Research Paper
Consulting research based on Iranian Islamic culture
Mojtaba Hafezi; Masoud Janbozorgi; Masoud Azarbaijani; Hojjatollah Farahani
Abstract
This study aimed to design and validate a Coping educational package for Romantic Breakup based on God-Oriented Spiritual Multidimensional Psychotherapy. First, the Aetiology of Romantic Breakup was carried out in two stages—qualitative interviews with individuals experiencing Romantic Breakup ...
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This study aimed to design and validate a Coping educational package for Romantic Breakup based on God-Oriented Spiritual Multidimensional Psychotherapy. First, the Aetiology of Romantic Breakup was carried out in two stages—qualitative interviews with individuals experiencing Romantic Breakup and Islamic sources—using Bengtsson’s (2016) qualitative content analysis method; then the validation of the resulting findings was performed. After determining the Aetiology framework, the educational package was designed in 14 sessions of 60 minutes each, based on the Aetiology results and the God-Oriented Spiritual Multidimensional Psychotherapy approach. The validation of the educational package was examined using the opinions of 10 experts in two parts: Content Validity of the educational package and Feasibility assessment. The statistical population for the validation phase consisted of psychology specialists in Qom, selected through Purposeful sampling. The findings showed that for the Content Validity of the educational package, the mean Content Validity Ratio (CVR) of all sessions was 0.90 in the objectives section and 0.89 in the techniques section, and the mean Content Validity Index (CVI) was 0.93 in the techniques section, indicating that the educational package has appropriate content validity. Moreover, the Feasibility assessment findings showed that the educational package, with a total Feasibility mean of 3.83, has sufficient Intervention Acceptability & Suitability, Adaptation & Demand, Integration, Adaptability, Resources & Implementation, and Generalizability. The results of this study have provided a suitable basis for examining the effectiveness of the educational package and its use in reducing Clinical Symptoms resulting from Romantic Breakup.
Research Paper
Consulting research based on Iranian Islamic culture
zahra Nikbin; Fatemeh fayyaz
Abstract
The instruction of prayer (Salat) and encouraging its performance among pre-adolescents is of significant importance from an educational perspective, as it is one of the key religious behaviors. The education for performing prayer encompasses cognitive, behavioral, and motivational dimensions that must ...
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The instruction of prayer (Salat) and encouraging its performance among pre-adolescents is of significant importance from an educational perspective, as it is one of the key religious behaviors. The education for performing prayer encompasses cognitive, behavioral, and motivational dimensions that must be tailored to the age of the audience. The present study was conducted with the aim of developing an educational package for performing prayer based on a “Good-Choosing” approach, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative phase, the process involved preparing age-appropriate propositions from the term ‘Salat’ in Quranic verses, conducting a content analysis of prayer-related texts to enrich the package’s content, and designing and compiling the educational package itself. This design was specifically tailored to the developmental process of ‘good-choosing’ in children aged 10 to 12. Ultimately, the package was reviewed and modified by a panel of five experts. In the quantitative phase, the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and the Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated to assess the protocol’s content. The content validity assessment by experts revealed that the total CVR for the protocol was 0.99 and the CVI for the sessions was 0.98, indicating that they meet the minimum acceptable threshold.This package, by fostering critical thinking and providing engaging strategies for instructors, aims to teach prayer as the ultimate good to girls aged 10 to 12.
Research Paper
Identity and personality
Ali Azimi; Ehsan Rezazadeh; Fahimeh Fadakar
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effective experiences of adolescents living in quasi-family centers regarding their personal and social growth. Adolescents who are orphaned or under inadequate parental care are exposed to multiple psychological and social risks, and understanding their lived ...
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The present study aimed to investigate the effective experiences of adolescents living in quasi-family centers regarding their personal and social growth. Adolescents who are orphaned or under inadequate parental care are exposed to multiple psychological and social risks, and understanding their lived experiences can inform effective supportive interventions. This research employed a qualitative design using a phenomenological approach. The participants were 16 adolescents (10 girls and 6 boys) residing in quasi-family centers in Yazd Province, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Smith’s interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings revealed four main themes contributing to adolescents’ growth: learning practical and future-oriented skills, experiencing a sense of group belonging, developing discipline and order in daily life, and using failures as opportunities for growth. The results suggest that quasi-family centers, when providing structured and supportive environments, can facilitate adolescents’ empowerment and better prepare them for independent living and social participation
Research Paper
family counselling
hamed moslehi; Amirhosein Zanganeh; Reyhaneh Fayyaz
Abstract
Sexual education in Iranian society is a sensitive yet insufficiently organized area within the educational system, facing various cultural, social, and familial challenges. This study aimed to develop and validate a family-centered sexual education Curriculum. The research adopted a developmental–applied ...
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Sexual education in Iranian society is a sensitive yet insufficiently organized area within the educational system, facing various cultural, social, and familial challenges. This study aimed to develop and validate a family-centered sexual education Curriculum. The research adopted a developmental–applied design with a qualitative approach. Participants included experts in education, psychology, counseling, educational sciences, Islamic jurisprudence, and Islamic law. Data were collected through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and expert judgment questionnaires, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The guideline development process was conducted in four stages: extraction of theoretical foundations, consensus building, content validity assessment, and finalization of the Curriculum. Findings showed that the guideline was structured around four main components: objectives, principles, educational content, and target audiences. Objectives were defined at individual, familial, and social levels. The principles emphasized compatibility with Islamic-Iranian values, developmental appropriateness, and family-centeredness. Educational content included sexual identity, sexual health, parenting skills, prevention of sexual abuse and harm, and promotion of a healthy environment. Specialized educators and social facilitators were identified as the primary target groups. The findings suggest that implementation of this Curriculum can help standardize sexual education, enhance awareness and empowerment among parents and educators, reduce social harms, and strengthen family foundations by providing a coherent framework for culturally appropriate sexual education in the Islamic-Iranian context.
Research Paper
Conseling
محدثه اسلامی; Kiumars Farahbakhsh; Masoume Esmaeili; Kowsar Dehdast
Abstract
Social changes and the increasing participation of women in the workforce in recent decades have altered patterns of maternal presence within the family and influenced the quality of mother–child interactions. Despite numerous studies examining the consequences of maternal employment, most have ...
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Social changes and the increasing participation of women in the workforce in recent decades have altered patterns of maternal presence within the family and influenced the quality of mother–child interactions. Despite numerous studies examining the consequences of maternal employment, most have relied on quantitative approaches and have paid limited attention to adolescents’ lived experiences of their relationships with mothers in the context of being at home or employed outside the home. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore the role of maternal presence at home in adolescents’ lived experiences of relationships with homemaker mothers and mothers employed outside the home.This study employed a qualitative approach using a descriptive phenomenological method. Participants consisted of 16 adolescents who were selected through purposive sampling (eight with homemaker mothers and eight with employed mothers). Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis method. The findings indicated that adolescents’ experiences of relationships with homemaker mothers were organized into three main categories: emotional bonding and psychological security, academic support and personal development, and the implications of the homemaker role for both mother and child. In contrast, adolescents’ experiences of relationships with employed mothers were classified into four categories: the role of maternal employment in shaping social identity and role modeling, emotional dynamics of the mother–child relationship in the context of employment, the economic and supportive role of the employed mother, and the transformation of adolescents’ perceptions and acceptance of the working mother role over time.
Research Paper
Conseling
Masoomeh Zibaeinejad; Fatemeh Ghaseminiaei; Zahra Amanollahi
Abstract
The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of the families of martyrs from the Twelve-Day Sacred Defense between Iran and Israel regarding the concepts of resistance and martyrdom. The research employed an interpretative phenomenological approach. Using purposive sampling, interviews were ...
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The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of the families of martyrs from the Twelve-Day Sacred Defense between Iran and Israel regarding the concepts of resistance and martyrdom. The research employed an interpretative phenomenological approach. Using purposive sampling, interviews were conducted with 15 families of martyrs from the Twelve-Day War, and data were analyzed following the method proposed by Diekelmann, Tanner, and Allen (1989). The findings were organized into main and subthemes clustered around core thematic categories. The main themes derived from the concepts of resistance and self-sacrifice included: the philosophy of life centered on truth; insight and conscious choice; agency and the desire to establish justice; self-sacrifice and prioritizing the welfare of others; the origin and essence of martyrdom; living in a martyr-like manner; the martyr’s family as a school and nucleus of moral upbringing; complementary factors in the culture of martyrdom; and obstacles to self-sacrifice and martyrdom-seeking. These themes were integrated around the central core of a God-centered lifestyle based on divine ontology. Such studies can contribute to understanding the worldview and lifestyle of martyrs as enduring cultural archetypes and serve as a guide for structuring and implementing programs aimed at promoting the culture of self-sacrifice and martyrdom in revolutionary Iranian society.
Research Paper
mental health
Mahtab Barkhordari; hossein ghamari kivi
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders in adulthood. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an established effective intervention; however, previous meta-analyses have rarely focused specifically on adult populations. Therefore, the present study aimed to systematically synthesize ...
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Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders in adulthood. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an established effective intervention; however, previous meta-analyses have rarely focused specifically on adult populations. Therefore, the present study aimed to systematically synthesize existing evidence and estimate the overall effect size of CBT in reducing social anxiety symptoms in adults. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted through a comprehensive search of national databases from 2006 to 2024. Out of 567 identified studies, 14 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Results indicated that CBT has a large and statistically significant effect on reducing social anxiety symptoms in adults (Hedges’ g = −2.274). Despite moderate heterogeneity across studies, including randomized controlled and quasi-experimental designs, sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the findings. The main contribution of this study is its exclusive focus on adult populations and the synthesis of previously fragmented evidence that has not been sufficiently addressed in the literature. Overall, CBT appears to be an effective intervention for social anxiety in adults; however, future research should further examine the role of demographic and treatment-related factors.
Research Paper
family counselling
Mozhan Heydari; Zahra Jahanbakhshi; Ebrahim Alizade
Abstract
This study investigated whether emotion regulation mediates, and marital self-efficacy moderates, the associations between attachment dimensions and loneliness. A quantitative descriptive–correlational design was used and the model was tested with structural equation modeling. The population comprised ...
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This study investigated whether emotion regulation mediates, and marital self-efficacy moderates, the associations between attachment dimensions and loneliness. A quantitative descriptive–correlational design was used and the model was tested with structural equation modeling. The population comprised mothers of single, toddler-aged children in Tehran, Iran, in 1403 (2024/2025); sample size was determined using G*Power. Participants completed the DiTommaso et al. (2004) Loneliness Scale, the Collins and Read (1990) Adult Attachment Scale, the Lopez et al. (2007) Marital Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Gross and John (2003) Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Path analyses showed a significant interaction between marital self-efficacy and secure attachment in predicting loneliness (p = .031), such that at above-mean self-efficacy, the secure attachment–loneliness association was more strongly negative. Significant indirect paths were observed for anxious/ambivalent attachment via marital self-efficacy to cognitive reappraisal (β = −.066, p < .01) and to expressive suppression (β = −.069, p < .01), and via marital self-efficacy to loneliness (β = .135, p < .01), indicating that higher anxious/ambivalent attachment was linked to lower self-efficacy, which in turn related to greater loneliness. Mediation by reappraisal and suppression in the attachment–loneliness relationship was not supported; however, suppression had a significant direct effect on loneliness. Overall, marital self-efficacy and attachment styles play key roles in explaining loneliness, and suppression may function as an interpersonal risk factor. These findings inform counseling and prevention. Interventions that strengthen marital self-efficacy, reduce suppression, and enhance relational security are recommended.
Research Paper
School counselor
Pegah Massah; Samaneh Salimi; Hossein Keshavarz Afshar; Fahimeh Bahonar
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to analyze the constitutive constructs of the career story of perfectionist gifted students by applying Savickas's career construction theory (2013) as both a theoretical and methodological framework. This research was conducted using a qualitative phenomenological method. ...
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The aim of the present study was to analyze the constitutive constructs of the career story of perfectionist gifted students by applying Savickas's career construction theory (2013) as both a theoretical and methodological framework. This research was conducted using a qualitative phenomenological method. The statistical population consisted of tenth-grade female students in gifted schools of Isfahan city in the academic year 2024–2025. Initially 100 students were selected through convenience sampling and completed Hill's Perfectionism Questionnaire (2004). Subsequently students with a score one standard deviation above the mean were purposively selected (10 participants), and the semi-structured "My Career Story" interview (Savickas, 2015), aligned with the five core components of career story through the lens of career construction theory (role models, interests, favorite stories, life mottos, and early memories), was conducted. Qualitative data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Findings from the analysis of the career stories revealed six main themes: Counseling and self-help needs (self-knowledge and independent learning; acceptance and psychological safety), Ideal ego (independence, perseverance, courage, intelligence, justice, moral responsibility, faith, and spirituality), Interests and motivational orientation (personal, academic and motivational learning; psychological and physical balance), Authorial self-reflection (independence, courage, justice-seeking, empathy, inner growth, innovation, success, and stability), Inner advisor and life mottos (progress, resilience, self-belief, spirituality, authenticity, and self-acceptance), and Meaning reconstruction of memories (early challenges, growth and agency strategies, positive relationships, and trust). In sum, conscious guidance of perfectionism through career construction interventions can strengthen identity development and promote more conscious career choices among gifted students.
Research Paper
family counselling
Maryam Kiyanafrooz; Mohsen Azizi Abarghuei
Abstract
The present study aimed to qualitatively study the lived experience of husbands with wives with cleanliness problems using a phenomenological approach. Using purposive sampling and theoretical saturation criteria, 15 men who referred to counseling centers in Isfahan in 1401 participated in this study. ...
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The present study aimed to qualitatively study the lived experience of husbands with wives with cleanliness problems using a phenomenological approach. Using purposive sampling and theoretical saturation criteria, 15 men who referred to counseling centers in Isfahan in 1401 participated in this study. To diagnose cleanliness problems in their wives, the diagnosis of Isfahan counseling centers was used. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The content of the interviews was analyzed using the Claise 7-step method. The main categories included: 1- Initial perceptions of obsession; 2- Consequences in relationships with others; 3- Effects on the mood of the obsessive person and other family members; 4- Effects on relationships with the spouse; 5- Effects on the relationships of the obsessive person and his/her spouse with children; 6- Effects on the desire to have children; 7- Effects on raising children; 8- Effects on emotional and marital relationships; 9- Economic consequences; 10- Effects on recreation and hobbies; and 11- Expectations of the obsessive wife from her husband. Each of the main categories included subcategories, totaling 44 items.The results showed that living with a spouse with a cleanliness obsession, at least for some people, presents specific challenges that require attention, precision, and adaptation, and this issue can also be considered in pre- and post-marital counseling.
