a comparative study of cognitive-behavioral couple therapy and emotion-focused therapy on emotional empathy and sexual intimacy in women experiencing marital conflict

Objective: this study compared the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (cbct) and emotion-focused couple therapy (efct) on emotional empathy and sexual intimacy in women experiencing marital conflict.methods: using a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up assessments, the research included a control group for comparison. the sample consisted of 48 married women (aged 20–45) seeking psychological counseling in west tehran due to marital discord, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: cbct, efct, and control. participants were assessed using the sanaei marital conflict questionnaire, emotional empathy scale, and a standardized sexual intimacy questionnaire. data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (mancova).results: findings indicated that both cbct and efct significantly improved emotional empathy and sexual intimacy compared to baseline (p < 0.05). however, efct demonstrated greater efficacy in enhancing emotional empathy, while cbct was more effective in improving sexual intimacy. follow-up assessments confirmed the sustained effects of both therapies. the study highlights the differential impacts of cbct and efct, suggesting that efct may be more beneficial for fostering emotional connection, whereas cbct may better address intimacy-related concerns.conclusions: these results provide valuable insights for clinicians in tailoring therapeutic approaches based on couples' specific relational needs. the findings contribute to the growing body of research on evidence-based interventions for marital conflict, emphasizing the importance of selecting therapy models aligned with desired outcomes—whether emotional attunement or sexual satisfaction.