KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Applied Family Therapy Journal (AFTJ) 3041-8798 In Press 2027 05 01 Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy on Sexual Satisfaction, Extramarital Relationships, and Marital Frustration Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy on Sexual Satisfaction, Extramarital Relationships, and Marital Frustration 1 14 EN Journal Article 2026 06 10 <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT-C) in improving sexual satisfaction and reducing tendencies toward extramarital relationships and marital frustration among distressed couples.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials:</strong> The study employed a randomized pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of distressed couples experiencing marital difficulties, from whom 24 couples were selected and randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. Participants in the intervention group received eight structured sessions of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy, emphasizing emotional bonding, identification and expression of attachment needs, enhancement of emotional responsiveness, and restructuring of maladaptive interaction patterns. The control group received no therapeutic intervention during the study period. Data were collected at pretest and posttest stages using standardized measures of sexual satisfaction, tendencies toward extramarital relationships, and marital frustration. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and subsequent univariate analyses of covariance were used to examine intervention effects while controlling for pretest scores.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> The inferential analysis indicated statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups across the study outcomes. After controlling for baseline scores, participants receiving EFT-C demonstrated significantly higher sexual satisfaction than controls, F(1, 22) = 26.14, p &lt; .001, partial η² = .48. The intervention also significantly reduced tendencies toward extramarital relationships, F(1, 22) = 18.67, p &lt; .001, partial η² = .36. Furthermore, marital frustration was significantly lower in the EFT-C group compared with the control group, F(1, 22) = 21.39, p &lt; .001, partial η² = .42. The effect sizes indicated substantial intervention effects across all three dependent variables.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy appears to be an effective attachment-based intervention for enhancing sexual satisfaction and reducing extramarital relationship tendencies and marital frustration by strengthening emotional connection, improving responsiveness to attachment needs, and modifying dysfunctional relational interaction patterns among distressed couples.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/aftj/article/download/6271/11847