Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Integrated Systemic Couple Therapy

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University

2 Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Kharazmi University

Abstract

This study examined the effects of emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT) and integrated systemic couple therapy (1ST) enhancing marital adjustment in attachment injured couples. To this purpose 30 couples were randomly selected and based on their pretests were assigned in two experimental and one control groups. Research instruments were Attachment Injury Measure (AIM; Millikin, 2000), and The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; Spanier, 1976). Nine sessions of EFT were conducted for one experiment group and eight sessions of 1ST were done for the other. The control group did not receive any treatment. These three groups completed post-test at the end of the experiment, and follow-up test after three months later. Results indicated that EFT and 1ST significantly increased marital adjustment in attachment injured couples, and the treatment effect was consistent after a three-month follow-up.

Keywords