Objective: Migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder often worsened by psychological factors like stress, which can trigger and intensify attacks. This study examined the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) in reducing perceived stress and emotional exhaustion among individuals with migraine symptoms, given that pharmacological treatments alone rarely address these psychosocial dimensions.

Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and one‑month follow‑up was used. Thirty participants from Tabriz with migraine symptoms were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) receiving six 90‑minute CFT sessions or a control group (n=15) receiving no intervention. Perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, and emotional exhaustion via the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscale.

Findings: Repeated‑measures ANOVA revealed significant group‑by‑time interactions. The experimental group showed substantially greater reductions in both perceived stress and emotional exhaustion at posttest compared to controls (p < 0.001). These improvements were maintained at the one‑month follow‑up, with large effect sizes (partial η² > 0.14), indicating strong clinical relevance.

Conclusion: CFT proves to be an effective and durable adjunctive psychological intervention for alleviating stress and emotional exhaustion in migraine patients. By fostering self‑compassion, CFT reduces emotional reactivity and maladaptive coping, thereby complementing standard medical care. The sustained gains support integrating CFT into comprehensive migraine management to address the psychological burden of the condition. However, the small sample size and single‑site design limit generalizability. Future research with larger, more diverse populations and active control groups is needed to confirm these promising results and explore mechanisms of change. Nonetheless, these findings underscore the value of psychosocial care in headache medicine and suggest that CFT can be a practical, low‑cost addition to existing treatment protocols, improving overall patient well‑being and quality of life.