The Effectiveness of Gottman’s Systemic Cognitive Couple Therapy on Marital Conflicts, Communication Patterns and Alexithymia of Couples with Marital Conflict

Abstract

The effectiveness of Gottman’s systemic cognitive couple therapy was on marital conflict, communication patterns and alexithymia of couples with marital conflict. The present study was applied and semi-experimental design was pretest-posttest and follow-up with control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all couples referred to counseling clinics of district 1 of Tehran between June and September 2023, out of which 30 couples were assigned to experimental and control groups by available sampling and random assignment. Interventions included seven sessions of Gottman's cognitive-systemic couple therapy (2008) that were presented to the experimental group. Data were collected through communication patterns questionnaire, emotional failure scale, and marital conflict questionnaire. The results of data analysis showed that systemic cognitive couple therapy was effective on marital conflict, communication patterns and alexithymia of couples with marital conflict. (P<0.01). Therefore, it can be concluded that couples therapy can be used to improve marital conflict, communication patterns and alexithymia of couples with marital conflict.