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.