Applied Research in Consulting

The effectiveness of reality therapy on referential thinking and attachment styles of women with marital burnout.

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Masoumeh Taheri

M.Aof Counseling and Guidance, Sohang Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Email: mr.ali.taheri06@gmail.com

Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of reality therapy on referential thinking and attachment styles of women with marital burnout. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study included all married women referring to counseling clinics in Tehran with marital burnout experience between January and March 2025, from whom 30 were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group underwent reality therapy intervention based on Glasser's choice theory (1967) and according to the William Glasser International Institute (2008) by Ali Sahebi for 10 sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools included the Ehring et al.'s Referential Thinking Questionnaire (2011) and the Besharat Adult Attachment Styles Questionnaire (2011). The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance in SPSS software. The results showed that reality therapy significantly reduced referential thinking and insecure attachment styles, including avoidant attachment and ambivalent/anxious attachment, and also significantly increased secure attachment style in women with marital burnout (p<0.05). Accordingly, it can be concluded that reality therapy can help correct maladaptive cognitive and emotional patterns in marital relationships.

Keywords

Reality therapy
referential thinking
attachment styles
marital burnout
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