Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences

Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences

The Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy on Emotional Empathy, Sexual Functioning, and Marital Relationship Quality in Couples Experiencing Marital Conflict

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Department of Counseling, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objective: Marital conflict can profoundly impair interpersonal dynamics and individual psychological and emotional well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) on emotional empathy, sexual functioning, and marital relationship quality among couples experiencing marital conflict.
Methods: This study employed a pretest–posttest clinical trial design with a control group. The study was prospectively registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20250531065993N1). The statistical population consisted of all couples referred to psychological counseling centers in Ahvaz, Iran, during 2025. Thirty couples (60 individuals) were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 couples; 30 individuals) or the control group (15 couples; 30 individuals). The experimental group participated in ten 90-minute sessions of EFCT, following the protocol developed by Johnson and Greenberg, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data were collected using the following instruments: the Emotional Empathy Scale, the Marital Sexual Functioning Scale, and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS).
Findings: Results of multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that EFCT led to statistically significant improvements in emotional empathy, sexual functioning, and marital relationship quality in the experimental group compared to the control group (multivariate P<0.001; univariate P<0.001 for emotional empathy, sexual functioning, and marital relationship quality).
Conclusion: EFCT constitutes an effective intervention for reducing marital distress by strengthening emotional bonding and enhancing functional intimacy within the couple relationship.
Keywords

  Reference
1.               Elsayed W. Building a better society: The vital role of family’s social values in creating a culture of giving in young children’s minds. Heliyon. 2024;10(7):e29208. https://doi.org/ 10.30699/ijbd.14.2.41 [PMID]
 
2.               Dousti F, Mirzahosseini H, Zargham Hajebi M. Predicting marital conflicts in couples based on a systemic approach mediated by personality traits. Adv Nurs Midwifery. 2021;30(3):28-34. https://doi.org/10.22037/anm.v30i3.35637
 
3.               Nadi E, Bakhtiarpour S, Makvandi B, Asgari P. The relationship between paternal family health and stress with subjective well-being in married students mediated by marital satisfaction. J Clin Care Skill. 2025;6(1):39. https://doi.org/ 10.30699/ijbd.14.2.41
4.               Kupferberg A, Hasler G. The social cost of depression: Investigating the impact of impaired social emotion regulation, social cognition, and interpersonal behavior on social functioning. J Affect Disord Rep. 2023;14:100631.
 
5.               Bahadori B, Asgari P, Naderi F. The relationship between marital satisfaction and marital justice through the mediating role of anxiety in married students. Adv Nurs Midwifery. 2025;34(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.22037/anm.v34i1.46798
 
6.               Mirbagheri AM, Hazareh Z, Kianimoghadam AS, Ghazanfari MJ, Masjidi Arani A. Emotional empathy, adaptability, and couple functioning in compatible and incompatible young couples: A cross-sectional study. J Nurs Rep Clin Pract. 2025;3(4):332-340. https://doi.org/10.32598/JNRCP.2412.1198
7.               Papp LM, Kouros CD, Cummings EM. Emotions in marital conflict interactions: Empathic accuracy, assumed similarity, and the moderating context of depressive symptoms. J Soc Pers Relat. 2010;27(3):367-387.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407509348810[PMID]
 
8.               Jahandoost S, Alaedini Z, Barati H. The role of successful intelligence and emotional empathy in marital satisfaction considering the moderating role of age. Couns Psychother Cult. 2020;11(41):139-156.https://doi.org/10.22054/qccpc.2020.44144.2174
 
9.               Vahidi Farashah M, Shafiabadi A, Khodabakhshi Koolaei A. Effectiveness of positive couple therapy in the empathy and intimacy of infertile couples. Razavi J Med. 2022;10(1):66-72.https://doi.org/10.30483/rijm.2022.254295.1129
10.            Kamranpour SB, Tarahi MJ, Kohan S, Alizadeh S. Relationship of emotional intelligence with sexual function in females. J Holist Nurs Midwifery. 2019;29(2):65.
 
 
11.            Azarnik M, Rafeipour A, Hatami M, Mousavi MS. Communication and sexual skills in marital functioning and satisfaction and reduced marital conflicts among Iranian couples: A systematic review. J Educ Health Promot. 2024;13:202.
 
12.            Bianchi D, Morelli M, Baiocco R, Cattelino E, Chirumbolo A. Patterns of love and sexting in teen dating relationships: The moderating role of conflicts. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev. 2021;2021(178):133-155.https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20427[PMID]
 
13.            Reser JE. Chronic stress, cortical plasticity and neuroecology. Behav Processes. 2016;129:105-115. [PMID]
 
14.            John NA, Seme A, Roro MA, Tsui AO. Understanding the meaning of marital relationship quality among couples in peri-urban Ethiopia. Cult Health Sex. 2017;19(2):267-278. [PMID]
 
15.            Shafierizi SH, Esmaelzadeh S, Ghofrani F, Gholinia H, Faramarzi M. Role of marital relationship quality in emotional disturbance and personal growth of women with infertility: A cross-sectional study. Int J Fertil Steril. 2023;17(3):174-180. [PMID]
 
16.            Tamannaeifar M, Mazhabdar A, Hadizadeh F. Structural equation modeling of marital satisfaction based on spiritual well-being and psychological hardiness: The mediating role of marital adjustment. J Woman Fam Stud. 2025;13(3):27-50.
 
17.            Greenberg LS, Johnson SM. Emotionally focused therapy for couples. New York: Guilford Press; 1988.
 
18.            Faghih S, Kazemi H. Effectiveness of emotionally focused couples therapy on the control of infertile couples’ emotions. J Holist Nurs Midwifery. 2019;29(3):153.https://doi.org/10.22074/ijfs.2015.4556
19.            Panabad S, Gholamzadeh Jofreh M, Asgari P, Kazemian Moghaddam K. Effectiveness of emotionally-focused couples therapy on marital violence, marital adjustment, and sexual intimacy of couples visiting counseling centers of Ahvaz. Adv Nurs Midwifery. 2022;31(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.22037/anm.v31i1.38541
20.            Beasley CC, Ager R. Emotionally focused couples therapy: A systematic review of its effectiveness over the past 19 years. J Evid Based Soc Work. 2019;16(2):144-159.https://doi.org/10.1080/23761407.2018.1563013
21.            Soleimani AA, Najafi M, Ahmadi K, Javidi N, Hoseini Kamkar E, Mahboubi M. The effectiveness of emotionally focused couples therapy on sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment of infertile couples with marital conflicts. Int J Fertil Steril. 2015;9(3):393-402.https://doi.org/10.22074/ijfs.2015.4556
 
22.            Ceja A, Sinha S, Bond MH, Gallin RE, Wong ML, Armstrong K, et al. Effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy in a multidisciplinary veterans health care setting. Fam Process. 2026;65(1):e70110https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.70110.
 
23.            Mehrabian A, Epstein N. A measure of emotional empathy. J Pers. 1972;40(4):525-543.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1972.tb00078.x
 
24.            N, Ranjbar Nosahri F. The validity and reliability of Farsi version of the compassion of others’ lives (COOL) scale. Soc Cogn. 2016;4(2):35-47.
 
25.            Farajnia S, Hosseinian S, Shahidi H, Sadeghi AS. Codifying and examine psychometric properties of marital sexual function scale (MSFS). Biannu J Appl Couns. 2014;4(1):85-102.https://doi.org/10.22055/jac.2014.12563
 
26.            Busby DM, Christensen C, Crane DR, Larson JH. A revision of the dyadic adjustment scale for use with distressed and nondistressed couples: Construct hierarchy and multidimensional scales. J Marital Fam Ther. 1995;21(3):289-308.
 
27.            Maroufizadeh S, Omani-Samani R, Hosseini M, Almasi-Hashiani A, Sepidarkish M, Amini P. The Persian version of the revised dyadic adjustment scale (RDAS): A validation study in infertile patients. BMC Psychol. 2020;8(1):6.