Counseling and psychotherapy culture

Abstract The transition from the role of a couple to a parent is one of the most difficult transitions in the family life cycle, which affects the entire family structure by changing the roles of family. the most important turning point in the family life cycle. The transition period to parenthood is a period of challenges The purpose of this research examine the challenges faced by couples and their spouses' families during the transition to parenthood, i.e. from the decision to pregnancy to the child's infancy. The research was carried out using a qualitative method and 12 mothers were selected and participated in the purposeful and snowball sampling method. In this research, a semi-structured interview was used, and the data were analyzed using the Colaizzi's method. challenges faced by couples and their spouses' families during this period were categorized in the form of 7 main themes and 28 sub-themes: challenges from pregnancy to delivery, challenges of the mother after childbirth, health and child health challenges, the challenge of respecting boundaries and privacy, the challenge Imposition and coercion, the challenge of the wife's family with the groom, the challenge of the groom with the wife's family. Based on the findings of the research, it seems that the training and preparation of couples and families to enter the parenting period can greatly contribute to the improvement and health of the couple's relationship with their spouse's family, and as a result, increase the satisfaction of the couple and the mental health of the society.

Abstract Background and Aim: Occupational burnout among school counselors in high-pressure environments is a significant challenge affecting their mental health and counseling quality. This study aimed to explain burnout dimensions based on counselors’ lived experiences and model their coping strategies.
Method: This qualitative study used thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke’s framework). The population comprised female junior high school counselors in Isfahan (District 4). Through purposive criterion sampling (minimum 5 years experience, self-reported chronic burnout), 12 participants were selected. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews (2025) and analyzed using MAXQDA. Member checking and peer debriefing ensured validity.
Results: Analysis yielded 40 initial codes, 23 sub-themes, and 4 main themes. The themes included three burnout dimensions: “physical and psychological exhaustion”, “relational exhaustion”, and “work deterrence”; alongside one theme of “operational coping strategies” (e.g., consulting colleagues, making work meaningful).
Conclusion: Although counselors use individual-centered strategies to manage burnout, these are insufficient against chronic structural pressures (e.g., role overload). Thus, burnout is not merely an individual weakness; preventing it requires institutional interventions and supportive educational policymaking.

Abstract Abstract:
The present study aimed to develop and validate a short-term integrative couple therapy protocol based on Iranian indigenous culture. By integrating psychodynamic, logotherapy, metaphor therapy, and lifestyle modification approaches—while considering the sensitivities, values, beliefs, and cultural contexts governing marital relationships in Iranian society—the protocol was designed as a ten-session intervention. A qualitative research method using thematic analysis was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in the field of couple therapy. Following the extraction of core and sub-themes and the development of the initial session structures, the content validity of the protocol was evaluated by seven experts. The results indicated a favorable Content Validity Index (CVI = 0.91), confirming the internal coherence, pedagogical adequacy, cultural appropriateness, content clarity, and clinical applicability of the session structures. Furthermore, in a preliminary study on 10 couples, the initial results of the protocol were significant and promising in reducing marital conflict (t=2.68,p=0.05t=2.68, p=0.05t=2.68,p=0.05), increasing life satisfaction (t=−2.97,p=0.01t=-2.97, p=0.01t=−2.97,p=0.01), and enhancing psychological well-being (t=1.94,p=0.05t=1.94, p=0.05t=1.94,p=0.05). The findings suggest that the developed protocol can be utilized as a localized, short-term, and practical model to improve the quality of couple therapy services in Iran. However, conducting supplementary studies with controlled experimental designs, larger sample sizes, and long-term follow-up periods is necessary to examine its sustained effectiveness.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to analyze and explain the causes, consequences, and coping strategies related to school staff violence in interactions with elementary school students in the city of Sanandaj. The study was conducted within a critical paradigm, employing a qualitative approach and utilizing conceptual analysis and situational assessment as an evaluative research strategy. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using convenience sampling among teachers in Kurdistan Province. The findings emerged in four stages. In the first stage, conceptualization and explanation of violence, violence was defined as a set of overt and covert verbal, psychological, and physical actions that are reproduced within power relations and institutional norms of the school to control and coerce students. In the second stage (causes of violence), ten components were identified, including teachers’ psychological pressures, lack of communication skills, familial and social factors, generational gaps, enforcement of compliance with rules, behavioral control, exertion of power, coercion toward academic performance, and punishment for teaching discipline and responsibility. In the third stage, consequences, seven components were extracted, including increased anxiety and stress, reduced motivation and concentration, academic underachievement, fear and distrust toward school, aggressive behaviors, and physical and psychological harm. In the fourth stage strategies, training in anger management and classroom management skills, creating a supportive educational environment, strengthening home–school interaction, and employing educational counselors were proposed

Abstract One of the most important steps in the counseling process is ending the counseling relationship, and considering that the termination process is a vital part of the counseling process , the actions at the end of the sessions need special attention. This research was conducted by the counselors by thematic analysis method by studying how the process of ending counseling sessions. A semi-structured interview was used to collect information. The field of study was counseling who had at least five years of consulting experience. Participants were selected voluntarily and available, and interviews were conducted with 10 people and up to data objects. Data analysis was done through the 6-step method of Brown and Clark (2006). Through the analysis of interviews and the identification of sentences and phrases, the obtained frame themes were classified into the four main themes of the gradual steps of ending, the errors related to ending, the factors affecting the quality of the ending, the counselor's reactions to the ending were classified. The results showed that the counseling often do not act in a planned manner to end the meeting, despite knowing the steps to end, and closing the counseling process is not done according to the standard of scientific counseling resources.

Abstract Objective: School counseling services constitute an essential component of educational systems and play a significant role in supporting students’ academic, psychological, and social development. The present study aimed to explore students’ lived experiences of school counseling services.
Method: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and a phenomenological method. Participants consisted of 12 high school students in Soltanieh, Iran, during the 2024–2025 academic year, who were selected through criterion-based purposive sampling until data saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method.
Findings: Data analysis led to the extraction of 121 initial concepts, 9 sub-themes, and 3 main themes: (1) influence of the school counselor (positive influence of the school counselor, influence of the counselor's guidance, negative influence of the school counselor); (2) counselor competencies (ethical competencies of the counselor and academic/professional competencies of the counselor); and (3) effects of using school counseling services (students' thoughts before contacting the counselor, students' emotions before contacting the counselor, students' thoughts after contacting the counselor, and students' emotions after contacting the counselor). Students perceived school counselors as a valuable source of academic, emotional, and social support and considered their guidance beneficial in academic, family, and interpersonal matters. However, some participants reported experiences of feeling misunderstood and concerns regarding confidentiality.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that establishing a relationship characterized by trust, empathy, and professional competence plays a crucial role in students’ acceptance of and perceived effectiveness of school counseling services.

Abstract Optimism is a positive attitude to the outside world and an optimistic person with such a positive attitude is trying to see the world better and more beautiful. According to the research conducted, optimism is one of the most fundamental factors that enhances security and leads to a healthy, safe and Favorable society. One of the most important factors affecting Students educational motivation is the optimism to the educational system. So, the main purpose of the present study is to examine the effective factors on the students optimism about the educational system. Using Grounded theory, which is on of the qualitative strategies, 30 students of Shahid Fahmideh male highschool in Tehran were interviewed in a semi-structured way. In this study, the data was coded in Three steps of open, axial and selective coding. During the interview process, 33 codes (dimensions) are developed in open coding and four main themes in axial coding were obtained which are: 1- school staff characteristics, 2- environmental characteristics and school facilities, 3- school programs and 4- students features. "The desire to personal growth", as the selective coding of this research, was identified.

Abstract The present study sought to achieve the two goals of developing a conceptual model of will based on Islamic sources and examining its validity using the method of linguistic semantics, qualitative content analysis and descriptive contextualization methodsBy forming the semantic field of will, 36 basic concepts of will are identified in Islamic sources.The results of the "content validity check" at this stage led to the elimination of 20 concepts and the remaining 16 concepts.The results of the search for explanatory descriptive sentences related to the sixteen concepts amounted to 52146 data based on the principle of saturation. They were screened in two stages, the weakness of the book and the lack of conceptual connection.The result of the screening was the removal of 51081 data and the remaining 1074 data, which were analyzed by coding them in three stages: primary open coding, central open coding, and selective open coding.The result of this process was 265 open codes,19 core codes and 4 selective codes.This process showed that, according to Islamic sources, the will consists of 19 components in the form of 4 dimensions.These components are: intellect and air of the soul (as a super-organizer),belief patterns, desires and needs, mood, environment. Socio-cultural (antecedent dimension), environmental events, attention, personal reflections, arousal, evaluation, intention, active effort, action (process dimension), psychological-spiritual collapse, worldly-hereafter confusion, psychological-spiritual growth, action organization and resilience (consequence dimension).These components were evaluated by 9 humanities and psychology experts and were evaluated as favorable using"Content Validity Index (CVI).This modelwillhavetheability tobe convertedinto psychologicalmeasures andeducational-psychological protocols.

Abstract Background & Aims: Due to the increasing rate of divorce and its negative effect on quality of life of divorced women, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of solution-focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy on depression and quality of life of divorced women.
Method: this study was quasi- experimental with pre - posttest. The population of the present research included all the divorced women who had referred to the counseling centers of Sanandaj city, in 2016 and depression was diagnosed for them based on clinical and diagnostic interview. This research was conducted on 48 women selected by available sampling method and were divided into three experimental (n=12) and one control group (n=12). The experimental groups of ACT, Cognitive-Behavior and Solution-Focused Therapy received 9 two-hour treatment sessions once a week. Data were collected using Beck Depression Inventory and World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and analyzed using Multiple Analysis of Covariance in SPSS 20.
Results: The results of study showed significant differences between the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test of the experimental and control groups (p<0/001). In addition, comparison of experimental groups indicates Cognitive-Behavior Therapy was more effective in decrease of depression and increase of Quality of life (p<0/001).
Conclusion: The present findings indicate that ACT, Cognitive-Behavior and Solution-Focused Therapy can be useful in reduction of depression and improving life quality in divorced women.

Abstract The present study analyzes the efficacy of emotion-focused couple therapy (EFT) on the change of attachment styles and sexual intimacy of couples. This study is a quasi-experimental one with pretest and control group. For this aim, 25 couples who for marital conflicts had visited private counseling centers in Mashhad were selected by non-probability sampling voluntarily. 12 couples were put in the experimental group and 13 couples in the control group. All the participants filled in the attachment styles questionnaire of  Collins  & Reed and sexual intimacy questionnaire. Those in the experimental group took part in nine 1.5-hour sessions of emotion-focused couple therapy (EFT). After the end of therapy sessions, those in the two groups again filled in the mentioned questionnaire. The results show a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the safety on attachment and sexual intimacy.

Abstract Aim: This study examined the effectiveness of sand play therapy on reducing aggression/ hyperactivity in children was Kermanshah city. Materials and Methods: Experimental pretest - posttest control group and statistical methods of multivariate analysis of covariance. The population of 7-5 year old children with aggression/ hyperactivity in Kermanshah and simple random sampling. Of three regions of Kermanshah, six kindergarten (kindergarten through each zone two) were randomly selected. 54 children with behavioral disorders were diagnosed. The inclusion and Exclusion criteria based on, 30 children (10 girls and 20 boys) were randomly selected as the sample group and control group 15 patients 15 patients were examined. Behavioral disorders Questionnaire Rutter form  B (1967) pre-test - post-test and one month after the intervention was completed by the teachers. The experimental group received 10 weekly sessions(45 minutes) of sand play therapy. Results: The results showed that the sand play therapy, significantly aggression/ hyperactivity reduced in children in the experimental group compared to control children. and these achievements were remained in one-month follow up. Conclusion: According to the results obtained from the sand play therapy can be effective in reducing Behavioral disorders in children. and the necessity of using sand play therapy to reduce aggression/ hyperactivity and mental health in the children with this disorder have was emphasized.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate teaching reality therapy on increasing the resilience and life expectancy and quality of life of infertile women have infertility center in Sarim. The population studied all infertile women referred to Mrkznabarvry city Sarim has been Given that this research is quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test with control group and placement on a non-random and is voluntary, the sample size for training reality therapy in infertile women referred to Mrkznabarvry city Sarim was 30. Method of data collection to measure the variables of the study, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003), life expectancy questionnaires Schneider et al. (1991), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (1989), as well as teaching reality therapy based on treatment protocols during 8 sessions and the questionnaire was conducted on a sample. To analyze data, descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, variance and plot the ...) and inferential statistics to test the research hypotheses test (ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test) software environment for spss was. The results showed that: learning ways to increase resilience and improve the quality of life of patients unfertilized reality therapy, but had no effect on their life expectancy. Results also indicate the impact on the subscales of reality therapy resilience, but also spiritual reality training of health effects was not significantly different.

Abstract Due to the prevalence of coronavirus among people, especially the affected countries, which has caused anxiety, the aim of the present study was to investigate the causal modeling of Corona anxiety in students based on optimism and resilience with the mediating role of perceived social support. The research method was descriptive and structural equations. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all students of University of Mohaghegh Ardabili who were studying in the academic year of 2009-2010, when 300 people participated in the research online and through virtual networks. Data collection tools included Corona Anxiety Scale (Alipour et al., 2020), Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1992), Resilience Scale (Conner & Davidson, 2003) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling using Spss23 and Lisrel 8.8 software. Based on the results, the causal model confirmed the relationship between optimism, resilience, perceived social support and Corona anxiety in students based on different fitness indices. Optimism, resilience and perceived social support have a direct effect on the Corona anxiety in students; also, Optimism and resilience has an indirect effect on the Corona anxiety in students through perceived social support (P <0.05). Therefore, optimism, resilience and perceived social support play an important role in the Corona anxiety in students and targeting these three components by psychological therapies can be effective in reducing the Corona anxiety in students.