The Effectiveness of Emotionally Focoused Couple therapy on their Emotional Schemas of Young Couples

The aim of this study was to the effectiveness of emotion- focoused couple therapy on the emotional schemas of young couples.

The research method was semi-experimental to pretest-posttest. The statistical population consisted of all young couples with adjustment problems who referred to psychological service and counseling centers in Tehran in the second half of 2019 (N=2025). Among them, 20 couples (40 people) were randomly selected based on inclusion criteria, and then replaced in two groups: emotion-focoused couple therapy, and the control group. The research instruments included emotional schemas scale (Leahy, 2002). The experimental group received the emotion- focoused couple therapy with Johnson's (2004) in 9 sessions of 60 minutes. The control group was waiting. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) by SPSS25 software.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups; And emotion-oriented couple-therapy interventions had a significant positive effect on the emotional schemas of young couples (p<0.05).  

Based on the results of the present research, emotion-oriented couple-therapy can be effective in improving the emotional schemas of young couples; And it is recommended that therapists and family counselors use this treatment in other therapeutic interventions to improve emotional schemas of couples.