Couples therapy with gay clients: Issues facing counsellors

Abstract

Abstract Couples therapy is widely practised by a range of different counselling professionals, but, as yet, concentrates on heterosexual clients, to the exclusion of gay people. This paper argues that couples therapy should be more readily available for gay clients. A review of the major issues which need to be addressed by counsellors before embarking on couples therapy with gay men is presented, with illustrative case material. It is concluded that established forms of intervention are effective with gay clients, providing that the specific needs and problems of the gay community are recognized by the counsellor.