Investigation of closeness relationships and marital satisfaction in individuals receiving family counseling services using a mixed method

This research aims to investigate the relationship between intimacy levels in relationships and marital satisfaction among individuals receiving family counseling services in Turkey. It also seeks to explore whether these factors differ based on specific variables. Additionally, the study aims to present these findings within the context of participants' perspectives. To achieve this, an explanatory sequential research design, which is a type of mixed methods research, was employed. In the first stage, quantitative data was collected to examine the relationships of interest. In the second stage, qualitative data was gathered through interviews to provide deeper insights into the intimacy levels and marital satisfaction of the participants. In the first stage, a total of 212 participants were selected using the snowball sampling method. In the second stage, interviews were conducted with 22 individuals who volunteered to participate and were purposefully selected from the initial group. Finally, the quantitative and qualitative findings were analyzed comprehensively. The study found a positive and significant relationship between intimacy in relationships and marital satisfaction among individuals receiving family counseling, as well as among the subdimensions of these scales. The closeness and marital satisfaction levels of participants were influenced by their perceptions of marriage and relationship intimacy. Individuals with low scores expressed views on marriage that emphasized personal space, necessity, formality, and other negative aspects, portraying feelings of lost love, a lack of respect in their relationship with spouses, inability to express feelings, and viewing spouses primarily as the parents of their children. Conversely, individuals with high scores articulated a more positive definition of marriage, encompassing conversation, responsibility, sharing, family commitment, peace, happiness, unity, solidarity, and love. They described their relationships with spouses as enjoyable, valuable, communicative, loving, respectful, and empathetic. Ultimately, the research concludes that individuals' perceptions of marriage and their relationships with their spouses significantly influence their levels of intimacy and marital satisfaction, with positive perceptions fostering higher satisfaction levels, while negative perceptions detract from them. Keywords: Relationships closeness, Marital satisfaction, Family counseling service