Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy on Marital Intimacy and Psychological Flexibility in Couples with Marital Conflict

Narjes  Derakhshandeh; Niloofar Mikaili Baghi; Masomeh  Rahimian

Authors

Narjes Derakhshandeh Department of Clinical Psychology, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2624-4971
Niloofar Mikaili Baghi Department of Clinical Psychology, Isl.C., Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4463-6033
Masomeh Rahimian Department of General Psychology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3270-498X

Keywords:

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, Marital Intimacy, Psychological Flexibility, Marital Conflict, Couples

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused family therapy in improving marital intimacy and psychological flexibility among couples experiencing marital conflict.

Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of couples with marital conflict who attended counseling and family service centers in 2026. Using purposive sampling, 30 couples were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 couples in each group. The experimental group received emotion-focused family therapy, whereas the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Thompson and Walker Marital Intimacy Scale and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory developed by Dennis and Vander Wal. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) followed by univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26, with pretest scores statistically controlled when examining posttest differences between the groups.

Findings: The multivariate analysis indicated that the overall effect of group membership on the combined dependent variables was statistically significant (p < .001), demonstrating a significant difference between the experimental and control groups after controlling for baseline scores. The univariate analyses further showed that emotion-focused family therapy produced a significant increase in marital intimacy compared with the control condition, F(1, 26) = 22.17, p < .001, partial η² = .460. A statistically significant intervention effect was also observed for psychological flexibility, F(1, 26) = 21.25, p < .001, partial η² = .450. The effect sizes indicated that approximately 46.0% of the adjusted variance in marital intimacy and 45.0% of the adjusted variance in psychological flexibility were attributable to group membership, supporting a substantial intervention effect on both outcomes.

Conclusion: Emotion-focused family therapy appears to be an effective intervention for enhancing marital intimacy and psychological flexibility among couples experiencing marital conflict. By facilitating emotional experience and regulation, restructuring maladaptive interactional patterns, and strengthening emotional connection between partners, this therapeutic approach may improve both relational closeness and couples’ capacity to respond flexibly to stressful interpersonal situations. Its application in couple and family counseling settings is therefore supported, while future studies should examine the durability of these effects using larger samples and long-term follow-up assessments.

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