Perceived Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy in Reducing Marital Shame and Feelings of Worthlessness and Enhancing Self-Acceptance in the Relationship: A Qualitative Study in Tehran
Keywords:
Compassion-focused therapy, marital shame, worthlessness, self-acceptance, couple relationship, qualitative studyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore married individuals’ lived experiences of the perceived effects of compassion-focused therapy on marital shame, feelings of worthlessness, and self-acceptance within the couple relationship.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. Participants were 22 married individuals living in Tehran who had experienced compassion-focused therapy for emotional and relational difficulties. They were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were audio-recorded with informed consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo version 14. Data analysis followed the main phases of thematic analysis, including familiarization with the data, initial coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report.
Findings: Five main categories were extracted from the data: “moving from marital shame to safe disclosure of vulnerability,” “weakening the inner voice of worthlessness,” “enhancing relational self-acceptance,” “reconstructing couple interaction through compassion,” and “cultural barriers and continuity of compassion practice.” Participants reported that compassion-focused therapy helped them reinterpret shame not as evidence of personal defectiveness but as an understandable emotional response shaped by past experiences and relational contexts. Many participants described a reduction in self-blame, greater ability to express emotional needs, and increased acceptance of personal limitations and relational vulnerability.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that compassion-focused therapy may reduce marital shame and feelings of worthlessness and enhance self-acceptance in romantic relationships by reducing self-criticism, activating soothing emotional systems, cultivating a compassionate inner dialogue, and reconstructing the meaning of relational failures. Given the qualitative nature of the study, the results should be interpreted as perceived and experienced effectiveness rather than causal efficacy. Controlled intervention studies are recommended to confirm these findings.
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