Designing a Preliminary Framework for a Premarital Counseling Protocol

Abstract

Background: The present study aims to identify key components and expert insights that can inform the future development of a comprehensive premarital counseling protocol tailored to the Iranian context, and to explore the professional perspectives of premarital counselors regarding essential elements of culturally grounded counseling protocols. Methods: A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 18 premarital counselors from diverse counseling centers across Tehran, Iran, selected through maximum variation sampling. Results: Three dominant counseling approaches emerged — humanistic, psychoanalytic, and cognitive-behavioral — each influencing counselors’ relational strategies. Key themes included empathy, emotional regulation, cultural sensitivity, and ethical challenges in virtual settings. Personal marital history and institutional gaps were also found to affect counseling practices. Based on the extracted themes, a three-part empowerment protocol was developed and validated by experts. This protocol encompasses general counseling skills, professional competencies, and self-care strategies tailored to the Iranian context. Conclusions: Premarital counseling is a deeply human and context-sensitive practice. Empowering counselors through experiential insights and structured support can enhance service quality and relational outcomes. Future research should investigate the cross-cultural applicability and long-term impacts of counselor development.