Changes in Marital Conflict and Marital Attachment Needs Among Iranian Couple Therapists After EFT Training and Supervision
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Authors
Khorshidi, Rosa
Issue Date
2025-12
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
emotionally focused therapy , EFT training , marital conflict , attachment needs , Iranian therapists , supervision
Alternative Title
Abstract
This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined changes in marital conflict and marital attachment needs among Iranian couple therapists following participation in an introductory emotionally focused therapy (EFT) training and group supervision. The problem addressed in this study was that many clinicians begin practice without adequate preparation in evidence-based couple therapy models, yet little is known about whether learning EFT influences therapists’ own relational functioning, particularly within the Iranian cultural context. The purpose of the study was to examine whether participation in EFT training and supervision was associated with changes in marital conflict and fulfillment of marital attachment needs among married, licensed Iranian clinicians actively practicing couple therapy. Forty participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which completed the EFT training and group supervision, or a control group, which did not receive the training during the study period. Data were collected using the Marital Conflict Questionnaire–Revised (MCQ-R) and the Marital Attachment Needs Scale (MANS). Gain-score analysis and one-way ANOVA were used to compare pre- to posttest changes between groups. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in both marital conflict and marital attachment needs for clinicians who completed the EFT training and supervision compared to those who did not. These findings extend the EFT literature by demonstrating that structured training and supervision may foster personal as well as professional growth among therapists, contributing to the broader understanding of EFT’s impact across cultural and clinical contexts.