Shahroud University of Medical siences Shahroud Journal of Medical Sciences 2423-6594 12 3 2026 06 03 Effectiveness of Paradoxical Couple Therapy on Marital Disaffection and Satisfaction Among Couples 61 66 eng Fariba Rahmani Department of Counseling, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran.. f.rahmani2383@iau.ir Fateme Alijani Department of Counseling, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran.. fa.alijani@iau.ac.ir Vahideh Babakhani Department of Counseling, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran. Vahideh_babakhan@yahoo.com Jafar Poyamanesh Department of Psychology, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran. jafar_pouyamensh@iau.ac.ir 2025 07 05 2025 12 16 Background: This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy (PCT) on marital disaffection and satisfaction. Methods: The research employed a pre-test, post-test, control group design with a one-month follow-up. The population consisted of all couples referred to the Narvan Counseling Center in Tehran in 2024. Fourteen couples were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (7 couples each). Data were collected using Kayser’s (1993) Marital Disaffection Questionnaire and Tatan et al.’s (1973) Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, conducted using SPSS, revealed that PCT significantly reduced marital disaffection and increased satisfaction (P-value<0.05), with effects sustained at follow-up. Based on these findings, it is recommended that counselors and family psychologists utilize PCT to reduce marital disaffection and enhance satisfaction. Conclusions: This approach can be applied in individual and group counseling to strengthen couple relationships, reduce conflicts, and improve emotional regulation, ultimately preventing family dissolution.