About the Journal

Research and Practice in Couple Therapy is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal dedicated to advancing the science and practice of couple therapy in both clinical and community settings. As an interdisciplinary platform, the journal brings together diverse theoretical orientations, methodological approaches, and practical experiences from psychology, counseling, psychiatry, family therapy, and related disciplines. The journal serves as a critical forum for clinicians, researchers, educators, and policy-makers interested in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of interventions for couples experiencing relational, emotional, or mental health challenges.

Published quarterly, the journal upholds the highest standards of academic rigor, professional ethics, and editorial integrity. It accepts empirical research articles, theoretical papers, clinical case studies, review articles, intervention protocols, and practitioner reflections that significantly contribute to the field of couple therapy. Each manuscript undergoes a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure scholarly excellence, relevance, and originality.

We especially welcome submissions that address emerging topics such as cultural sensitivity in couple therapy, technology-assisted interventions, trauma-informed relational work, LGBTQ+ couples, intercultural relationship dynamics, and the intersection between couple functioning and individual mental health.

Aims and Scope

Research and Practice in Couple Therapy aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and clinical application. The journal’s primary objectives are:

  • To disseminate high-quality, peer-reviewed research that informs best practices in couple therapy.

  • To foster theoretical and empirical developments in couple and relationship science.

  • To support the translation of research findings into effective therapeutic interventions.

  • To provide a forum for discussing innovations in therapeutic techniques, assessment tools, and culturally competent approaches.

  • To explore couple dynamics in diverse contexts, including but not limited to marriage, cohabitation, long-term partnerships, newly forming or dissolving unions, and non-traditional relationship structures.

  • To facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge exchange between academia and clinical practice.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Relationship satisfaction and distress

  • Conflict resolution and communication patterns

  • Couple therapy outcomes and process research

  • Intimacy, attachment, and bonding

  • Infidelity, forgiveness, and trust repair

  • Parenting within the couple relationship

  • Mental health issues impacting couples

  • Systemic, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and integrative therapeutic models

  • Cultural, gender, and diversity considerations in treatment

  • Training, supervision, and ethics in couple therapy practice

Open Access Statement

Research and Practice in Couple Therapy is committed to the principles of open science and equitable knowledge dissemination. As an open-access journal, all articles published are freely available online without any subscription or payment barriers to readers, libraries, or institutions. This approach maximizes the visibility, accessibility, and impact of scholarly work by removing financial barriers to information access.

The journal ensures that its open-access model supports both global dissemination and the sustainability of high-quality editorial and peer-review processes. Authors are encouraged to share their published work widely, and readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, or link to the full texts of articles without asking prior permission from the publisher or authors, in accordance with the journal’s licensing policy.

Copyright and License

Authors publishing in Research and Practice in Couple Therapy retain full copyright over their published work. The journal operates under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license allows others to share, reuse, and adapt the material for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.

By retaining copyright, authors preserve the freedom to use their work for teaching, presentations, institutional repositories, and further research purposes. Upon submission, authors agree to grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and distribute their work in both electronic and print formats.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal has a strict policy against academic misconduct, including plagiarism, redundant publication, and data fabrication. All submitted manuscripts are screened using iThenticate plagiarism detection software before being sent for peer review. Any manuscript that is found to contain unattributed copied material, overlapping with previously published work without proper citation, or presenting false data will be rejected immediately and may be subject to further institutional investigation.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is original, appropriately referenced, and ethically sound. In cases of suspected plagiarism or ethical breach, the journal follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to investigate and resolve complaints.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

To support the journal's open-access model and maintain editorial operations, an Article Processing Charge (APC) of 1,500,000 Iranian Tomans is required upon acceptance of an article for publication. This fee helps cover the costs associated with editorial management, peer review, online hosting, indexing, archiving, and long-term digital preservation.

There are no submission charges or additional fees for figures, tables, or color illustrations. APC waivers or discounts may be available for authors experiencing financial hardship or for those affiliated with institutions in low-income countries, subject to editorial board approval.

Peer-Review Process

Research and Practice in Couple Therapy employs a double-blind peer-review process to ensure anonymity and objectivity throughout the evaluation of each manuscript. This means that the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed from each other during the review process.

Upon submission, all manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening for scope, format, and basic quality. If deemed suitable, the manuscript is assigned to a section editor and then sent to two or three expert reviewers who assess the scientific merit, clarity, methodological soundness, originality, and relevance of the work. Reviewers are selected based on their subject expertise and academic standing.

The editorial decision (accept, revise, or reject) is made based on reviewers’ reports and editorial judgment. Authors receive detailed feedback and are expected to respond to all reviewer comments in a revised version of the manuscript. The average turnaround time for initial decisions is approximately 4–6 weeks.

Archiving and Repository Policies

The journal supports long-term preservation and broad accessibility of its content through comprehensive archiving and repository policies. All published articles are archived on the official journal website, ensuring stable access for future readers and researchers.

Additionally, authors are permitted and encouraged to self-archive their work in personal, institutional, or subject-specific repositories immediately upon publication. The version deposited should be the final published version (Version of Record) and must include a full citation and DOI link to the article on the journal website.

The journal also participates in digital preservation initiatives and databases to ensure the perpetual availability of its content, even in the event of technical failures or organizational changes.