Schema therapy

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy (CBCT) in improving communication patterns among couples affected by domestic violence. Methods and Materials: The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of couples affected by domestic violence who referred to counseling centers in Tehran. A total of 45 participants were selected using simple random sampling and assigned to two experimental groups (Schema Therapy and CBCT) and one control group, each containing 15 participants. Data were collected using the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (Christensen & Salavy, 1984) and analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and Tukey’s post hoc test with SPSS version 26. Each intervention included 10 weekly sessions tailored to the specific therapeutic model. Findings: The MANCOVA results indicated statistically significant differences between groups in all three communication pattern dimensions: mutual constructive communication (F = 8.043, p < .01), mutual avoidant communication (F = 2.222, p < .05), and demand/withdraw communication (F = 1.068, p < .05). Tukey’s post hoc test revealed that Schema Therapy was significantly more effective than CBCT in improving mutual constructive communication (mean difference = 2.40, p = .006), reducing mutual avoidance (mean difference = 0.13, p = .000), and decreasing demand/withdraw patterns (mean difference = -1.00, p = .000). Conclusion: These findings suggest that Schema Therapy may offer deeper and more sustainable improvements in relational functioning by targeting underlying maladaptive schemas contributing to dysfunctional communication.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine and compare the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy and schema therapy on attachment styles and emotion regulation in women affected by infidelity. Methods and Materials: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and control group. The statistical population included all women affected by infidelity who referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2023. From this population, 45 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: the first experimental group (emotion-focused therapy, 15 participants), the second experimental group (schema therapy, 15 participants), and the control group (15 participants). The experimental groups received the respective interventions across a set number of sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. All three groups were assessed at pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages using the Attachment Styles Questionnaire and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Findings: Data analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance and post hoc tests indicated that both therapeutic approaches led to significant improvements in attachment styles and enhanced emotion regulation abilities in women affected by infidelity (p < .05). Moreover, a comparison of results showed that schema therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness than emotion-focused therapy in certain indices. Conclusion: Based on the findings, emotion-focused therapy and schema therapy can be considered effective approaches for promoting secure attachment styles and improving emotion regulation among women affected by infidelity.