Forgiveness therapy

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on the mental health and marital intimacy of couples seeking divorce in Tehran. Methods: The quasi experimental design was pretest-posttest with a control group. The study's statistical population included all divorce applicants in districts 2 and 5 of Tehran who had been referred to counseling centers for counseling services. By convenience sampling, thirty people were selected from the above population and randomly assigned into two experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The research instruments were Goldberg Mental Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Thompson & Walker Marital Intimacy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the covariance test. Results: Based on the results of the research on the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on the mental health, the difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of the amount of mental health in the post-test was confirmed. The research on the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on marital intimacy was investigated, and the difference between experimental and control groups was confirmed in terms of marital intimacy in the post-test. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it can be said that forgiveness therapy increased mental health and marital intimacy in people under education. Therefore, family counselors and those involved in marital counseling should use the therapeutic forgiveness training protocol to promote mental health and marital intimacy for couples seeking divorce.