Dependent women often experience low self-worth due to limited responsibility, an external locus of control, and childhood trauma. This study compared the effectiveness of reality therapy and schema therapy in improving their sense of self-worth. Using a pre-test–post-test experimental design with a control group, 24 women from Mashhad counseling centers were randomly assigned to reality-therapy, schema-therapy, or control groups. The two treatment groups received eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected through self-worth and dependence questionnaires and analyzed using multivariate and univariate covariance analyses. Results showed that both therapy approaches significantly increased overall self-worth (p < 0.001). However, reality therapy was more effective than schema therapy in enhancing interpersonal relationships, self-acceptance, and competence. No significant difference was found between the two treatments in improving meaning in life. The study suggests that both reality therapy and schema therapy can be useful methods for strengthening self-worth in dependent women.
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |