Effectiveness of Paradoxical Couple Therapy on Marital Disaffection and Satisfaction Among Couples

Background: This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy (PCT) on marital disaffection and satisfaction.Methods: The research employed a pre-test, post-test, control group design with a one-month follow-up. The population consisted of all couples referred to the Narvan Counseling Center in Tehran in ۲۰۲۴. Fourteen couples were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (۷ couples each). Data were collected using Kayser’s (۱۹۹۳) Marital Disaffection Questionnaire and Tatan et al.’s (۱۹۷۳) Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire.Results: Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, conducted using SPSS, revealed that PCT significantly reduced marital disaffection and increased satisfaction (P-value<۰.۰۵), with effects sustained at follow-up. Based on these findings, it is recommended that counselors and family psychologists utilize PCT to reduce marital disaffection and enhance satisfaction.Conclusions: This approach can be applied in individual and group counseling to strengthen couple relationships, reduce conflicts, and improve emotional regulation, ultimately preventing family dissolution.Background: This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy (PCT) on marital disaffection and satisfaction. Methods: The research employed a pre-test, post-test, control group design with a one-month follow-up. The population consisted of all couples referred to the Narvan Counseling Center in Tehran in ۲۰۲۴. Fourteen couples were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (۷ couples each). Data were collected using Kayser’s (۱۹۹۳) Marital Disaffection Questionnaire and Tatan et al.’s (۱۹۷۳) Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, conducted using SPSS, revealed that PCT significantly reduced marital disaffection and increased satisfaction (P-value<۰.۰۵), with effects sustained at follow-up. Based on these findings, it is recommended that counselors and family psychologists utilize PCT to reduce marital disaffection and enhance satisfaction. Conclusions: This approach can be applied in individual and group counseling to strengthen couple relationships, reduce conflicts, and improve emotional regulation, ultimately preventing family dissolution.

کلیدواژه ها:

Paradoxical couple therapy ، Marital disaffection ، Marital satisfaction ، Couples