Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples in Improving Emotion Regulation and Relationship Distress of Emotionally Divorced Couples

Abstract

Background: Couples therapy has become a top priority due to the increasing prevalence of divorce cases in Iran, particularly among young couples, and the escalating family conflicts. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) on couples' emotion regulation and relationship distress in cases of emotional divorce. Methods: This experimental research utilized a pretest-posttest follow-up design. The study population included all couples with emotional divorce seeking counseling at the counseling centers in Ramshir County, Khuzestan Province (Iran) in 2022. Purposive sampling was employed to select 12 couples (24 individuals). The experimental group participated in EFT for couples, consisting of 9 sessions lasting 90 minutes each. Data were collected using the Gottman Emotional Divorce Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Marital Disturbance Questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results: The mean ± SD scores for emotion regulation in couples who underwent EFT in the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages were 77.25 ± 10.17, 115.50 ± 12.40, and 125.00 ± 7.71, respectively. Additionally, the mean ± SD scores for relationship distress in couples during the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages were 40.33 ± 1.88, 21.04 ± 3.04, and 19.79 ± 2.06, respectively. The findings indicated that EFT for couples significantly improved emotion regulation and relationship distress in couples experiencing emotional divorce (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Emotionally focused therapy for couples can enhance emotion regulation and alleviate relationship distress in couples dealing with marital conflicts and emotional divorce. It is recommended for psychotherapists and family counselors as an effective intervention to address marital conflicts in couples experiencing emotional divorce. Furthermore, it can be incorporated into premarital counseling sessions.