Comparing the Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Gottman Couple Therapy on Interpersonal Forgiveness, Relationship Quality, and Communication Patterns

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Gottman Couple Therapy on interpersonal forgiveness, relationship quality, and communication patterns among couples. Over time, marital relationships may be affected by unresolved conflicts, emotional injuries, repeated misunderstandings, and dysfunctional communication cycles. In such conditions, reduced forgiveness and poor relationship quality may lead to emotional distance, criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, and decreased relational security. Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy is an attachment-based approach that focuses on identifying negative interactional cycles, accessing primary emotions, and restructuring emotional bonds between partners. This approach helps couples move from defensive and reactive communication toward emotional responsiveness, accessibility, and engagement. In contrast, Gottman Couple Therapy emphasizes communication skills, conflict management, friendship enhancement, reduction of destructive interaction patterns, and strengthening positive relational exchanges. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with two experimental groups and one control group. Participants were couples experiencing marital conflict who were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman Therapy, or control groups. Each intervention group received structured couple therapy sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention during the study period. Data were collected using standardized scales measuring interpersonal forgiveness, relationship quality, and communication patterns. Multivariate analysis of covariance and post-hoc comparisons were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that both therapeutic approaches significantly improved forgiveness, relationship quality, and communication patterns compared with the control group. However, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy showed stronger effects on emotional forgiveness and the reconstruction of attachment bonds, whereas Gottman Couple Therapy demonstrated greater effects on communication skills and conflict management. These findings suggest that both approaches are effective, but their mechanisms of change may differ. Therefore, therapists may select either approach according to the dominant clinical needs of couples, such as unresolved emotional injuries, attachment insecurity, communication breakdown, or persistent conflict.