The Effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy on Emotional Self-Regulation and Self-Compassion of Conflicted Couples

پژوهش های روان شناسی بالینی و مشاوره

Article 3, Volume 15, Issue 1 - Serial Number 29, August 2025, Pages 55-78   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/tpccp.2025.89223.1676

Authors

Roja Taghizadeh¹; Ali Mehdizadeh^{* 2}

¹Master's student in clinical psychology, Department of Psychology, Ayatollah Amoli Islamic Azad University, Amol Branch, Mazandaran, Iran.

²Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Khazar Mahmoudabad Institute of Higher Education, Mazandaran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction
One of the factors that has been demonstrated to have a detrimental effect on the quality of marriage is marital conflict. Marital conflict has been demonstrated to have deleterious effects on family structure, stability, and overall satisfaction with life. The failure to address these issues can ultimately result in the dissolution of the family unit. Integrative behavioral couple therapy is one of the treatments that focuses on persistent negative interaction cycles due to deep vulnerability. As )Graham,2018 (asserts, the absence of proper regulation of negative feelings and emotions can lead to a decline in both individual and relational mental health. Emotions represent a pivotal phenomenon in life, serving as the foundation for the fluctuations in daily life, richness and poverty, and the memorable moments of human existence. They are also instrumental in fostering health, success, and positive personal relationships, which are crucial for our survival. Self-compassion is defined as the ability to transform understanding, acceptance, and love into an internal form. A considerable number of individuals possess the capacity to demonstrate compassion towards others; however, they encounter challenges in cultivating a similar level of compassion towards themselves. )Zarastvand et al.,2020( demonstrated that integrative behavioral couple therapy, incorporating a compassion approach, leads to a reduction in maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and an enhancement in adaptive strategies, thereby fostering increased marital satisfaction. Given that an inability on the part of couples to regulate emotions and exhibit self-compassion has been demonstrated to cause disruption in marital interactions, this study was conducted to answer the following question:  Does integrative behavioral couple therapy affect emotional self-regulation and self-compassion in conflicted couples?
Method
The present study was of a quasi-experimental nature, employing a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population encompassed all couples who had referred to Amol's Navid Aramesh Counseling Center in 2023. The random sampling method was employed, and the participants were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. In accordance with the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 couples were selected for the study (10 couples for the experimental group and 10 couples for the control group, yielding a total of 40 participants). This selection process was conducted from a pool of 120 volunteer couples, resulting in a total sample size of 240 individuals. The treatment was administered in 10 sessions, each spanning 90 minutes )Jacobson & Christensen,2000 ). The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) )Spanier,1976 (, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) (Garnefski et al.,2001 ), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) (Neff et al.,2003 (were utilized as research instruments. The data were then subjected to analysis using both descriptive and inferential statistics (MANCOVA).
Findings
The findings of the study indicated that the discrepancy between the two groups was associated with the experimental intervention (67%). The statistical power of the test in this study was determined to be 0.99. Consequently, it was ascertained that the linear combination of dependent variables was influenced by the independent variable, subsequent to adjusting for the initial differences. The results of the univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated that the F ratio in the pre-test for emotional self-regulation, it was 17.58 (P<0.001) and for self-compassion was 25.32 (P<0.001). In the experimental group, the F ratio for emotional self-regulation was 323.66 and for self-compassion, it was 198.77. The F value was used to indicate the effectiveness of integrative behavior couple therapy on the variables of emotional self-regulation and self-compassion. The effect size further demonstrated that integrative behavioral couple therapy accounted for 89% of emotional self-regulation and 84% of self-compassion. The results of the Bonferroni post hoc test demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference in the pre-test phase. However, in the post-test phase, a statistically significant difference was observed between the emotional self-regulation and self-compassion variables compared to the control group.
Discussion & Conclusion
The present study demonstrated the efficacy of integrative behavioral couple therapy in enhancing cognitive and emotional regulation.This research aligns with the findings of studies conducted by (Karimian et al.,2021 ), )Ghazanfari et al.,2021 ), and )Sheydanfar et al.,2020(. The efficacy of this finding can be explained by the therapeutic method's emphasis on emotions and their role in the permanent patterns of couples in conflict. The objective of this therapeutic approach is to identify and address vulnerable emotions within each couple, thereby fostering a secure and affectionate environment. It is hypothesized that the enhancement of positive experiences between couples will concomitantly result in the reemergence of positive emotions within their relationship. Research findings have demonstrated the efficacy of integrative behavior couple therapy in promoting self-compassion among couples experiencing conflict. The present study aligns with the findings of previous research conducted by (Teymori et al.,2021 (, (Barzegar et al.,2023 (, and  )Dovom et al.,2023 (. This finding can be explained by the increased ability of individuals who receive couples therapy training in self-compassion to overcome anxiety and depression and experience fewer marital conflicts.
In the context of self-compassion treatment, it is recommended that couples refrain from avoiding or suppressing their painful emotions. In the main hypothesis, because both emotional self-regulation and self-compassionate approaches emphasize changing those two potent factors rather than simplistically treating emotions as part of marital problems, couples therapy assist clients in modifying the elements of a destructive relationship. When the negative cycle is disrupted and responses begin to change, a more positive cycle is created and helps couples move towards a more secure bond. The present study posits that training in this therapeutic modality be incorporated into the curricula of couples and family therapy training programs. The implementation of this approach by therapists would facilitate the treatment of communication issues and the enhancement of intimate relationships among couples and families.

Keywords

Couple Therapy; Integrative Behavior; Emotional Self-Regulation; Self-Compassion

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