Journal of Counseling Research

The Effectiveness of an Intervention Based on the Social Cognitive Career Self-Management Model on Academic Entrepreneurial Intention and Identity among University Students

Razieh Amini Shalamzary — 2025-07-07

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an interventionbased on the Social Cognitive Career Self-Management Model on academicentrepreneurial intention and identity among postgraduate students at theUniversity of Isfahan. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using apretest-posttest control group design with random assignment. The statisticalpopulation included all postgraduate students at the University of Isfahan duringthe 2021–2022 academic year. Using convenience sampling, 30 participants wereselected and randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group (15per group). Data were collected using the Academic Entrepreneurial IntentionScale (Goethner et al., 2012) and the Academic Entrepreneurial Identity Scale(Guo et al., 2019). The experimental group received the intervention in ten 90-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance(MANCOVA). Findings: The results indicated that the intervention significantlyincreased academic entrepreneurial intention (F = 25.62, p < .01) and identity (F =19.28, p < .01) among postgraduate students. Conclusion: The intervention, byenhancing process and coping self-efficacy, fostering adaptive career behaviors,encouraging career exploration and planning, and facilitating contextual andenvironmental influences, helped students to develop a stronger intention towardacademic entrepreneurship and build their entrepreneurial identity.

The Effectiveness of Single -Session Therapy (SST) on Marital Intimacy of Couples: A Mixed -Methods Explanatory Study

Helia Behrouznia — 2025-07-07

Aim: Single-session therapy is a method designed to address the client's issuesin the shortest possible time and emphasizes efficiency and maximum use of time.This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of single-session therapy onmarital intimacy, Methods: This research employed a mixed-methods explanatorydesign. The statistical population included all couples who visited to the BehzistClinic in Tehran in 2023 with marital problems with marital problems. A total of30 couples were selected through convenience sampling and assigned toexperimental and control groups. In the quantitative phase, the effect of thisintervention was assessed using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with acontrol group, and using and the Walker and Thompson Marital Intimacy Scale(1983). In the qualitative phase, data from semi-structured interviews werecollected with the same participants from the experimental group and analyzed bydescriptive phenomenology method following the Colaizzi method. Findings: Thequantitative results indicated that single-session therapy significantly improvesmarital intimacy (P ≤ 0.05). The qualitative findings also revealed improvementsin marital intimacy, aligning with the subscales and questions of the MaritalIntimacy Scale and supporting the quantitative results. Conclusion: This studydemonstrates that single-session therapy can be used as a practical, short-term, andeffective approach to improve marital intimacy, and its results can be useful fortherapists and future researchers and encourage couples to use this method toenhance intimacy in their marital life.

A Qualitative Study of Young Girls' Views on the Criteria for Choosing a Spouse based on the Qur'anic Model of Sahmgozari

Elahe Pakseresht — 2025-07-07

Aim: In response to the growing need for contextualized criteria for spouseselection in Iranian society, this study explores the lived experiences of youngwomen regarding such criteria, based on the Sahmgozari (participatorycontribution) approach rooted in Islamic ontology. Methods: Using aphenomenological approach, purposeful sampling was conducted with 16 marriedyoung women who exhibited key indicators of the Sahmgozari lifestyle—such asfeelings of tranquility and personal development, agency, and formativerelationships. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and continued untiltheoretical saturation was reached. Data were then coded and analyzed. Findings:The analysis yielded three main pre-marital criteria for achieving the “desired selfas a contributor in marital life.” The first criterion was development-oriented andtranquility-promoting attitudes in spouses; the second was awareness andpreparedness regarding factors of similarity and difference; and the third wasawareness of personal growth and maturity trajectories. Conclusion: Spouseselection criteria based on the Sahmgozari approach can broaden young women’sperspectives on marriage and support them in making rational and meaningfulchoices.

Analyzing the Gaps in Pre-marital Counseling from the Perspective of Experts

Maryam Sayad shirazi — 2025-07-07

Aim: Marriage, as a key social institution, is increasingly confronted by thechallenges of modern life, underscoring the importance of premarital counseling.This study seeks to examine existing gaps in premarital counseling from theperspectives of experts, identify its shortcomings, and propose strategies toenhance the quality and effectiveness of these services. Methods: This qualitative,exploratory research utilized thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants (10 women and 5 men) and continueduntil theoretical saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was applied to interpretthe data. Results: Following the analysis, meaningful statements were categorizedinto 120 basic themes, 5 organizing themes, and 16 overarching themes. The fiveorganizing themes included: (1) essential components of premarital counseling,(2) enabling contexts for its development, (3) current challenges and deficiencies,(4) necessary strategies and interventions, and (5) the outcomes of premaritalcounseling. Conclusion: The findings suggest that enhancing the effectiveness ofpremarital counseling in Iran requires adapting validated international models tolocal cultural contexts, standardizing counseling services, engaging systemicinstitutions, leveraging purposeful technology, and addressing cultural andstructural barriers. These improvements can help reduce divorce rates and fostermore stable and healthy marital relationships in society

The Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy (PTC) on Test Anxiety and Self-Confidence of Female High School Students in Tehran: A Single-Subject Design

Mahta Salehin — 2025-07-07

Aim: The Paradoxical Therapy Model (PTC) is a new and comprehensiveapproach to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Accordingly, the aim of the presentstudy was to investigate the effectiveness of PTC on test anxiety and self-confidence among female high school students in Tehran. Methods: The studyemployed a single-subject ABA design. The statistical population included all12th-grade female students in Tehran during the 2021–2022 academic year. Aconvenience sample was selected from students who had referred to the schoolcounselor at Zahra Al-Athar High School (S.A.) with complaints of test anxietyand low self-confidence. These students scored within the inclusion criteria on theFriedman and Jacob Test Anxiety Scale (1997) and the Eysenck Self-ConfidenceQuestionnaire (1979). Four students were selected via non-random conveniencesampling. After a three-week baseline assessment, participants received threeindividual intervention sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. During the interventionphase (B), PTC techniques were implemented. Outcomes were evaluated usingvisual analysis (eyeball method) and effect size calculations across multiplemeasurement points. Findings: The results showed significant differences in self-confidence and test anxiety scores before and after the intervention in all fourstudents, indicating that PTC had a positive effect in reducing test anxiety andenhancing self-confidence. Conclusion: School counselors may benefit fromapplying this approach to help students with anxiety disorders and low self-confidence.

Comparing of the Effectiveness of Compassion-based Mindfulness Therapy and Mentalization on the Resilience of Mothers of Children with Educable Intellectual Disabilities

Fatemeh Kafinia — 2025-07-07

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of compassion-based mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based therapy on the resilience of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments and a control group was used. The statistical population consisted of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities in Farsan during the second half of 2023. Using convenience sampling, 45 participants were selected and randomly assigned to three groups (15 in each group). The first experimental group received eight 90- minute sessions of compassion-based mindfulness therapy, and the second experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of mentalization-based therapy. The control group did not receive any intervention. The research instruments included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC, 2003) and a brief clinical interview. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Findings: The results indicated that both mentalization-based (p < 0.001) and compassion-based mindfulness (p < 0.001) interventions had a lasting impact on increasing overall resilience and its subscales. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the effectiveness of the two treatment methods in enhancing resilience and its components (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings, both compassion-based mindfulness therapy and mentalization-based therapy can be effectively used to enhance the resilience of mothers of children with educable intellectual disabilities

Analysis of Sexual Performance of Male Spouses of Infertile

Sadegh kasir — 2025-07-07

Aim: Although infertility is not considered a life-threatening condition, it is asignificant life crisis with psychological, familial, social, and culturalrepercussions. This study aimed to explore and explain the consequences ofinfertility in infertile men, with a specific focus on their sexual performance.Methods: This qualitative research employed a grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 infertile men who sought treatmentfor infertility during 2023, using purposive sampling. The data were analyzedbased on Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory methodology throughopen, axial, and selective coding. Findings: Data analysis resulted in 25 opencodes and four main categories, which were organized into two core themes:individual consequences and couple-related consequences. The couple-relatedconsequences included emotional-relational distress caused by childlessness and asense of helplessness in managing sexual conflicts within the relationship.Individual consequences involved sexual difficulties stemming from childlessnessand emotional distress related to sexual dissatisfaction. Conclusion: The findingshighlight that infertility negatively affects the sexual performance of infertile men,leading to issues such as reduced sexual desire, premature ejaculation, and erectiledysfunction. A decline in the quality and frequency of sexual activity was alsoobserved. These challenges contributed to sexual dissatisfaction and emotionaldistress among participants. The study suggests that infertile individuals andcouples may benefit from referrals to specialists in sexual health and coupletherapy.

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Successful Students in Career Decision-Making

Hanieh Henry Fatout — 2025-07-07

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of students who have been successful in making career decisions. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed. In the quantitative phase, the Career Decision-Making Questionnaire by Betz and Taylor (1983) was used to identify successful students in career decision-making. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory methodology and in-depth interviews were applied to examine their experiences. The statistical population consisted of all female students in the 11th and 12th grades during the 2022–2023 academic year in Kermanshah, Iran. In the quantitative stage, cluster random sampling was used to select 200 participants who completed the career decision-making questionnaire. Based on their scores, students who scored more than one standard deviation above the mean were identified as successful in career decision-making. In-depth interviews were then conducted with 15 of these students. Data saturation was reached after the final two interviews. Findings: Through open, axial, and selective coding, a total of 42 concepts emerged from the students’ narratives. These were grouped into 10 axial codes and ultimately organized under 3 selective categories: self-awareness, environmental factors, and career awareness. Conclusion: The findings suggest that students' understanding of themselves, awareness of potential careers, and the influence of their surrounding environment play significant and impactful roles in their career decision-making process.