Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy and Self-Compassion Skills Training on Marital Conflicts and Differentiation of Self of Women Affected by Marital Infidelity

The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of skills training based on emotionally focused approach and self-compassion on marital conflicts and differentiation of self of women affected marital infidelity.

It was a quasi-experimental study. The statistical population included all women affected marital infidelity Mashhad during 2019-2020. A statistical sample of 45 women referred to counseling centers and were selected available sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The intervention groups received emotionally focused training and self-compassion separately for 8 sessions of 90minutes and the control group was on the waiting list.Sanai Marital Conflict Questionnaire (2000) and The Differentiation of Self-Inventory Revised(DSI-R) of Skowron and Schmitt (2003) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that training in emotion-focused approach and self-compassion skills has a significant effect on marital conflicts and differentiation of self of women affected by marital infidelity (p <0.05). In addition, the results of post hoc test showed that there was a significant difference between the effectiveness of these two interventions (p <0.05) and the effect of training emotionally focused approach skills towards self-compassion in the variable of differentiation of self was significant.

Findings showed that teaching an emotionally focused approach increasing emotional awareness and awareness of agency in experience and change processes can be used as an effective training to improve the interaction patterns of women affected marital infidelity.