Theorizing the Process of Leaving a Violent Marriage and Getting a Divorce in Tehran.

This study utilized qualitative methods to develop a theory regarding the process used by Tehranian women who leave violent marriages to get a divorce. Findings from semistructured, in-depth interviews with nine women in Tehran who left their abusive husbands suggested that there are six stages in this process: "denial," "using cognitive and internal strategies to save marriage," "using behavioral and external strategies to save marriage," "seeking power to end violence," "preparation to leave marriage," and "termination" stage. The implications of this study help therapists working with women in Tehran who are living in violent marriages and provide effective prevention and intervention services that are appropriately targeted to the specific needs of Iranian women.

COVID-19 Interconnectedness: Health Inequity, the Climate Crisis, and Collective Trauma.

The COVID-19 pandemic brings to the forefront the complex interconnected dilemmas of globalization, health equity, economic security, environmental justice, and collective trauma, severely impacting the marginalized and people of color in the United States. This lack of access to and the quality of healthcare, affordable housing, and lack of financial resources also continue to have a more significant impact on documented and undocumented immigrants. This paper aims at examining these critical issues and developing a framework for family therapists to address these challenges by focusing on four interrelated dimensions: cultural values, social determinants of health, collective trauma, and the ethical and moral responsibility of family therapists. Given the fact that family therapists may unwittingly function as the best ally of an economic and political system that perpetuates institutionalized racism and class discrimination, we need to utilize a set of principles, values, and practices that are not just palliative or after the fact but bring forth into the psychotherapeutic and policy work a politics of care. Therefore, a strong call to promote and advocate for the broader continuum of health and critical thinking preparing professionals to meet the challenges of health equity, as well as economic and environmental justice, is needed. The issues discussed in this paper are specific to the United States despite their relevance to family therapy as a field. We are mindful not to generalize the United States' reality to the rest of the world, recognizing that issues discussed in this paper could potentially contribute to international discourse.

La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha puesto en primer plano los dilemas complejos e interconectados de la globalización, la equidad sanitaria, la seguridad económica, la justicia ambiental y el trauma colectivo, afectando gravemente a las personas marginadas y de color de los Estados Unidos. Esta falta de acceso a asistencia sanitaria de calidad, a viviendas asequibles, y la falta de recursos económicos también continúan teniendo un efecto más significativo en los inmigrantes documentados e indocumentados. Este artículo tiene como finalidad analizar estas cuestiones críticas y desarrollar un marco para que los terapeutas familiares aborden estas dificultades centrándose en cuatro dimensiones interrelacionadas: valores culturales, determinantes sociales de salud, trauma colectivo, y responsabilidad ética y moral de los terapeutas familiares. Teniendo en cuenta el hecho de que los terapeutas familiares pueden funcionar inconscientemente como los mejores aliados de un sistema económico y político que perpetúa el racismo institucionalizado y el clasismo, necesitamos utilizar un conjunto de principios, valores y prácticas que no sea solo paliativo o a posteriori, sino que genere en el trabajo político y psicoterapéutico una política de asistencia. Por lo tanto, es necesario un reclamo firme de promover y abogar por un continuo más amplio de la salud y un pensamiento crítico que prepare a los profesionales para responder a las dificultades de la equidad sanitaria, así como de la justicia económica y ambiental, si fuera necesario. Las cuestiones tratadas en este artículo son específicas de los Estados Unidos a pesar de su relevancia para la terapia familiar como área. Somos conscientes de no generalizar la realidad de los Estados Unidos para el resto del mundo, y reconocemos que las cuestiones tratadas en este artículo podrían contribuir al discurso internacional.

Perceptions and Experiences of Marriage Preparation Among U.S. Muslims: Multiple Voices from the Community.

Although Muslims in the United States are a growing population, there is limited research on their relational patterns and how they prepare for marriage. We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 members of the Muslim community in Southeast Michigan including married individuals, divorced individuals, therapists, and imams (Muslim religious leaders) to explore their perceptions and experiences of marriage preparation. Our analysis revealed that marriage preparation varies but is less likely to involve a requirement of premarital counseling, with imams being the primary providers, not therapists. Barriers to participation include stigma, lack of awareness, logistical and financial challenges, and parental influence. Partnerships between imams and therapists, and family and community efforts are necessary to address barriers and increase participation in premarital education programs.