Comparing the Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Self-Regulation Couple Therapy in Cognitive Flexibility in Couples on the Verge of Divorce

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotionally focused couple therapy and self-regulation couple therapy in the cognitive flexibility of couples on the verge of divorce. The quasi-experimental study consisted of pretests and posttests with a control group, followed by a three-month follow-up. As of 2019, the statistical population included all divorce-adverse couples in the Motahari Family Judicial Complex in Mashhad. Sixty couples who were referred to the Bahar Divorce Counseling Center in Mashhad were selected through the sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (emotionally oriented couple therapy and self-regulation couple therapy) and a control group. Each group consisted of 20 couples. A cognitive flexibility questionnaire was included in the instrument (Dennis, Vander Wal, & Jillon, 2010). The intervention was effective in increasing the cognitive flexibility of couples on the verge of divorce (P < 0.0001); however, the effectiveness of both methods did not last long. In addition, there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two methods. According to the results of the study, counselors and psychologists in couples and families use the two methods of emotionally focused couple therapy and self-regulation couple therapy to improve the cognitive flexibility of couples with challenges.