Assessment and Research in Applied Counseling
Year:2020 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:6

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of logo therapy in improving self-compassion and life expectancy in women with depression. Method: The present study was quasi-experimental with experimental and control groups and a pretest-posttest design. The statistical population of the study consisted of depressed women who visited counseling centers in District 5 of Tehran in 2014. After conducting a clinical interview and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and based on the purposive sampling method, we selected 36 women from the target population and randomly allocated them to experimental (16 women) and control (16 women) groups. The women in the experimental group were included in the treatment for ten 90-minute sessions per week. After completing 10 sessions of treatment, both groups were retested using Beck Depression Inventory, SelfCompassion Scale (Neff, 2003), and Snyder's Hope Scale (1991). We used analysis of covariance to analyze data. Results: The results indicated that the logotherapy intervention increased life expectancy rate (F=8. 71, P= 0. 006) and self-compassion (F= 5. 07, P= 0. 031) and decreased depression rate (F= 21. 44, P= 0. 001) in depressed women. Conclusion: Based on the results, the logo therapy program could increase life expectancy and self-compassion in depressed housewives.

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of intensive short-term psychodynamics in controlling the emotions of married women who visited counseling centers in Isfahan. Method: The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of couples who visited Aban, Aeen, and Milad Noor counseling centers in Isfahan in 2016. Using the convenience and purposive sampling method, we selected 30 individuals and randomly assigned them to experimental and control groups (15 individuals in the experimental group and 15 in the control group). The experimental group participated in fifteen 60-minute psychodynamics therapy sessions, but none of the control group members participated in psychodynamics therapy sessions. The Emotional Control Questionnaire by Williams (1997) was the research instrument. We analyzed data by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results indicated that intensive short-term psychodynamics decreased scores of emotional control (F= 20. 23, P= 0. 001), and anger (F= 37. 68, P= 0. 001), anxiety (F= 12. 64, P= 0. 002), depressed mood (F= 20. 88, P= 0. 001), and increased positive emotion (F= 10. 93, P= 0. 003) in women. Conclusion: According to the results, the intensive short-term psychodynamics intervention led to improvement and control of emotions in women.

Aim: The present study aimed to compare schema modes with avoidance coping styles and extreme schema compensation between female applicants and non-applicants for cosmetic surgeries in the west of Tehran. Method: The descriptive study was a comparative causal study. The statistical population consisted of all women who visited Mobin Beauty Clinic and the nonapplicants consisted of women present in Kourosh complex in the west of Tehran. Using convenience sampling, we selected 100 applicants from February 2016 to May 2017, and a sample of 100 non-applicants for cosmetic surgeries, and they responded to Young Schema Questionnaire (1998), the Extreme Compensation Questionnaire (1994), and Young Avoidance Questionnaire (1994). We used descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance to analyze the data. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between schema modes, extreme compensation, and avoidance style in female applicants and non-applicants of cosmetic surgeries (p<0. 01). Conclusion: According to the research results, women undergoing cosmetic surgeries suffer from more inefficient schema modes that might play a role in their surgeries.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of couple therapy based on the choice theory in reducing marital burnout and conflict in couples who visited Mehravar Counseling Center. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-post-test design and two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of couples who visited Mehravar Counseling Center in Tehran in July and August 2018. After screening with the Marital Conflict Questionnaire-Revised by Sanai Zaker (2000) and Pinz Marital Burnout Scale (1996), we selected 20 couples and assigned 10 couples randomly to the experimental group and 10 to the control group. Couples in the experimental group received the Duba, Graham, Britzman, and Minatra (2009) treatment package in six 60-minute sessions once a week, and the control group was placed on a waiting list. We analyzed data using the repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results at a significance level of P<0. 05 indicated the effect of couple therapy intervention based on the choice theory on marital conflict (F=3. 61) and marital burnout (F=4. 31) and the stability of the effect at the follow-up stage. Conclusion: Given that the degree of intimacy had a wide impact on the quality of couples' marital relationships, the marriage enrichment intervention based on the choice theory modified and increased interactions between couples and thus increased intimacy and improved the quality of their marital relationships. Therefore, we suggest using this therapy by couple therapists.

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the role of family communication patterns (conversation orientation and conformity orientation) on dyadic adjustment. Method: The present study was descriptive and correlational and its statistical population consisted of married female students of Shiraz University in 2018. We selected 252 married female students of Shiraz University using convenience sampling and they responded to Fitzpatrick and Ritchie Family Communication Patterns Questionnaire (1990) and Spanier's Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) (1976). We used descriptive statistics and simultaneous multiple regression analysis to analyze the data. Results: The results of regression analysis indicated that among the subscales of the family communication patterns Questionnaire-revised, conversation orientation had a positive and significant relationship with dyadic adjustment and predicted it positively. Conclusion: The family communication patterns as general factors could be significant predictors of dyadic adjustment.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of marriage enrichment training in reducing fear of intimacy and improving sexual function in married women. Method: The study was quasi-experimental with experimental and control groups and a pretest-post-test design with a one-month followup. The statistical population consisted of married women who had visited Gorouh Hamrah counseling center in District 2 of Tehran due to marital dissatisfaction and communication problems. Forty married women, who scored higher on the scale of fear of intimacy and lower score on sexual function, were randomly classified into experimental groups (n=20) and control (n=20) groups according to the inclusion criteria. The experimental group received 8session interventions as a group and the control group was placed on a waiting list. Both groups responded to the fear of intimacy and sexual function scale before and after the experiment and were reassessed after 45 days. We used the repeated measures analysis of variance to analyze the data. Results: The results indicated that marriage enrichment training significantly decreased fear of intimacy (F= 21. 69, P= 0. 001). It also significantly increased sexual function (F= 4. 69, P= 0. 03), and the results were stable in the follow-up phase. Conclusion: Based on the findings, marriage enrichment training promoted fear of intimacy and sexual function in married women.