Comparison of the effectiveness of schema mode cards and the effectiveness of strength-based counseling on resilience in conflicted couples

Couple therapists believe that marital conflict is caused by inconsistency between husband and wife in the type of needs and how to satisfy them, self-centeredness, differences in desires, behavioral schemas and irresponsible behavior towards marital relationship and marriage.The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of comparing the effectiveness of schema mode cards and the effectiveness of strength-based counseling on resilience in conflicted couples.

The purpose of the present research was applied and its method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with two experimental groups and a control group and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the research included all the couples who referred to the counseling centers of the 3rd district of Tehran in the second half of the year 2021, and 30 couples were selected randomly in two experimental groups (10 couples each) and a control group (10 couples) ) were assigned. The research tools included Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), Connor and Davidson's (2003) Resilience Scale, Tabataeifar et al's. (2022) Schema Mode Cards training package, and strength-based counseling method conducted by Darbani and Parsakia (2022).

The findings indicate that the training of schema mode cards was effective on resilience. Also, the strength-based counseling was also effective on resilience, and the effectiveness of both approaches was stable in the follow-up phase according to Bonferroni's follow-up test. The results of the data analysis show that there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of teaching schema mode cards and strength-based counseling on resilience, and both are equally effective (p<0.05).

Based on the available findings, it can be concluded that to increase resilience in conflicted couples, both methods of teaching schema mode cards and strength-based counseling can be used, and there is no significant difference between the two in the impact on the resilience of conflicted couples.