only. In this context, a behavioral intervention delivered to couples through smartphones may serve as an effective adjunct to alcohol use disorder treatment., Objective: This pilot study aimed to (1) evaluate the feasibility of comparing a patient-only (Addiction version of the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System; A-CHESS) versus a couple-focused (Partner version of the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System; Partner-CHESS) eHealth app for alcohol misuse delivered by smartphone, (2) assess perceptions about and use of the 2 apps, and (3) examine initial indications of differences in primary clinical outcomes between patient groups using the 2 apps. Broadly, these aims serve to assess the feasibility of the study protocol for a larger randomized controlled trial., Methods: A total of 33 romantic couples were randomized to 6 months of A-CHESS app use (active treatment control) or Partner-CHESS app use (experimental). Couples comprised a patient with current alcohol use disorder (25/33, 76% male) and a romantic partner (26/33, 79% female). Patients and partners in both arms completed outcome measure surveys at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months. Primary outcomes were patients' percentage of days with heavy drinking and percentage of days with any drinking, measured by timeline follow back. Secondary outcomes included app use and perceptions, and multiple psychosocial variables., Results: At 6 months, 78% (14/18) of Partner-CHESS patients and 73% (11/15) of A-CHESS patients were still using the intervention. The apps were rated helpful on a 5-point scale (1=not at all helpful, 5=extremely helpful) by 89% (29/33) of both Partner-CHESS patients (mean 3.7, SD 1) and partners (mean 3.6, SD 0.9) and by 87% (13/15) of A-CHESS patients (mean 3.1, SD 0.9). At 6 months, Partner-CHESS patients had a nonsignificantly lower percentage of days with heavy drinking compared with A-CHESS patients (β=-17.4, 95% CI -36.1 to 1.4; P=.07; Hedges g=-0.53), while the percentage of drinking days was relatively equal between patient groups (β=-2.1, 95% CI -24.8 to 20.7; P=.85; Hedges g=-0.12)., Conclusions: Initial results support the feasibility of evaluating patient-only and couple-focused, smartphone-based interventions for alcohol misuse. Results suggest that both interventions are perceived as helpful and indicate maintained engagement of most participants for 6 months. A future, fully powered trial is warranted to evaluate the relative effectiveness of both interventions., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04059549; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04059549., (©David H Gustafson Sr, David H Gustafson Jr, Marie-Louise Mares, Darcie C Johnston, Olivia J Vjorn, John J Curtin, Elizabeth E Epstein, Genie L Bailey. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 01.11.2024.)

In this research, for examining the effect of monotheistic integrated group therapy on married women's positive feelings toward their spouses, 24 married women, referring to the Family Counseling Center of the Association of Parents and Teachers of Naqadeh, were selected as the sample by the convenience sampling. These people had scored low in the scale of positive feelings toward spouse. This research was conducted with a quasi-experimental method and a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up phase. After assimilating the selected people based on control variables, they were randomly placed in the two test and control groups of 12. First, the two groups took the test of positive feelings toward spouse. Then, 12 sessions of monotheistic integrated group therapy were held for the test group, and 12 sessions of free discussion were held for the control group. After the intervention and one month later, each of two groups completed the scales again. The data were analyzed by the analysis of covariance and with the help of SPSS-24. According to the findings, after the monotheistic integrated group therapy, the rate of positive feelings toward spouse in the test group was meaningfully higher in comparison with the control group (P=0.01, f=48.51). This result was maintained until one month after the end of therapy sessions. In addition, the effect of monotheistic integrated group therapy on the improvement of married women's positive feelings toward their spouses was confirmed; thus, family counselors can use this therapy model to reduce family problems and increase couples' positive feelings toward each other.

Background: Cancer diagnosis and treatment represent a real upheaval both for the patient and for his or her life partner. Adjustment to cancer has been widely studied at the individual level, however, there is little in the literature about the experiences of the couple as an entity. This is especially true with regard to a population facing advanced cancer. This systematic review aimed to make an inventory of 1) the current knowledge relating to the experience of the patient-partner dyad when confronted with advanced cancer, and 2) the psychosocial interventions specifically centered on this dyad. Method: This review was conducted using the Cochrane methodology. The eligibility criteria for the literature review were: one of the members of the dyad being treated for advanced cancer, dyad composed of the patient and his/her life partner. Databases from PubMed, PsycArticle, PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and Scopus were investigated. A thematic content analysis on the basis of admitted articles made it possible to respond to each of our research objectives. Results: Three hundred eighty-nine citations were found. Twenty were admitted to the systematic review of the literature. It highlighted the following experiences of the advanced cancer patient-life partner dyad: uncertainty about the future, disjointed time, intrusion into the couple's intimacy, attachment style and caregiving within the couple, couple's adjustment to cancer symptomatology, the couple's supportive care needs, role changes, nature of communication within the couple, anticipation of the coming death, and the meanings and beliefs around death. This review also describes the range of couple therapies used in the context of advanced cancer: emotionally focused-couple therapy, existential therapy, art therapy, support therapy and couple communication and intimacy promotion. These therapies seem to have individual beneficial effects for both the patient and his or her life partner as well as improving marital functioning. Conclusions: These results clearly highlight that consideration of the couple and communication within the couple during care are fundamental to dyadic adjustment to advanced cancer. Further studies (qualitative and quantitative) are needed to better understand the couple's experience in order to adapt the management of the couple facing advanced cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundCancer diagnosis and treatment represent a real upheaval both for the patient and for his or her life partner. Adjustment to cancer has been widely studied at the individual level, however, there is little in the literature about the experiences of the couple as an entity. This is especially true with regard to a population facing advanced cancer. This systematic review aimed to make an inventory of 1) the current knowledge relating to the experience of the patient-partner dyad when confronted with advanced cancer, and 2) the psychosocial interventions specifically centered on this dyad.MethodThis review was conducted using the Cochrane methodology. The eligibility criteria for the literature review were: one of the members of the dyad being treated for advanced cancer, dyad composed of the patient and his/her life partner. Databases from PubMed, PsycArticle, PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and Scopus were investigated. A thematic content analysis on the basis of admitted articles made it possible to respond to each of our research objectives.ResultsThree hundred eighty-nine citations were found. Twenty were admitted to the systematic review of the literature. It highlighted the following experiences of the advanced cancer patient-life partner dyad: uncertainty about the future, disjointed time, intrusion into the couple's intimacy, attachment style and caregiving within the couple, couple's adjustment to cancer symptomatology, the couple's supportive care needs, role changes, nature of communication within the couple, anticipation of the coming death, and the meanings and beliefs around death. This review also describes the range of couple therapies used in the context of advanced cancer: emotionally focused-couple therapy, existential therapy, art therapy, support therapy and couple communication and intimacy promotion. These therapies seem to have individual beneficial effects for both the patient and his or her life partner as well as improving marital functioning.ConclusionsThese results clearly highlight that consideration of the couple and communication within the couple during care are fundamental to dyadic adjustment to advanced cancer. Further studies (qualitative and quantitative) are needed to better understand the couple's experience in order to adapt the management of the couple facing advanced cancer.

Introduction: All of those who want to get married and start a family are looking for a happy, successful and long-term cohabitation and expect a fair relationship with equal rewards and costs. Current study's aim is comparison the effect of group counseling based on Gottman method couple therapy and systemic-behavioral on relational ethics of married women in Tehran. Materials and Methods: The research is an experimental one with repeated measurement and with pre-test, post-test and follow up with two experimental groups and one control group and to collect data from the Relational Ethics Questionnaire (RES) were used. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed using SPSS software version 23 on the data. The statistical population Included 100 married women who voluntarily referred to Mahmid and Frazahn Counseling Centers in Tehran in 2019. From this population, 36 people who received the lowest scores of the Relational Ethics Questionnaire were selected and randomly divided into three groups of 12 each. Experimental and control groups were selected randomly for the implementation of Gottman's couple therapy and systemic-behavioral. Pre-test was performed on all three groups and after 14 sessions of group couple therapy, post-test was taken and one month later, follow-up test was performed on the groups. Findings: The findings showed that: Gottman method couple therapy and systemic-behavioral on relational ethics and its components has been effective and that this effect had remained constant in the follow-up phase but there was no significant difference between these two methods in terms of effectiveness on relational ethics (p= 0/531). Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of the researched approaches, it is suggested to use these approaches in order to resolve marital conflicts and increase relationshinal ethics.

Purpose: Employment and family/social relationships are 2 of the highest priorities among those in substance use recovery. This study examined the relationship of work status with couple adjustment and other recovery capital treatment outcomes among symptomatic alcohol, substance use, and gambling participants (N = 38) using data collected in a randomized trial comparing a systemic Congruence Couple Therapy (CCT) and individual-based Treatment-as-Usual (TAU). Method: Change scores and associations between work status and couple adjustment together with 8 other recovery outcome variables at post-treatment (5 months from baseline) and follow-up (8 months from baseline) in TAU (n = 17) and CCT (n = 21) were analyzed. Results: Number of those working increased with both CCT and TAU but without reaching significance in either CCT (Cochran's Q = 5.429, P =.066) or TAU (Cochran's Q = 2.800, P =.247). Relative to those not working in the combined sample, those working showed significantly improved scores in post-treatment and follow-up in addictive symptoms, couple adjustment, psychiatric symptoms, depression, and life stress. Separating the CCT and TAU groups, similar trend was found in the CCT group but was inconsistent in the TAU group. Conclusion: Significantly greater improvement in addictive symptoms and recovery capital of couple adjustment, mental health, and life stress was found in the working vs not-working group. Compared to individual-based TAU, exploratory findings indicate that the systemic treatment of CCT showed a clearer and more consistent difference in improved working days, addictive symptoms and recovery capital. Replication with larger samples is needed to generalize these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the growing recognition of the role of embodiment, affect and implicit processes in psychotherapy, several recent studies examine the role of physiological synchrony in the process and outcome of psychotherapy. This study aims to introduce Partial Directed Coherence (PDC) as a novel approach to calculating psychophysiological synchrony and examine its potential to contribute to our understanding of the therapy process. The study adopts a single-case, mixed-method design and examines physiological synchrony in one-couple therapy in relation to the therapeutic alliance and a narrative analysis of meaning construction in the sessions. Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony (IPS) was calculated, via a windowed approach, through PDC of a Heart Rate Variability-derived physiological index, which was measured in the third and penultimate sessions. Our mixed-method analysis shows that PDC quantified significant moments of IPS within and across the sessions, modeling the characteristics of interpersonal interaction as well as the effects of therapy on the interactional dynamics. The findings of this study point to the complex interplay between explicit and implicit levels of interaction and the potential contribution of including physiological synchrony in the study of interactional processes in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on interpersonal synchrony has mostly focused on a single modality, and hence little is known about the connections between different types of social attunement. In this study, the relationship between sympathetic nervous system synchrony, movement synchrony, and the amount of speech were studied in couple therapy. Methods: Data comprised 12 couple therapy cases (24 clients and 10 therapists working in pairs as co-therapists). Synchrony in electrodermal activity, head and body movement, and the amount of speech and simultaneous speech during the sessions were analyzed in 12 sessions at the start of couple therapy (all 72 dyads) and eight sessions at the end of therapy (48 dyads). Synchrony was calculated from cross-correlations using time lags and compared to segment-shuffled pseudo synchrony. The associations between the synchrony modalities and speech were analyzed using complex modeling (Mplus). Findings: Couple therapy participants' synchrony mostly occurred in-phase (positive synchrony). Anti-phase (negative) synchrony was more common in movement than in sympathetic nervous system activity. Synchrony in sympathetic nervous system activity only correlated with movement synchrony between the client-therapist dyads (r = 0.66 body synchrony, r = 0.59 head synchrony). Movement synchrony and the amount of speech correlated negatively between spouses (r = −0.62 body synchrony, r = −0.47 head synchrony) and co-therapists (r = −0.39 body synchrony, r = −0.28 head synchrony), meaning that the more time the dyad members talked during the session, the less bodily synchrony they exhibited. Conclusion: The different roles and relationships in couple therapy were associated with the extent to which synchrony modalities were linked with each other. In the relationship between clients and therapists, synchrony in arousal levels and movement "walked hand in hand", whereas in the other relationships (spouse or colleague) they were not linked. Generally, more talk time by the therapy participants was associated with anti-phase movement synchrony. If, as suggested, emotions prepare us for motor action, an important finding of this study is that sympathetic nervous system activity can also synchronize with that of others independently of motor action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Performance and interactions of the couples having important roles in family sustainability. This study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on the performance component of couples referring to counseling centers. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 28 couples with marital problems were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Subjects had score lower than the cut-off point (120 points) using McMaster Family Assessment Device. Subjects in experimental group participated in ten sessions of an hour and a half of the emotion-focused therapy. Pre-test, post-test and one month follow-up were performed for each subject. Results: The therapy had impact on increasing all of the performance components of couples, and the survival of the effect of treatment was evident in one month follow up. There was a significant difference between the scores of the two groups in all of the components of the post-test variable of family functioning (P

Background: Given the rising rate of infertility, the prevalence of mental health disorders in infertile couples is undeniable. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on infertility self-efficacy, dyadic adjustment, and sexual satisfaction in infertile couples. Methods: The present single-case experimental study used a multiple-baseline design. The statistical population of the study included all infertile couples referring to infertility centers in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2019. The research instruments included the Infertility Self-Efficacy Scale (ISE), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ). Following a diagnostic interview, 3 couples were selected using the convenience sampling technique. Integrative behavioral couple therapy was conducted in twelve 120-minute sessions for the intervention group. The second couple entered the study in the second session of the first couple; the third couple enrolled the treatment plan in the third session of the first couple and the second session of the second couple. All questionnaires were completed in the first, third, sixth, eighth, and tenth sessions; the study participants were followed up and re-assessed two months later. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS using chart analysis, reliable change index, and significance statistics. Results: The provided IBCT increased infertility self-efficacy (39.04%), dyadic adjustment (25.91%), and sexual satisfaction (55.01%) in infertile couples. Besides, the improvement lasted throughout the follow-up which indicated the effectiveness of IBCT on infertility self-efficiency, dyadic adjustment, and sexual satisfaction in the study subjects. Conclusion: IBCT can be effective in improving personal and marital variables in infertile couples with infertility problems in addition to their marital problems.

BackgroundResearch on interpersonal synchrony has mostly focused on a single modality, and hence little is known about the connections between different types of social attunement. In this study, the relationship between sympathetic nervous system synchrony, movement synchrony, and the amount of speech were studied in couple therapy.MethodsData comprised 12 couple therapy cases (24 clients and 10 therapists working in pairs as co-therapists). Synchrony in electrodermal activity, head and body movement, and the amount of speech and simultaneous speech during the sessions were analyzed in 12 sessions at the start of couple therapy (all 72 dyads) and eight sessions at the end of therapy (48 dyads). Synchrony was calculated from cross-correlations using time lags and compared to segment-shuffled pseudo synchrony. The associations between the synchrony modalities and speech were analyzed using complex modeling (Mplus).FindingsCouple therapy participants’ synchrony mostly occurred in-phase (positive synchrony). Anti-phase (negative) synchrony was more common in movement than in sympathetic nervous system activity. Synchrony in sympathetic nervous system activity only correlated with movement synchrony between the client-therapist dyads (r = 0.66 body synchrony, r = 0.59 head synchrony). Movement synchrony and the amount of speech correlated negatively between spouses (r = −0.62 body synchrony, r = −0.47 head synchrony) and co-therapists (r = −0.39 body synchrony, r = −0.28 head synchrony), meaning that the more time the dyad members talked during the session, the less bodily synchrony they exhibited.ConclusionThe different roles and relationships in couple therapy were associated with the extent to which synchrony modalities were linked with each other. In the relationship between clients and therapists, synchrony in arousal levels and movement “walked hand in hand”, whereas in the other relationships (spouse or colleague) they were not linked. Generally, more talk time by the therapy participants was associated with anti-phase movement synchrony. If, as suggested, emotions prepare us for motor action, an important finding of this study is that sympathetic nervous system activity can also synchronize with that of others independently of motor action.

Introduction: In recent years, researchers have attempted to assess the effectiveness of couple therapies. This research aimed to evaluate the Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) and Affective Reconstructive Couple Therapy (ARCT) as treatments for marital conventionalization and global distress. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of the present study consisted of couples referring to counseling centers in district 3 of Tehran in 2017. The sampling method of this study was purposeful. Twenty-four couples divided into two experimental groups and one control group. They completed Marriage Satisfaction Questionnaire-Revised Snyder (1979). The experimental groups received 12 ninety-minute sessions of IBCT or ARCT, whereas the control group received no interventions. Data analyzed through MANCOVA test with repeated measures, and SPSS software version 24. Results: The findings indicated that integrative behavior therapy significantly affected marital conventionalization and global distress (F= 23.361, P< 0.001). Also, affective reconstructive couple therapy had significant effects on marital conventionalization (F= 13.566, P< 0.001) and global distress (F= 10.267, P< 0.003). In addition, both therapies have been effective one-month follow-ups. Conclusion: The study found that integrative behavioral couple therapy and affective reconstructive couple therapy are effective to increase marital conventionalization and reduce global distress. Teaching integrative behavior couple therapy and affective reconstructive couple therapy can be effective for psychologists, health professionals, couple therapists, and family counselors to improve marital satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Sexual compatibility between husband and wife is an effective factor in both sexual andmarital satisfaction. However, there is limited valid and reliable questionnaire to measure the degreeof sexual compatibility between the couples.Methods: In this exploratory mixed method study, 54 individuals were interviewed in the qualitativephase and 448 persons participated in the quantitative phase. Totally 502 participants (261 woman,241 men) took part in this study. According to 205 final codes derived from the qualitative phase,102 initial items were developed, the number of which reached 69 items after deletion and mergingperformed by the research team. After face validity, content validity and construct validity, 68 itemswere introduced into the construct validity phase.Results: Following exploratory factor analysis and promax rotation, the items were reduced to 35 in4 factors: “Requirements of a sexual relationship”, “Sexual agreement”, “Contextual obstacles” and“Outcomes of sexual compatibility”. The questionnaire Cronbach alpha and correlation coefficient ofthe test-retest method were 0.90 and 0.91, respectively.Conclusion: Final Questionnaire included 35 items in 4 point-Likert scale with total score of between35-140. This valid and reliable questionnaire is brief, easily interpreted and can measure the mainfactors affecting sexual compatibility with the spouse in clinics and research fields.