Aim and Background: Intimacy is a key and important property of a marital relationship and a distinguished attribute of a successful marriage. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the couple relationship enrichment by Olson’ s method on the increase in the marital intimacy of COUPLES. Methods and Materials: The present study was methodologically quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with a 45-day follow-up. The statistical population was 30 COUPLES from Farsan city and its suburb in 2018. The sample of the present study comprised 20 COUPLES voluntarily selected from the COUPLES in Farsan city and its suburb according to a call on educational-counseling courses. The experimental group received the couple relationship enrichment training by Olson’ s method for 7 sessions. The control group was also in the waiting list. To collect data, we employed Bagharouzi’ s Marital Intimacy Questionnaire. To analyze the data, we used a mixed-ANOVA test. Findings: The results revealed that the couple relationship enrichment by Olson’ s method was effective in increasing the marital intimacy of COUPLES in Farsan city (p<0. 001). Furthermore, this effect was also stable in the follow-up phase after 45 days (p<0. 001). Conclusions: Training communicational skills in the couple relationship enrichment approach by Olson’ s method could be effective in enhancing the marital intimacy of COUPLES in Farsan city. Theoretical and applied considerations have been posed in the conclusion part.

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop, validate, reliability and standardization of COUPLES communication skills inventory in married COUPLES in Tehran.Method: The present study was administered on 342 participants were selected using sampling available method.Results: The results based on item total correlation showed that Cornbach's alpha and test-retest reliability coefficient for the scale were 0.93 and 0.92 respectively. The result of principle component analysis (PCA) and Varimax rotation showed the structure of the scale in Iranian population (deleting 14 items without the factor loads) contains 3 factors (verbal communication and empathy; communicative barriers; sexual communication skill). The correlation coefficients between the factors of communication skills and Quality of Marriage Index confirmed the convergent validity of the scale. Furthermore, the discriminate validity coefficient of communication skills showed that it can discriminate normal group from communicatively unable group.Conculsion: In general, we can say that the results of this study had the empirical support for the validity and reliability of this scale in the research sample.

The Emotionally-Focused COUPLES Therapy (EFCT) and the Integrated Behavioral COUPLES Therapy (IBCT)are among the treatments that are focused on negative interactional cycles. The current study was conducted aiming at determining the effectiveness of the EFCT and the IBCT on restructuring communication patterns in COUPLES with marital conflict. The statistical population of the study consisted of all COUPLES referring to Mehravaran clinic in Ahvaz. 6 COUPLES were selected using purposeful sampling based on their scores in the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) regarded as distressed COUPLES. In this study, the non-congruent multiple baseline experimental single case was used. The EFCT and IBCT protocols were carried out in two to four stages of the base line, 16 one-hour intervention sessions were held and, after a two-month follow-up. The subjects completed the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ). Data were analyzed using visual inspect, reliable change index and the formula of improvement percentage. Findings showed that the rate of the improvement in the variable of communication patterns in the Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy group at the post-treatment and follow-up stages were 50. 66 and 53. 27 % and 38. 80% and 41. 21% for the Couple Integrated Behavioral group. Therefore, the research findings showed that Emotionally-Focused COUPLES Therapy and the Integrated Behavioral COUPLES Therapy are effective on the restructuring and improvement communication patterns of the COUPLES through changing the negative interactive cycles.

Background: Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of emotionfocused couple therapy and imagotherapy on couple intimacy, quality of relationships, and marital conflict. But research comparing the effects of emotionally-focused couple therapy and imagotherapy on individual adjustment in COUPLES has remained neglected. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of emotion-focused couple therapy and imagotherapy on the personal adjustment of COUPLES in the early years of marriage. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of maladaptive COUPLES referring to neighborhood health and counseling centers in Tehran (1, 8) districts in 2016. Twenty-four COUPLES were selected by voluntary sampling. They were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control (12 COUPLES). Research instruments were: Emotional Couple Therapy Sessions (Johnson, 2004), Imagotherapy Sessions (Hendrix, 2004), and Bell's Compatibility Questionnaire (1961). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Both Emotional Coupling Therapy and Imagotherapy had a significant effect on couple's personal adjustment (p< 0/001). Conclusions: Imagotherapy and couple therapy had an effect on couple's personal adjustment and increased couple's personal adjustment.