Counseling and psychotherapy culture

Abstract Mental health is a crucial aspect of human quality of life, influenced by spiritual and psychological factors. The Holy Quran serves as a primary source of guidance, highlighting key concepts such as “Rida” (contentment), “Shukr” (gratitude), and “Raja” (hope), which are essential for mental well-being. This study uses a descriptive-analytical approach to examine these concepts within Quranic verses and align them with contemporary psychological theories, particularly positive psychology. Employing both qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods, data was collected through surveys and textual analysis. Findings reveal that acceptance of divine destiny (Rida) enhances resilience and reduces anxiety and depression. Additionally, practicing gratitude (Shukr) increases positive emotions and decreases stress, while maintaining a hopeful outlook (Raja) acts as a motivating force for achieving goals and overcoming challenges. The interplay between these religious concepts and modern psychological theories offers a fresh perspective for Islamic psychological counseling. This model is proposed as an effective strategy to promote mental health in today’s society. Given the complexities of contemporary life, it is essential to integrate spiritual and psychological aspects into treatment and counseling processes. Ultimately, this study underscores that combining religious teachings with scientific approaches can significantly improve individuals’ quality of life and mental health.

Abstract Couples' cognitive bias, that is, incorrect and dogmatic ways of interpreting events when they occur in relationships between couples. The present study aims to extract a conceptual model of couples' cognitive bias in Islamic sources.
The present research method was qualitative in the manner of the theory of foundation. The main source of the research was the Holy Quran and Islamic hadiths. The research sample included descriptive and explanatory religious texts related to the semantic field of couples' cognitive bias, which were selected purposefully. The research sample was collected through three groups of tools (books, software, and reliable websites). After extracting data related to couples' cognitive bias from Islamic teachings, in the process of data analysis through coding, 760 open codes, 38 concepts, 12 categories and 4 dimensions were extracted and finally the four dimensions were formulated in the form of 1 model.
Based on the research findings, couples' cognitive bias in couples' relationships in four dimensions, bias situations, bias underlying factors, bias components (bias in attention and bias in interpretation), bias consequences.
The validity of the obtained results was examined and confirmed with the criteria of reliability, transferability, confirmability and dependability. These findings have provided a suitable basis for developing a questionnaire and designing treatment protocols.

Abstract Over recent decades, Iran’s marriage patterns have undergone substantial transformation, accompanied by a lack of systematic, evidence-based interventions and conceptual coherence in educational programs concerning family formation. These shortcomings have contributed to challenges such as postponed marriage, rising early divorce rates, and inadequate couple preparedness. This study aimed to design and validate a Psycho‑Cultural Educational Package for Family Promotion and Formation. Employing an exploratory mixed‑method design, the research integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study population comprised experts and family counselors in marriage promotion, with a sample size determined by theoretical saturation (n = 10).

In the qualitative phase, data were collected through document analysis and semi‑structured interviews. The extracted components were categorized and analyzed to form the preliminary structure of the package. In the quantitative phase, content validity was assessed using Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) to evaluate item necessity and appropriateness. CVR values ranged from 0.60 to 1.00, and CVI values from 0.80 to 1.00, indicating satisfactory content validity.

Qualitative analysis identified 123 subcomponents consolidated into 61 validated categories across eight thematic domains. The finalized educational package exhibited robust psychometric properties and construct validity, making it suitable for educational, counseling, and research applications. By offering a scientifically grounded framework for premarital education, family counseling, and cultural policy formulation, this package supports the goals of Iran’s Family and Youth Population Development Act (2022) and strengthens the foundation for stable, sustainable family formation.

Abstract This study aimed to analyze the current status of the components considered for assessing the mental health of teaching candidates for admission to Farhangian University and to provide solutions for its improvement. The research method used was qualitative, phenomenological. The study population of this study included all faculty members and lecturers of Farhangian University in the fields of counseling and psychology, from whom a sample of 17 people was selected using purposive sampling (expert type). A semi-structured interview tool was used to collect the required data. Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data.The results of the study showed that the mental health components of teaching volunteers included two main categories and eight subcategories. The category of identifying and assessing mental health components included the following components: identifying and assessing mental health too little, not having enough time, not having the necessary tools, and not accurately assessing mental health. The category of appropriate measures included the components of using valid psychological tests, specialization of mental health assessment, need for in-depth interviews, and assessment of psychological competence during and at the end of education. According to the research findings, it can be said that in order to accept candidates with mental health to study at Farhangian University, the results of valid psychological tests should be used in addition to specialized interviews. In order to improve the level of mental health of student teachers, it is recommended to hold educational workshops in the areas of mental health and life skills,

Abstract The present study was designed with the aim of exploring and designing a specific model of parenting indicators for adolescents with a coherent career. This study is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in a phenomenological manner. The statistical population of the study included all parents of female students with successful career identities who were studying in high school in Kermanshah in 2023. Sampling was conducted in two stages. The aim of the first quantitative stage was to identify students with successful career identities. For this purpose, 170 high school students in Kermanshah were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling to complete the career identity questionnaire. Then, in the second qualitative stage, using purposive sampling, participants were selected from 29 parents of children with successful career identities who had obtained a score higher than the standard deviation (4.15) to conduct interviews. Sampling proceeded to the theoretical saturation stage and 2 final interviews were conducted to ensure data saturation. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview method and analyzed using the seven-stage Claise method. The analysis of participants' experiences in the field of analyzing parenting indicators in adolescents with a coherent career identity led to the identification and extraction of 160 primary codes, 27 sub-themes, and 7 main themes, including: informed parent, responsiveness, quality of communication with the child, parent behavioral skills, safe family environment, family structure, and control-supervision. The results of the present study highlight the aforementioned parenting indicators as important variables in adolescents' achievement of a successful career identity,

Abstract Academic engagement is one of the most critical factors influencing students' academic achievement, determining their motivation and active participation in the learning process. In educational systems, identifying the sources and barriers of academic engagement is essential for enhancing learning quality and implementing effective educational planning. The present study aimed to explore high school students’ lived experiences regarding the sources and barriers of academic engagement. This study was conducted within a qualitative framework using a descriptive phenomenological approach. The research field included high school students residing in Tehran in 2025 who demonstrated indicators of academic engagement. Purposeful sampling continued until data saturation was reached, with the twelfth interview marking the endpoint of participant selection. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method (1978). To enhance the credibility of the findings, participant validation and peer review were employed. The analysis revealed that the barriers to academic engagement included “undirected learning environments, devaluation and hopelessness, harmful relationships, inhibitory attitudinal dynamics, and inhibitory performance dynamics,” whereas the sources of academic engagement comprised “directed learning environments, valorization and hopefulness, growth-promoting relationships, engagement-enhancing attitudinal dynamics, and engagement-enhancing performance dynamics.” The findings indicate that academic engagement is a multidimensional and dynamic process shaped by the interaction of environmental, cognitive, and motivational factors. Educational interventions should be designed considering these interactions, and educational planning at various levels should emphasize the strengthening of academic engagement resources.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to investigate a structural equation model of the relationship between sensory processing patterns, executive functions, and conflict-resolution tactics, considering the mediating role of mentalization in married women. This correlational study employed structural equation modeling. A sample of 450 participants was selected using convenience and sampling; after screening and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 405 women remained in the final analysis. The research instruments included the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile by Brown and Dunn (2002), the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale–Short Form (2011), the Mentalization Questionnaire by Fonagy et al. (2016), and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale by Straus et al. (2004). Findings indicated that the conflict resolution tactics model (aggressor form) explained 28% of the variance in mentalizing (R² = .28), 39% of the variance in maladaptive conflict resolution (R² = .39), and 55% of the variance in adaptive conflict resolution (R² = .55). The victim-form model explained 26% of the variance in mentalizing (R² = .26), 32% of the variance in maladaptive conflict resolution (R² = .32), and 51% of the variance in adaptive conflict resolution (R² = .51). These results highlight the central role of mentalizing in conflict resolution processes and its associations with cognitive and sensory characteristics in married women.

Abstract Parental disagreement in child-rearing practices is one of the serious challenges within families, whose consequences affect not only children but also the counseling process and the professional performance of counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore counselors’ lived experiences of working with children whose parents hold conflicting views regarding parenting practices. The present research employed a qualitative design based on the interpretative phenomenological approach. The study population consisted of family counselors active in counseling centers across Iran in 2025. Using purposive sampling, 15 counselors with direct experience of working with families facing parental disagreements in the domain of child-rearing were selected. Data saturation occurred with the thirteenth participant, and the last two interviews did not yield new information. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, all of which were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Smith et al.’s (2009) interpretative phenomenological analysis method. The analysis revealed three main themes: (a) counselors’ practical challenges, (b) counselors’ coping strategies, and (c) counselors’ educational and organizational needs. The findings indicated that counselors experience significant psychological and ethical burdens when working therapeutically with families characterized by parental disagreements in child-rearing. Furthermore, the study highlights the necessity of designing culturally adapted interventions, developing specialized protocols, and establishing institutional support to enable counselors to manage parental disagreements in child-rearing more effectively.

Abstract The present study aimed to examine and analyze common sub-discourses within spouses that are employed to maintain homeostasis. Method: This qualitative research was conducted within the framework of Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. The study population consisted of married men aged 25 to 45 residing in Tehran in 2023. Participants were purposefully sampled to ensure maximum variation in terms of discourse style regarding the research topic—family balance and individuals’ preferred mechanisms. In accordance with the principle of theoretical saturation, eleven participants were recruited for the study. To enrich the study and obtain relevant data, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis method. The results indicate that couples’ discourses regarding the maintenance of homeostasis can generally be classified into two groups: balancing discourses, which include sub-discourses such as tolerance, compromise, consulting specialists or competent individuals, logical negotiation, reassessment of equilibrium situations, and compensation; and deviant discourses, encompassing sub-discourses such as threats of divorce, feigned infidelity, physical withdrawal, emotional withdrawal, physical aggression, excessive control, reversed behavior, making false promises, and triangulation. Additionally, three dominant societal discourses—traditionalism, modernism, and religious fundamentalism—were analyzed. Among these, the discourse of religious fundamentalism was identified as the most beneficial and applicable within the context of family relations. Given their prevalence, dominant discourses can inject an ontology aligned with their central signifiers into social interactions, thereby influencing values, structures, norms, family rules, and ultimately the balance of the family

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of psychological hardiness and religious orientation in the relationship between women’s age and marital adjustment during the first five years of marriage. The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population included all married female students at Islamic Azad University of Mashhad in May 2024, whose marriage duration was less than five years. A total of 214 participants were selected using the available sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, the Psychological Hardiness Scale by Kobasa et al. (2002), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale by Spanier (1976), and the Religious Orientation Scale by Allport and Ross (1950). Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation and path analysis with SPSS 22 and AMOS 22 software. The results showed that age had a direct relationship with marital adjustment and an indirect relationship through religious orientation (p-value < 0.05). However, age did not have an indirect relationship with marital adjustment through psychological hardiness (p-value > 0.05). Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the relationship between women’s age and marital adjustment is not a simple linear one, and religious orientation can play a mediating role in this relationship.