Introduction
Decreased intimacy between couples has consequences for their mental health. On the other hand, the presence of intimacy between couples can lead to higher marital satisfaction; the couples with marital satisfaction are more capable of facing problems. Marital satisfaction refers to a mental state that reflects happiness and pleasure in a marital relationship. Satisfactory marital relationships are measured based on mutual interests, caring for each other, accepting and understanding each other. To have a successful and stable marriage, couples should acquire the necessary skills through available trainings and interventions.
To treat problems related to intimacy and marital satisfaction, there are several approaches such as cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) and integrated couple therapy (ICT). The present study aims to compare the effectiveness of CBCT and IBCT in improving marital satisfaction and intimacy in couples with marital discord. 

Methods
This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design. The study population included all couples with marital discord referred to the counseling centers in Tabriz, Iran in 2023. Among them, 45 couples were selected using a purposive sampling method and based on the entry and exit criteria. They were randomly divided into CBCT (n=15), ICT (n=15) and control (n=15) groups (Table 1).




Data collection tools were Bagarozzi's marital intimacy needs questionnaire (MINQ) and the ENRICH marital satisfaction scale. The CBCT was provided at 10 sessions and ICT was provided at 16 sessions. To test the hypotheses, univariate and multivariate analysis of variance methods were used.

Results
The ICT had a greater effect on sexual relationship and religious orientation domains of marital satisfaction than the CBCT, and this difference was significant (P<0.01). Also, the ICT had a greater effect on emotional, psychological, logical, sexual, aesthetic, and social-recreational domains of marital intimacy  compared to the CBCT and this difference was significant (P<0.01).

Conclusion 
The ICT is more effective than CBCT in improving intimacy and marital satisfaction of couples with marital discord, since it helps couples gradually and continuously pay attention to long-term problems and express their emotions so that they can change the situation that prevent the establishment of emotional relationships. 

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
All ethical principles were considered in this article. The participants were informed about the study objectives and methods and were assured of the confidentiality of their information. A written informed consent was obtained from them. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of University of Tabriz (Code: IR.TABRIZU.REC.1402.100). 

Funding
This article was extracted from the PhD thesis of Leila Azhideh at the Department of Psychology, University of Tabriz. This study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Authors contributions
The authors contributed equally to preparing this article. 

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants and the staff of selected counseling centers in Tabriz city for their cooperation in this research.


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