LGBT Couples

Gay relationship counseling is, at its core, the same as any other couple's relationship counseling except that it may be somewhat tailored or more sensitive to the unique issues a gay couple is likely to face.

Many gay couples will experience the same relationship difficulties as any straight couple, but they also face the additional difficulties presented to them due to their unique sexual preferences and it can be beneficial for such couples to deal with a counselor or therapist who is aware of these differences.

I'm sure it goes without saying that, even today, a social stigma exists in some sectors of our society towards the gay and lesbian communities.

This can add stress for some gay couples and could play a part in their needs when it comes to counseling. Gay relationship counseling also needs to confront other issues which would not affect a straight couple, such as marriage and the resulting tax and care issues.

How Do We Know if We Need Relationship Counseling?

Gay relationship counseling is needed based on the same principles as any other couples counseling.

• Do you argue about the same issues repetitively?
• Do you have problems committing to resolutions?

Couple’s counseling should be considered if you answer either of the above questions in the affirmative.

A very important principle of any couple’s counseling is that it should be anticipatory and not used as a last resort.

Often couples wait until they are on the verge of divorce to get counseling and this is not the right way to go about it. If you wait until this point it is likely that you have many issues to deal with and often the lines of communication have deteriorated to such an extent that it is almost impossible to discuss the issues in a civilized manner, which obviously defeats any attempt at resolution.