Réalité actuelle des couples homosexuels: Implications cliniques en contexte de thérapie conjugale

Despite the fact that a large number of homosexual couples seek professional help when confronted with marital difficulties, relatively little knowledge is available to psychologists working with these clients. Although gay and lesbian couples greatly resemble heterosexual couples on most of the conjugal dimensions, it seems that same sex couples do have a unique reality to their sexual orientation. The present article constitutes an innovative synthesis of the actual knowledge concerning therapeutic intervention with gay and lesbian couples. First, the specific motives for these couples to seek help are discussed (i.e., issues related to homophobia, the lack of conjugal models, the "coming out" process, and the influence of socialization). Then, changes relating to issues relevant to some same sex couples brought to theoretical frameworks in psychology are explored. The frameworks that we examine are psychoanalytic, adlerian and cognitive behavioural. Finally, issues associated with HIV are discussed given its importance for die homosexual population and its impact on gay couples. This article, far from wanting to stigmatize even more homosexual couples, aims to support psychologists in their reflection and search for adequate interventions with this population that still... (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)